Graphic designers, illustrators, artists, and advertisers will continue delivering all of the persuasive, informative, narrative, and poetic visual stimuli we see every single day, but others may seek out inventive ways to create shelter from it. They will fabricate new media to help consumers escape from new media, where we turn off (or worse yet, hide) from the abundance of stimuli.
The solution to information anxiety may not lie in better visual communication, but rather, leaving it all together. Solving creative blocks may best happen without a pencil in hand, with no fingers at the keyboard. Hiding behind noise-cancelling headphones to enjoy the latest Brian Eno ambience may necessitate a sight-cancelling embodiment so we can fully appreciate the calming music without posters in our office distracting us. William Hurt’s character Dr. Eddie Jessup took that concept to a new high in the 1980 film Altered States, when he experimented with sensory deprivation tanks to achieve heightened awareness, crossing physiological planes of existence. During the 1980s, floatation tanks became the vogue method for relaxing one’s body, and some athletic teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and Bill Bergey of the Philadelphia Eagles used them to recover from strenuous play. Then, as much as now, floatation tanks and sensory deprivation appear luxurious, even bordering on voodoo; but in the future, we may require a similar means to fully shield ourselves from deafening noises and bombastic graphics.
Still, our bodies need to slip away, and we all know this, but sometimes need reminders. My reminder happened in a client’s small waiting room devoid of magazines, brochures, artwork, and disruptive noise. As luck would have it, I left my mobile phone in the car, and did not have the added tension of its ringer in my pocket for the thirty minutes I sat waiting. This small room was also equipped with a white noise machine, delivering a soothing sound. We’ve each had moments like these, sometimes they happen on accident; sometimes they happen purposefully. I would frequent James Turrell’s Skyspace, located in the Henry Art Gallery, to intentionally escape my graduate school rigors. Those who have experienced the Skyspace, or any of Turrell’s other light sculptures, can appreciate the spiritual effects. We may crave them so much, that we choose to live in a minimalist environment, similar to the one illustrated in BusinessWeek below.
Entering the vacuous apartment illustrated in BusinessWeek, sitting in a quiet waiting room for a client, or gazing out of Turrell’s Skyspace can help us take time off—even momentarily—and initiate the parasympathetic nervous system’s rest and digest process. As humans withstand more and more stimulation and interaction, through computers, hand-held devices, or televisions, we may need a greater distance from that media to relax and initiate the parasympathetic responses. Taking 30-40 minute breaks out of doors may not be good enough because a passerby has an obnoxious mobile phone conversation happening, or an iPod hooked up to portable Bose speakers with jarring music erupting at us. Selecting the right restaurant to escape our 9 to 5 jobs has become just as trying, with televisions plastering many walls and the clicking customer adjacently tapping on a Blackberry.
Creating artificial habitats that better isolate us from stimuli will require artists, designers, color theorists, or audio designers to partner with architectural, interior, or exhibition designers. James Turrell is one artist who has taken on that challenge, and while some view Skyspace as art, it looks like the future to me. Designers such as John Maeda and Peter Saville also experimented with spirituality in the DVD ColorCalm: By Design: juxtaposing sound with light for the comfort of your living room or office computer.
Because the battle to win consumer and audience attention grows bigger and bigger, covering more and more space, soothing our senses may require more extreme measures than visiting an art gallery or plugging in a colorcalm DVD. The cold war brought about a rise in bomb shelters. Crime sprees during the 1990s pressured homeowners to install panic rooms. What residential innovation will we see over the years, when the ever-growing information superhighway becomes pervasive? Futurists see hover cars, video phones, space travel, and touch-screen computing this century or next, but I believe sensory deprivation rooms will reside in every home.
As the nature of our lives evolves and changes we are constantly looking for ways to improve our creativity and production. This is not a new challenge but one that has taken a sudden sense of urgency, especially in the modern business world. One of the strategies for doing this is to step out of our daily routines, block out the world and focus on our ‘inner selves’. ‘Getting away from it all’ has taken on new meaning and relevance in our stress-filled hurried lives.
The quest for human potential has been going on for ‘eons’. Some argue that Cro-Magnon people isolated themselves from their outside world by entering caves and eventually producing pre-historic cave art. The great religious leaders often promoted meditation and introspection as a means of gaining greater understanding and ultimately arriving at a higher level of potential and production.
