Interesting People Float (Sensory Deprivation Chambers)

Flotation Tanks or Sensory Deprivation Chambers are one of the most effective ways for interesting people to relax, decompress and “press the reset button” of their minds.

This article isn’t meant to be a tell-all going over every aspect of Float Tanks, but is meant to give a little bit of my own perspective on them and how they apply to leading a more interesting life.

The place I go to (TheFloatPlace) has an overall relaxing atmosphere. I go at my scheduled time, put in ear plugs, shower, dry only my face and enter the tank…

The tank itself contains salt water containing around 900 to 1400 pounds of Epsom salts. The temperature of the water is about the same as the human body. Once you enter the tank you turn off the light, lay back in the water and are in total darkness. You also can’t hear anything because of the earplugs, quiet nature of the facility and having your ears under water. Much like the Great Salt Lake in Utah or the Dead Sea, you are able to float effortlessly in the water and feel like there is no gravity. In essence you can’t see or hear anything. You barely feel the temperature of the water and feel like you are floating around in a dark void.

For the first 20 minutes or so my mind usually races around the different thoughts that have been circling around head that day. I also inevitably obsess whether I am doing it right (even though I’ve done it many times.) Slowly though, my mind and body start to relax. My thinking slows and I am able to focus my mind on deeper things.

People float for various reasons. People float for relaxation, meditation, out of body experiences, pain relief, deep thinking, to clear their minds or gain inner perspective.

Sometimes I float to get a better understanding to how my mind works. Without any other distractions it is easier to objectively become aware of the types of thoughts that enter my mind and see if they make sense. In past floats I’ve become much more aware of the way I transition between thoughts and the priorities I give between them. Cutting out the distractions of other people, cell phones, computers, sounds and sights makes self-analysis far more productive.

I often float to gain insight into specific situations or goals in my life. Again, without any sort of distraction I am often able to identify solutions to some of life’s problems in mere minutes that would have taken weeks for me to figure out.

One thing that always happens though is that no matter how stressed out I was before entering that tank I am extremely relaxed afterwards.

I’ve found that one of the best times to float is when you feel the most overwhelmed and have the most on your plate. When I was in the final stretch of the James Bond: World of Espionage video game contest (that I won to be a character in the game) I felt completely fried. I seriously needed to disconnect for a bit to let my mind cool down. After one hour and a half float I felt as right as rain.

One of my goals this year is to float more. I signed up recently to go at least on a monthly basis. I feel more relaxed floating than getting a massage or any other activity that I can think of. Epsom salts also have a myriad of benefits that I won’t mention here.

Leading an interesting life often means doing many things at once, having a mind overflowing with thoughts and often biting off more than one can chew. An hour or so in a float tank resets an overloaded mind, relaxes the muscles and gives invaluable perspective to help one lead the interesting life that you desire.