I've seen sensory deprivation tanks before: online people have written about them, on Youtube there's plenty of video about them, and I've always thought it would be an incredible experience, but one that would probably be hard to come by both because I had never seen a place with a tank and because I assumed if I found one, it would be prohibitively expensive.
I was wrong.
Going in, I didn't really know what to expect. I had followed their instructions not to shave before because my skin might get irritated by the 900 POUNDS OF SALT IN THE TANK dissolved in 200 gallons of water. I didn't wear make-up or lotions, and took a shower before getting into the tank.
I had asked my friends on Facebook beforehand if I should go in with light or no light, music or no music, tank open or closed. I decided ( and they suggested) I go all in, so I did. An hour in the dark with no sound and no stimulation of any kind.
Here's what happened:
I showered and got into the tank. I shut the lid and sat back in the water. Like they warned me, when I first leaned back and started to float, I kind of bumped around in the tank because I had disturbed the water. At this point, I still had music and a light on. (They have an aux cord and provide ear plugs, make-up removal towels, regular towels, shampoo and conditioner and the shower is right in the room with the tank).
When the filters/jets went off, I turned the light and the music off. I wore the provided ear plugs at their suggestion so 900 POUNDS OF SALT would not crust up my ears. Good choice.
At first, I kind of played around a little. I used breathing techniques I know from scuba diving to move my body up and down in the water. I tried different body positions. After about 10 minutes, though, I found a comfortable position, closed my eyes, and just let my mind wander.
To answer the questions I would probably ask if someone was telling me about this experience: Yes, I thought it was super clean, ways cleaner than any other tanning bed/public pool/hot tub I will ever experience and no, it wasn't scary at all. I get claustrophobic, and besides one brief moment where I was having a little trouble breathing through my nose (I was a little stuffy) I had absolutely no problems in the hour I was in the tank.
It was tough to relax at first because my mind was on what I would write about the experience for my story, what I needed to do at work, etc. But I worked consciously to clear my mind of these thoughts. To focus on my breathing, and to see myself in a calming place.
The owner of FloatOKC, Neal, told me many people have told him about the strange places their minds go when they've been in the pod. They're not really hallucinations, so to speak, and they're not drug induced, but when your mind is completely free from all the distractions it normally faces, it can go incredible places.
The hour didn't seem that long. At the end of the session the light turned back on, I let myself out of the pod and took a shower, and cleaned up. The bathroom had all the supplies a lady might need to make herself presentable to go back out into the real world (hair dryer, straighter and curling iron, brushes, hair product, etc.), and there's even a little lounge with teas for you to enjoy after the float.
If you're in OKC, I would definitely recommend FloatOKC. They talked me through everything before and after, were genuinely concerned that I had a great experience and were genuinely very nice guys. The absolute relaxation, calm and mental cleansing are totally worth it.