Sensory deprivation tank benefits: Effects and risks

A sensory deprivation tank, also known as a flotation tank or isolation tank, provides restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST). A ... MedicalNewsTodayHealthConditionsDiscoverToolsConnectSubscribeSensorydeprivationtankbenefits:HowitworksMedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyD—WrittenbyJennaFletcheronApril6,2020Whatisit?EffectsandbenefitsRisksDoesitreallywork?SummaryAsensorydeprivationtankcutsapersonofffromasmanysensoryinputsaspossible.Supportersclaimthattheexperiencecanmakeapersonfeelrejuvenated,potentiallyeasinganxiety,relaxingmuscles,andreducingpain.Currentresearchindicatesthatpeopleingoodhealthcanbenefitfromsensorydeprivation.Keepreadingformoreinformationaboutthebenefitsofsensorydeprivationtanksandtheeffectsthattheexperiencemayhaveonaperson’sbody.Whatisasensorydeprivationtank? ShareonPinterestAsensorydeprivationtankmayhelpwithanxietyandstress.Asensorydeprivationtank,alsoknownasaflotationtankorisolationtank,providesrestrictedenvironmentalstimulationtherapy(REST).Apersonexperiencesminimalsensorystimulationwheninsidethetank,allowingthemtorelax.Thetankcontainsenoughwaterforthepersonenteringittofloatontheirback.Floatinghelpsapersonfeelfewereffectsofgravity.Thetankissoundproof,whichpreventsnoisefromcausingdistractions.Itisalsodark,soapersoncannotseewhatisaroundthem.Withalackofexternalstimulation,apersonmayrelax.Therelaxationmayhelpwithavarietyofissues,rangingfromanxietyandstresstophysicalachesandpain.However,theeffectsofbeinginasensorydeprivationtankwillbedifferentforeachperson,andtheymaynotalwaysbepositive.EffectsandbenefitsThereisevidencethatsensorydeprivationaffectsthebrain.Itseffectsmayvaryamongindividuals,butsomeofthereportedbenefitsare:PossibleboosttocreativityA2014studycomparedtheadvertisingclaimsofsensorydeprivationcenterswithclinicalresearch.Theauthorsfoundthatseveralstudiessupportedtheideathatapersonmayexperienceaboostincreativity.However,theywarnedthattheeffectsarenotuniversalandnotedthattheclaimsthatcentersmakeareoftenexaggerated.PossibleimprovedphysicalperformanceSensorydeprivationtanksmaybenefitathletesandpeoplewhotrainintensivelyforcompetitions.Accordingtoavailableresearch,theeffectsmaybebothphysicalandmental.Forexample,asmall2016studyfoundthatfloatingtherapyimprovedbothphysicalandpsychologicalrecoveryfollowingtrainingsessions.However,thestudyalsonotesthattheresultsarepreliminaryandthatadditionalresearchisnecessary.PossibleanxietytreatmentSensorydeprivationtanksmayhelpreducesymptomsinpeoplewithanxiety.SeveralrecentstudieshavelookedatthepositiveeffectsthatRESThasonanxiety.Theresearchersbehindasmall2018studyconcludedthatsensorydeprivationtherapycouldhelpimprovethesymptomsofanxietyanddepression.Still,theyindicatedthatlargerstudiesarenecessarytoconfirmtheeffectsofsensorydeprivationontheseconditions.PossiblepainreductionAnotherpositiveeffectofRESTmaybethealleviationofpain.Severalstudieshaveshownthatsensorydeprivationcanreducetheamountofpainthatapersonexperiences.RisksResearchershavereportedlimitedriskswhentheparticipantsintheirresearchhavebeeninrelativelygoodhealth.However,somepeoplemayexperiencehallucinationswithinthetankthatcanbedisturbing.Bothanecdotalandresearchevidencesuggestthatsomepeoplewillexperiencepsychosis-likehallucinations.Inasmall2015study,researchersdividedparticipantsintotwogroupsbasedonhowpronetheyweretohallucinations.Theparticipantsthattheresearchershadidentifiedasbeingmorelikelytohallucinatehadmorehallucinationsthanthoseintheothergroup.Ifapersondoesexperiencehallucinations,theseshouldstoponcetheyleavethetank.Forsomepeople,spendingtimeinadark,quiet,enclosedspaceisascaryexperience.Ifthisisthecase,apersonmaynotenjoytheirtimeinthetank.Althoughapersoncouldtechnicallydrownintheflotationtank,theoccurrenceofthisaccidentisextremelyrare.Thebestwaytopreventitistoavoidenteringatankwhenhighorotherwiseintoxicated.Researchersneedtocarryoutmorestudiestounderstandinmoredetailtheeffectsthatsensorydeprivationtanksmayhaveonpeople.However,mostpeoplewithagoodhealthstatusshouldbeabletotoleratetheexperiencewithminimalrisk.Doesitreallywork? Researchsupportstheclaimthatsensorydeprivationtanksdoworkforsomepeople.Thenotedpositiveeffectsrelatetodecreasinganxiety,managingpain,andhelpingathletesrecoverfromdifficulttraining.Theexperiencemayalsohelpimproveaperson’sfocus.However,peopleshouldapproachsensorydeprivationtankswithcaution.Ifacompanyorpersonsellingsessionsortanksmakesclaimsthatseemtoogoodtobetrue,theyprobablyare.Sensorydeprivationtanksarenotacureforanycondition.Apersonshouldnotusethemasasubstituteforscientificallysupportedtreatment.SummarySensorydeprivationtanksmayprovidesomerelieffromanxietyandpain.Thetanksarerelativelysafe,buttheycanproducesideeffectsincertainpeople.Theseeffectsmayincludehallucinations,particularlyinindividualswhoarealreadypronetothem.MostpeopleshouldexperiencenoadverseeffectsandmayfindthattheycanrelaxduringtheirRESTsession.LastmedicallyreviewedonApril6,2020Ear,Nose,andThroatPsychology/PsychiatryComplementaryMedicine/AlternativeMedicine4sourcescollapsedMedicalNewsTodayhasstrictsourcingguidelinesanddrawsonlyfrompeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicaljournalsandassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Welinkprimarysources—includingstudies,scientificreferences,andstatistics—withineacharticleandalsolistthemintheresourcessectionatthebottomofourarticles.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.Daniel,C.,&Mason,O.J.(2015).Predictingpsychotic-likeexperiencesduringsensorydeprivation. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2015/439379/Driller,M.W.,&Argus,C.K.(2016).Flotationrestrictedenvironmentalstimulationtherapyandnappingonmoodstateandmusclesorenessineliteathletes:Anovelrecoverystrategy[Abstract]? https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211266916300147Feinstein,J.S.,etal.(2018).Examiningtheshort-termanxiolyticandantidepressanteffectoffloatation-REST. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796691/Jonsson,K.,&Kjellgren,A.(2014).Curingthesickandcreatingsupermen—howrelaxationinflotationtanksisadvertisedontheinternet. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876382014000845#sec0065FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyD—WrittenbyJennaFletcheronApril6,2020LatestnewsCognitivetherapyshowspromiseintreatingPTSDandheadachesWhatmadeMRSAa'superbug'?FarmpigsmayprovidetheanswerDobreastcancercells'awaken'atnight?Infertilityandmiscarriagemayincreasewomen’sriskofstroke,studyshowsLife’sEssential8:AmericanHeartAssociationaddssleeptochecklistRelatedCoverageWhattoknowaboutcuppingtherapyMedicallyreviewedbyKerryBoyleD.Ac.,M.S.,L.Ac.,Dipl.Ac.,CYTCuppingtherapyinvolvesplacingcupsonthebodytocreatesuctionforpainreliefandhealing.Sideeffectscanincludenauseaandheadaches.Learn…READMORE12naturalwaystorelievepainMedicallyreviewedbyDebraRoseWilson,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,IBCLC,AHN-BC,CHTPeoplehaveusednaturalpainreliefmethodsforcenturies.Inthisarticle,wediscuss12naturalpainrelieversthatpeoplecantry,including…READMOREWhatarethebenefitsofcryotherapy?MedicallyreviewedbyNatalieOlsen,R.D.,L.D.,ACSMEP-CWelookatthebenefitsofcryotherapyincludingweightloss,inflammationreduction,andthepossibilityofitpreventingdementia.Learnmorehere.READMOREWhatarebinauralbeats,andhowdotheywork?MedicallyreviewedbyAndrewGonzalez,M.D.,J.D.,MPHBinauralbeatstherapyisaself-helpmethodthatpeoplecanusetotreatconditionssuchasanxiety.Somestudiessuggestthatlisteningtodifferent…READMOREWhatisthebesttypeofmeditation?MedicallyreviewedbyDanielBubnis,M.S.,NASM-CPT,NASELevelII-CSSAlookatdifferenttypesofmeditationandthebenefitsofeach.Includedaretipsforbettermeditationandinformationonhowlongittakestowork.READMORE