ISSUE #20: Float Tanks – Sensory Deprivation for Better Health & Creativity

It’s a thing all around Seattle, but also everywhere I travel: Float tank centers! In the 1970s, commercial float tanks were created and began being studied for possible health benefits. Today, finding a sensory deprivation tank is easy, with float centers and spas offering float therapy all over the world. If you see a shop with “Float” in the name, chances are you’ve found one, too.
Scientific evidence is backing the popularity of floating. Studies suggest time spent floating in a sensory deprivation tank brings muscle relaxation, better sleep, decrease in pain, and decreased stress and anxiety. Who doesn’t want those benefits?!

It works like this: the sensory deprivation tank is heated to skin temperature and plenty of soothing Epsom salt provides buoyancy, so you float more easily. When you enter the tank, and the lid or door is closed, all outside stimulation, including sound, sight, and gravity are removed from the equation. As you float weightless in the silence and darkness, the brain enters into a deeply relaxed state…sometimes a mild hallucination even!
Having your own home tank runs $10,000+ but why do that, especially when you can pop into a local float tank spa for $50–100 a visit? Give it a try if you’re looking for a new way to hit that personal reset! You only live once.