If you’ve ever been curious about why some people swear that floating in a sensory deprivation tank (aka floatation tank) feels great, I wrote a straightforward description of what the float experience is like by answering questions posted on Yahoo Answers.
Here are a few questions for anyone who has tried floatation therapy:
Does the water get changed between customers?
Is it dark inside?
How much did it cost?
How did you feel afterwards?
Answer:
Q: Does the water get changed between customers?
A: A floatation tank has 800-1000 pounds of dissolved Epsom salt. This is what makes a person float like a cork, creating a low gravity environment.
Epsom salt is a natural antiseptic that inhibits the growth of microorganisms. The best example of this in nature is the Dead Sea in Israel. There are $300-$400 worth of Epsom salt in a floatation tank and it can take up to a week to dissolve, so it’s necessary to create a closed system where the water is pumped out of the tank and goes through a 3 stage filtration process that includes UV sterilization and/or ozone sterilization before being pumped back in. A floatation tank is cleaner than any swimming pool, hot tub or jacuzzi.
Q: Is it dark inside?
A: The floatation tank used to be called the sensory deprivation tank. The name was changed because many people confused the beneficial kind of sensory deprivation with the kind of sensory deprivation used in prisons. The reason for floating in a dark environment is because a person will usually relax more deeply in the absence of light. That’s why we turn the lights off when we go to bed.
A float tank is usually in a private room with a light on so the person entering and exiting the tank has plenty of light to see what they’re doing. Once they’re situated inside the float tank, they can close the door and enjoy the darkness or some people will prop the door open with a towel to let in some light and some people will leave the door wide open.
As long as the top of your body is warm and comfortable, it’s ok to leave the door open. Remember, you’re floating like a cork with the top of your body floating above the water. The water temperature is 93.5 degrees (skin temperature) so if the air temperature gets too cool, you’re likely to get chilled and then you’re not relaxing.
Q: How much did it cost?
A: The place where I float in Chicago costs $40 for an hour, but prices range from $35 at small businesses to $125 at some spas.
Q: How did you feel afterwards?
A: After my first float session, I felt much lighter, as if I was walking on the moon. Colors were richer and more intense. I learned this is because our brains crave stimulation, so when it’s deprived of sensory input for a while, our senses get intensified. Also, I was feeling euphoric because of the burst of endorphins that your brain releases when you float.
I’ve floated many times and I typically feel more energized and calm afterwards. I can’t float in the evening or else I won’t be able to sleep. I’m told this is because your brainwaves transition from beta to alpha to theta. Being in that theta state has the effect of giving you the benefits of several hours of sleep in a fraction of the time. So if I need to pull an all-nighter, I float.
Categories: Floatation Tank
2 Comments »
2 Responses to “Floatation Tanks – Your Burning Questions Answered”
Do you realy need a special tank to have this experience?
Can you use a simple bath with epsom salt and enjoy yourself?
Thanks for your question Victor. The reason why putting Epsom salt in your bath can’t duplicate the experience of floating is because you need several hundred pounds of dissolved Epsom salt in order to float like a cork. You can enjoy yourself with a simple bath with Epsom salt, but that won’t cause your brain to release endorphins like floating does. Also, putting a little Epsom salt in your bath won’t cause your muscles to relax to nearly the same degree that hundreds of pounds of Epsom salt will.
Floating has a profound effect on your stress level and your state of mind. Floating actually causes your brainwaves to transition from beta to theta, which is a state of very deep relaxation that everyone experiences when they’re asleep, but most people never experience while awake. This theta state greatly reduces stress hormones while flooding your brain with mood-enhancing endorphins. Floating is in a totally different category.
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