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I heard, not long ago, about a new tendency in meditation, it was about floating in a tank, with warm water, low light, and privately. Are sensory deprivation tanks a good way to meditate?

These sensory deprivation tanks, also called flotation tanks, create a sensorial experience since the body floats on saltwater with no sound or light… Explaining it might make you feel claustrophobic, but the idea of this kind of meditation is to generate theta brainwaves.

Why is it called sensory deprivation tanks? In 1954 a neurologist wondered how our mind would react if we removed all external stimulus. Finally he decided, after several changes, how the sensory deprivation tanks would be:

  • ·         A tank big enough so one could float and yet not deep.
  • ·    Saltwater, to make water dense so the body could float.
  • ·         A place where no light could disturb vision nor stimulate it.
  • ·         A nice temperature that doesn’t even stimulate the skin.

What does it feel to be inside one of these tanks?

As any external stimulus have been removed you start to have a new sensorial experience: you hear your muscles tense up, your heartbeat, you can even feel your eyelids close.

Each person has a totally different experience since our brain works differently. There are people in this level of sensorial deprivation who increase their introspection and feel their mind have left them in order to travel to the recondite corners of their imagination. The reason of this is that our brains work on alpha brainwave , but when isolated from all stimulus our brain changes from alpha to theta; our brain does work in these brainwave but before sleeping at when we wake.

Benefits of this therapy

  • ·         Reduces blood pressure
  • ·         Reduces cortisol levels
  • ·         Helps control anxiety and addiction
  • ·         Is an excellent way to meditate
  • ·         Eases muscular pain along with other physiological benefits.