Today we try to get away to isolated vacation spots, stress-reducing spas and use New and Old Age methods of turning off the outside world. The premise is that by shutting down the barrage of outside stimuli we can allow ourselves to develop internally. And of course in the Modern Era we use technology to help us with our quest.
One such technological innovation is the flotation tank. No one knows when the idea for sensory reduction started but the first scientific experiments began in the early 1950s. The original premise was that by shutting down outside stimuli one could shut down brain function. The initial surprise was that the brain did not shut down but instead became more active in different ways.
A flotation tank has been described as a portable closet turned on its side and filled with about ten inches of concentrated Epsom salts dissolved in water. The typical tank will have between 800 and 1000 pounds of concentrated Epsom. Newer tanks have an air supply and a temperature regulator that keeps the solution a constant 93.5 degrees F. or skin temperature and a door that essentially shuts out all light. Earplugs are often worn and most tanks have very little or ‘no’ sound.
The floater enters the tank, closes the door and with it blocks out most external stimuli. The floating experience comes close to no gravity — one floats and physically cannot sink in the tank. There are no rules — no set procedures, no instructions, no agenda. Each floater takes into the tank what they bring with themselves. Some meditate, others work on business problems, and others let their minds go and try to enter a creative state. Many, though not all, go into a brainwave state known as the ‘theta zone’ — a brainwave pattern similar to sleep. There are no drugs, massages, or therapy processes. In short, there is no intervention of any kind — only the floater and the tank.
"Floaters" report many different types of experiences and many of these experiences are perceived as profound. I recently conducted a series of interviews with floaters and was told the following: A systems analyst uses the tank to reduce stress and become ‘less of an nerd’; a research scientist visualizes molecules and protein structures; a banker uses the tank to work on difficult projects by isolating each component of a project and visualizing how these components can come together. Athletes use floating for optimal performance, visualization and injury healing. Doctors and chiropractors recommend floating as a way to reduce pain, especially back pain. Psychologists recommend floating as a way to reduce levels of depression. Writers and inventors use floating as a way to create and innovate. Why does floating work? There are a number of theories: the anti-gravity effect, the increase of left brain activity as right brain activity is decreased, endorphin production, integration of the primitive and modern brain layers, brain waves (theta), biofeedback and homeostasis of the human brain.
But most floaters do not care so much how it works but that it works. They report that old ways of thinking simply ‘melt away’ and do not have to be ’strategically broken down’. They report a greater sense of well being and an enhanced sense of creativity and innovation. Many report that floating has significantly changed their lives. The effects can last for days, weeks, years or a lifetime.
As a matter of curiosity I tried floating. The immediate effect I noted was a sense of well being that lasted for weeks. I cannot say whether is was cause and effect, but after floating regularly for several months, I started a new business venture that I had been contemplating for over a year. As a true skeptic I cannot say what is going on but I can say that something is going on. My wild guess is that it has something to do with endorphin production but admittedly that is a wild guess.
For those of us that constantly deal with human potential in the workplace we cannot ignore the human mind. Although we do not fully understand how the mind works, we do know some of the basics. We now know that constant stimuli bombardment can lead to high levels of stress, which in turn can cause mental and physical maladies. These maladies can lead to lower production and a reduced potential.
The Brave New World of the future may not have our minds hooked up to stimuli producing machines. The Brave New World may have us float in a tank and ‘regress’ to some primordial state where we can shut out the modern world and realize ourselves and our own potential.
In a true sense, we may be returning to the cave to find ourselves.
This is a snippet of an interview Roots Of Rebellion conducted with Michael Hutchison, author of the definitive work on the floatation tank (and a great read!) The Book Of Floating
Here’s a fascinating story about a very left-brained man overcoming his shyness, John Lilly’s Flintstones-esque floatation tank, and the birth of a new industry. This is a segment from a conversation with Lee Perry, co-owner of Samadhi Tank Co.
Tim Strudwick is owner of Floatworks, the world’s busiest floatation center. We spoke this morning about how he achieved financial success in an industry that most people don’t even know exists, and how others can do the same. Here’s a snippet from that conversation.
