I had heard about sensory deprivation flotation tanks years ago, and put it on my bucket list. A couple of weeks ago, I finally took the plunge. The first opening was 3 weeks out, the last appointment on a Friday night. I took it.
I got there about 20 minutes early, and parked under the overhang as instructed. Since it was already dark out, it was really cold & windy, and there was a large collection of homeless (or homeless-looking) potheads setting up camp outside the building. I walked all the way around, but could not find a sign or entrance. I called and was told that someone would come get me, but that it would be best to wait inside my car.
About 10 minutes later, somebody tapped on my passenger window and led me inside the building. After unlocking a public restroom for me to use, I was waved into the lobby and told to sit on a black leather couch. "You're too early, you have to wait", I was told. The dim blue & red fluorescent lighting definitely gave the place a unique vibe.
When the other client finally arrived, we were given laminated documents full of technical jargon about sanitation, bacteria levels and testing procedures. The other guy had mentioned that he came to Float Lab after considering another place in Burbank, and that finally got Crash talking. After a lengthy rant about chemical procedures and working with the county on setting up sanitation testing standards for floatation tanks, Crash declared "now THAT is the difference between us and them...WE are 99.9% microbe-free, while THEY let you float in a pool of goop with no concern for your health". A few moments later, he went into "fine print mode", rattling off procedures for our float. Then we signed forms and were led into our respective rooms.
When I finally stepped into the tank, I was surprised to find that the water was little more than ankle-deep. I settled in on my back and immediately bounced up to the surface. It was the strangest feeling. For those worried about flipping over or choking, rest assured that this is almost impossible. The upward pull was strong, pulling my legs up into an almost hyper-extended position. But it was strangely relaxing.
Some people say you need a few sessions before you have any out-of-body experiences, but I started to have dreamlike symptoms almost immediately. About 1 minute into my float, I suddenly felt like I was floating in the ocean, with huge waves bobbing me up and down, sloshing side to side. Of course this was impossible inside the small tank, but since I wasn't seeing or feeling anything else, every little sensation became greatly exaggerated. I crashed into the side of the tank a couple of times, and it felt like I had hit an iceberg. Then I became acutely aware of my breathing...do I always breath so loud? Eventually the breathing became part of my dream state...I had visions of leaves on a sidewalk that would blow away every time I exhaled, only to return with each inhale. In the most unusual moment of my float, that vision slowly morphed into a scene of a huge saucepan full of bubbling marinara on a stove. I was overhead and it came closer and closer, zooming in until I could see that there were meatballs submerged in it. Suddenly I was in the sauce, enjoying an edible mud bath. And no, I don't blaze or do drugs.
It didn't last however. As expected, my mind eventually turned to work, my busy schedule the next day, paying bills, and running errands. When I realized this, I berated myself and tried to get my mind back into dream mode. I went in and out of dreams for the remainder of my float.
I had no idea how much time had passed, but I heard a thump that I thought was perhaps the other guy getting out of his tank in the other room. Was my session over? How long had I been floating? I decided that I wasn't going to get out until I felt ready, or until Crash came to tell me my time was up. Some time later, I finally decided to move my legs. I don't think I have ever gone for so long without moving a single muscle in my body, but when I did finally try to move my legs, it took quite a bit of effort and felt like a brand new pair of limbs had been installed. Then I touched my stomach and was surprised to find a crusty layer of salt. A few minutes later, I felt completely lucid and decided that it was time to get out. Standing up was painful, I suddenly felt like I weighed 300 lbs, bones creaked, joints popped, and I longed for weightlessness again. I saw that I had been floating for over 2-1/2 hours. I rinsed my ears out as instructed (so salt doesn't dry in there), locked the door behind me and left.
Would I do it again? Probably. With repeated visits, the mental clarity is sure to be comforting. And especially with some type of soreness or injury, the total relaxation would be therapeutic, in a natural way. It was no "Altered States", but still an extraordinary out-of-body moment. When I got home, my bed felt hard as a rock. Gravity sucks. read more