Tales From The Float Tank: Cannabis, Mushrooms, Sacred Tobacco & Wim Hof Breathing / Holotropic Breathwork
By: Caiyuda Kiora
Tags: Magic Mushrooms, Sensory Deprivation, Cannabis, Psychedelics, Wim Hof

Why Float in a Tank? Can’t I Just Float in My Bathtub?

This response has come up surprisingly often! And the answer is — No, not really.

The tanks are specifically created to allow for an incomparably unique experience. One that you won’t find in a bathtub.

They’re designed with adequate space to lay down comfortably, a large amount of epsom salts fill the water, allowing you to become buoyant when laying down, the water is heated to body temperature so it becomes difficult to discern where your body ends and the water starts, there’s no sense of smell, a lack of sound, and it’s pitch black, so you can’t see.

Although there are different forms of sensory deprivation, the float tank is super unique, in that can eliminate external stimuli to such a high degree, in what feels like a zero gravity environment.

People come to the experience of sensory deprivation tanks for a number of reasons, and a surprising amount of research has been conducted into the potential benefits and psycho-physiological effects of floating.

Rest, relaxation, rejuvenation, meditation, creativity, consciousness exploration…

I’ve experienced many benefits myself, but it’s great to back up these claims with a little data.

Research shows that:

Floating is a useful stress management tool, having “positive effects on physiology (eg. lower levels of cortisol, lower blood pressure), well-being, and performance” 1

It “enhances performance in a variety of athletic and musical tasks that require high levels of concentration and visual-motor coordination” 2

“Volunteers’ visual cortexes become more active after less than an hour of visual deprivation” 3

(which explains some of the swirling colours I’ve seen)

(which explains some of the swirling colours I’ve seen) And “those suffering from intractable chronic pain particularly benefited from weekly REST (restricted environmental stimulation therapy) sessions: their level of perceived pain dropped, their sleep improved and they reported feeling happier and less anxious.” 4

For some reason though, there are people who find the thought of stepping into a tank to be quite disconcerting and anxiety inducing.

Alone with my thoughts for an hour or more, with no distractions and nothing to do but be with my mind?!

Regular quiet introspection is an activity that can provide serious beneficial change in one’s life. I find it strange that spending time with one’s self in a quiet environment without distraction, can be a foreign concept, and showcases a major flaw in our society and culture.

I’m sure I’m not the only one that has found sensory deprivation and floating to be amazing tool to supplement personal development, healing, and the exploration of consciousness.

Why I Use Sensory Deprivation Tanks.

If I’m only floating for an hour, I’m more inclined to go in without any ‘tools’ for my time in the tank.

If I’m floating for longer than an hour, I’m more inclined to use certain tools that could allow for a deeper, more insightful and interesting experience.

There are times where I purely want to rejuvenate my body with the influx of magnesium from the epsom salts permeating my cells.

There are times where I want to still my mind and reach deeper states of meditation than usual.

There are times where I use my time in the tank to unravel thoughts and ideas, and find clarity and answers to certain questions.

Then there are times where I want to explore my consciousness without the distraction of my physical senses, taking a journey to see what insights I might arrive at, and what the human experience is capable of through different internal and external environmental shifts.