These reviews come from the world’s largest float center Floatworks
Floating was a fantastic experience, which I must admit I totally underestimated. As a runner I found the time to relax and concentrate on my goals particularly beneficial. My race performance the next day was excellent, not only did I beat my personal best for the course by 30 seconds but I also finished ahead of a rival and training companion that had beat me by 5 seconds in the race two weeks previously, (who hadn’t had the benefit of floating prior to race day). I found that my quality of sleep was also better in the two days after floating. I would definitely recommend this to other runners. Although my muscles didn’t noticeably feel immediately relaxed I felt positive effects over the next few days and am considering returning before and after my next big race! Thanks very much floatworks!
A. (University of London Cross Country League)
The environment was extremely relaxing from the moment I walked in (I was also impressed by the fact that Nick Drake’s Five Leaves Left was playing on the stereo!). All the staff were very friendly which contributed to the relaxing experience. The fact that floating was so different to any normal leisure activity made it fun as well as relaxing. Afterward I felt refreshed and much of the tension in my shoulders had disappeared. I did feel it took me a while to switch off (I was warned this is often the case by a member of staff beforehand), but by the time the music came on the second time I could hardly believe the hour was up and wanted to stay in there longer!
R.B. (Committee member and Runner University of London Cross Country League)
Personally, I found the floating a highly enjoyable experience. I’m studying for a PhD, a time consuming activity, and when I add in all my running, social life and general chores there’s little time left for me to relax; when I am relaxing there’s normally music or TV and I always have to make cups of tea. I therefore found having an hour where there was absolutely nothing for my brain to do blissful. That night I slept like a baby (and it wasn’t until the next day I read the leaflet we were given which said I would) and for the next couple of days I was particularly peppy. Some of my friends even commented on it without me saying I’d been floating. As for the race we had after floating I did particularly well, despite adverse conditions (it was snowing and freezing cold). I beat my personal best time for ten kilometres by two minutes and though I don’t attribute all of this to floating (I’ve done an awful lot of training since I last ran a measured 10K) I do think the positive it had given me helped with the frustration of the days conditions.
G.S. (University Of London Cross Country League)
Just in time for the holidays, I received this fascinating comment from Sandy Melendez:
I am seemingly overweight (about 25 pounds). Within my families genetic make-up, and social lifestyle, I am still thinner than the rest of the women. Unhappy with my problems with weight, I went to see numerous specialists. I don’t have high blood pressure, nor any other ailment like a thyroid problem that can be regulated through medical treatment.
For my 30th birthday last month, a great friend of mine, gave me a gift certificate to experience float therapy for the first time. This wonderful man didn’t explain all of the benefits I’d receive from partaking in the activity of floating. He just explained how it alleviates stress. Nonetheless, floating was a wonderful experience mentally, physically, and emotionally.
The aftermath benefit is what has astounded me the most. I have a lot of cellulite on my buttocks and hamstrings. Folks, instantly it has been reduced! Apparently, vigorous exercise and healthy eating is not enough to treat cellulite. Creams are one thing, but the floatation therapy helps eliminate the toxins in our bodies so much that with numerous treatments, cellulite can continue to minimize in one’s body.
I will definitely continue flotation therapy. The benefits in a one hour session has left me a believer that if I continue to experience them, stress and toxins will completely be elminated from my body. Thank you for the articles, and the opportunity to comment on such a phenomenon as cellulite. Women struggle so much with it, and its great to know that I can now cancel my consultation appointment with a plastic surgeon to see how far my floating experiences will do for my mind, body, and soul.
Float Into Paradise by Sydney L. Murray. Original article posted at Vision Magazine
As I was walking into the session room at Float Spa San Diego, I was mesmerized by a photograph of large salt formations from the Dead Sea. The space was very clean and inviting and I was instantly impressed by how soothing it felt. Speaking to Mark Lesicka, one of the co-founders of Float Spa, along with his wife Maylou, I found out that he had sought out the practice of floating to alleviate chronic pain. Traveling to London, they learned much about the practice of floating. After the Lesickas’ return, they opened Float Spa.
