Sensory Deprivation
By Dustin Wright
Sensory Deprivation: An experimental situation in which all stimulation is cut off from the sensory receptors
In today’s world, it can be quite difficult to find some peace and quiet. There always seems to be something distracting us. Whether it’s the ticking of a clock, the dog next door, the feeling of our butt in a chair, or the light shining through your window, there’s always something that can take the thoughts away from our primary goals.
Enter sensory deprivation. The one place you can go to relieve yourself of all senses. Once that happens, it’s just you and your mind. For some people that can be a scary thought. Not everyone likes what they see when they take the time to reflect. But for others, this can be an amazing experience. Whether you are an entrepreneur thinking through your next big idea, someone seeking some form of enlightenment, or simply trying to relax, it’s amazing what can become clear without the distraction of your senses. To further investigate this growing trend, we visited DU20 Holistic Oasis in Delray Beach to check out one of the only Float Tanks in South Florida.
The large, square tank sat in a quiet room towards the back. When you open the door, it’s simply a dark tank with plenty of room. 800 lbs of Epsom salts are added to 200 gallons of water, creating a 12 inch deep solution. The salt causes you to float when lying in the water, relieving your body of the sense of touching the ground. Therefore, all of your muscles are allowed to relax. Further, the water is heated to 95 degrees F, which is the temperature of your skin. Reason being, after you get settled in the tank, you can hardly distinguish where the water ends and the air begins. It is pitch black and total silence. From there, relax and drift into the “deepest state of relaxation possible.”
The floatation tank was developed in 1954 by medical practitioner and neuro-psychiatrist, John Lilly. At that time, there were many questions in the field of neurophysiology regarding the energy sources of the brain. Some thought that those sources depended upon the environment, and that if the stimuli are cut off to the brain, than the brain would “go to sleep.” To test this, Lilly decided to create an environment that completely isolated a person from these external stimuli.
“What he discovered was that floatation created a state of ultra-deep relaxation that ‘resets’ the body’s hormonal and metabolic balance, strengthening resistance to and accelerating recovery from the effects of stress, illness, injury or strenuous exercise.” DU20 Holistic Oasis
Flotation tanks have come a long way since their creation. People of all kinds are now using them for a variety of reasons. Professional athletes, consciousness explorers, psychedelic seekers, and average Joe’s are reaping the benefits of sensory deprivation.
Athletes in particular have found huge benefits from visualizing their techniques in the tank. Especially for sports such as mixed martial arts where you’re learning and remembering new techniques on a daily basis. The tank allows athletes to practice in their head with zero distractions.
The daily tax of gravity can cause a lot of stress to one’s body. Floating is pretty much the only way to relieve yourself of this stress. For the first time, you don’t feel the chair, bed, or floor beneath you. To put it simply, you are weightless.
Some of you have questions I’m sure. Are you sure I will float? What if I freak out while in the tank? The answers to the first is simple. YES, you will float. With nearly a thousand pounds of Epsom salts in the water, it’s impossible not to. For those who are slightly claustrophobic, don’t worry. A standard chamber by Float Labs is 4’ wide, 8’ long, and 7’ high. In other words, you can stand up and walk around the tank. Also, you can open the door at any time, or even float with the door slightly open until you get comfortable. In addition, it is quite possible that the sensory deprivation tank could relieve your claustrophobic tendencies.
Comedian/podcaster Joe Rogan is a huge advocate of the float tanks. He said “Everybody should do the tank. You will learn more about yourself than any other way. And if you have an aversion to drugs, which totally makes sense, if you think that drugs are dangerous or you can get addicted to things – that’s true. If you don’t trust yourself or you don’t like the idea, you can have very introspective psychedelic experiences naturally in the tank. Everybody should be doing it. It’s a f**kin’ amazing way to think.”
After floating in the tank, I couldn’t agree more. It seems that others agree as well. People are purchasing float tank systems for their homes, and centers are popping up throughout the country.
To book your float, visit DU20 Holistic Oasis at 103 Northeast 2nd Avenue Suite 103, call 561-455-2147, or go to www.DU20.com.