If you haven’t ever floated, you are missing out on an amazing experience. I love the feeling of being suspended in warm soothing water. As I allowed myself to “lift,” I initially had the image as seen in the classic film 2001 Space Odyssey of a body floating out into space with the person’s arms and legs extended. I was weightless. Not bogged down by the hectic pace of my life, I was floating and my mind drifted into a peaceful and open space.
The next night, I experienced very vivid and memorable dreams. I mentioned this to Lesicka, who has also experienced the benefit of having more lucid dreams, as well as the ability to recall them with clarity. He said that there have been studies which show that floating creates a bridge between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which might explain having the experience of a more conscious dream state.
Floating has been around in the United States since the 1970s but was initially developed by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the 50s when studying the effects of what they called Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique or R.E.S.T. Since then the float tank has been used in health care, medicine, fitness training, sports science, education and the healing arts.
Scientists have estimated that up to 90 percent of the brain’s work is derived from the stimuli of our routine external environment. Gravity, touch, temperature, light, and sound affect the muscles, the nervous system, and the organs of the body. The float tank screens out our external physical stimuli, allowing for a pure state of sensory relaxation.
This lack of stimulation of the nervous system triggers a reaction known as the parasympathetic response. Muscle tension, blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen consumption are often reduced dramatically. Stress hormones are reduced as well and are replaced with uplifting endorphins.
Discovered by NIMH researchers in 1976, endorphins are literally a natural source of elation, happiness, or what some have called a “natural high.” They can also help alleviate fatigue and chronic pain, while improving higher brain functions such as learning and memory retention.
And the good thing about the float tank is that it all happens without much effort for the client. You just enter the tank, lie back and float. The tank is the temperature of your skin, which is 94.5 degrees. It is filled with an Epsom salt mixture of about 30 percent which, when combined with your body’s natural buoyancy, allows you to float in a small amount of water. Float Spa San Diego’s website illuminates the use of Epsom salt and why it is so valuable to our bodies: “One of the earliest discoveries of magnesium sulfate, the scientific name for Epsom salt, occurred back in Shakespeare’s day in Epsom, England (where the compound was first distilled from water) which explains the first half of the name. The term salt probably refers to the specific chemical structure of the compound, although many people mistakenly assume it refers to the crystalline structure of Epsom salt, which has an appearance similar to that of table salt. (Table salt, of course, consists of sodium chloride, so it’s an entirely different substance than magnesium sulfate.)
Magnesium is the second-most abundant element in human cells and the fourth-most important positively charged ion in the body, so it’s little wonder that this low-profile mineral is also vital to good health and wellbeing. Magnesium is a major component of Epsom salt and also helps to regulate the activity of more than 325 enzymes and performs a vital role in orchestrating many bodily functions, from muscle control and electrical impulses to energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.
Studies show that magnesium is an electrolyte which helps to ensure proper muscle, nerve and enzyme function and is critical for the proper use of calcium in cells. Another benefit is that it can help prevent heart disease and strokes by lowering blood pressure, protecting the elasticity of arteries, preventing blood clots, and reducing the risk of sudden heart attack deaths. Magnesium may also reduce inflammation and relieve pain, making it beneficial in the treatment of sore muscles, bronchial asthma, migraine headaches and fibromyalgia.”
The seemingly subtle mental and physical effects of floating can greatly improve your powers of emotional control and sense of wellbeing. Negative emotions and many unwanted habits seem to melt away in the tank, along with any physical tensions and the stresses that accompany them. Smoking, alcohol dependence and weight control problems can be effectively lessened or even overcome—and sometimes these changes can occur spontaneously. Research suggests that compulsive behavior patterns such as these are linked to low endorphin levels in the body. In fact, according to experts at NIMH, the float tank “is the only technique ever shown by controlled studies to be effective over extended periods of time.” Studies show success rates of 81% in eliminating or sharply reducing smoking, 61% in reducing alcohol consumption, with similarly impressive results in combating weight control problems. In the deep theta state that comes with floating, you experience increased access to and control over subconscious mental processes. You can literally become the master of your own mind.
So if relaxation, stress reduction, the lessening of chronic pain and the ability to remember your dreams more vividly are just a few of the many benefits you may desire, then floating is for you. Try it today—it just might change your life.
For more information, visit www.floatspasandiego or call 858-279-3301.
