The power of shutting down your senses: how to boost ... - Buffer

Sensory deprivation means not giving your senses any input at all. So in total sensory deprivation (which seems to be pretty close to impossible) ... Iusedtothinksensorydeprivationwasjustacrazytorturemethodthatnooneintheirrightmindwouldopt-infor,untilIstumbleduponsomeinformationrecentlyaboutsensorydeprivationfloatationtanks.Thesearewatertanksbigenoughforoneperson,oftensetupatspas,whereyoucanpaytofloatinsaltywaterforhours,receivingalmostnosensoryinformationatall.Sure,itseemscrazy,butthereareactuallysomealluringbenefits,particularlywhenit’sdoneforshortperiods:Short-termsessionsofsensorydeprivationaredescribedasrelaxingandconducivetomeditation;however,extendedorforcedsensorydeprivationcanresultinextremeanxiety,hallucinations,bizarrethoughts,anddepression.AndasmuchasI’mreallyexcitedtotryoneofthesetanksmyselfnow,I’vealsofoundsomeinterestingwaystousethesameprinciplesinanaverageday.SowhatissensorydeprivationSensorydeprivationmeansnotgivingyoursensesanyinputatall.Sointotalsensorydeprivation(whichseemstobeprettyclosetoimpossible),youwouldn’tbeabletosenseanything—nosounds,nosights,noteventhetouchofclothesonyourskin.Forcedsensorydeprivationhasbeenusedintorturesituations,butthere’smoretoitthanthat.It’sbeenusedforcomputergames,andhasalsobeenstudiedextensively,particularlyinthe1950sand60s.Thisiswhenfloatationtanksfirstbegantogaininterest.In1954thefirstfloatationmethodwascreatedbyJohnC.Lilly,aneuro-psychiatrist,asawaytocreatesensory-deprivedcontrolgroupsforhisexperiments,buthefoundthatthefloatationitselfwasamuchmoreinterestingareatostudy.Sincethen,floatationhasbecomeapopularrecreationalactivitythankstotheclarityandrelaxationitprovides.HowsensorydeprivationfloatationtanksworkJohnC.Lilly’soriginalfloatationexperimentsinvolvedpeoplewearinguncomfortablytightsuitsandbreathingmaskswhilebeingcompletelysubmerged.Thetanksalsomadelotsofnoise,socompletesensorydeprivationwasn’tpossible.Themodernscenariosoundsmuchmorecomfortable,andgoessomethinglikethis:Youstripoff,showerandstepintoapod-liketankfullofwaterand850poundsofEpsomsalts.Thesaltsmakesureyoufloatandpreventtheriskofdrowningbymakingitextremelydifficulttorollover.Insidethetank,youclosethedoor(itdoesn’tlock,soyoucangetoutanytime)andlayonyourbackinthewater.Thesaltsmakeyousobuoyantthatyoufeelweightless.Youcankeepyoureyesopen,butit’ssodarkthatyouwon’tnoticeanydifferenceifyouhavethemclosed.Oh,andyou’rewearingearplugs,soyoucan’thearmuchofanything.Youlayhere,aloneandisolatedfromsensoryinputfor60minutesormore.Slate’sSethStevensonexplaineditlikethis:Onaweekdaymorning,IclimbedthestairstoLaCasa,tookoffallmyclothes,and,aftershowering,steppedintoalargetubinsideanenclosedchamber.Islidtheblackoutdoorclosedbehindme,easeddownintothewater,andtouchedabuttonthatswitchedoffthelights.Iwasfloatingintotaldarknessandsilence.ThesaturationofEpsomsaltsinthewatermademeunnaturallybuoyant—myface,stomach,andkneesanarchipelagoofislandsamidthetub’socean.WhatsensorydeprivationdoestoyourbrainWe’realldifferentsoresultswillobviouslyvary,buttherearesomepatternsinwhatpeopleexperiencefrombeinginthefloatationtanks.Seth’saccountofhisfirstexperienceisfascinating:Forwhatmusthavebeenthefirst15minutes,IwonderedwhatIwasdoingthere.Ithoughtaboutmyplansforthatevening,storiesIwasworkingon,whethertherewasanyfoodinthefridgebackatmyapartment.Ifeltbored.Ifeltsilly.…Ievengotjumpy.Ihadabriefurgetostandup,waterdrippingeverywhere,andwalkout.Thenatransformationbegan.Ifyou’veevertakenpsychedelicmushrooms(andcomeon,whohasn’t?)youmightrecallacertainfeelingthatarisesasthedrugstakehold.“Somethingishappening,somethingishappening,”yourbodysaystoyourbrain,withmildurgency.Igotafeelingakintothatwhilefloating.Mybrainwentalittlehaywire.Whenthestormpassed,Ifoundmyselfinanewandunfamiliarstateofmind.Thelongperiodofnothingnessleavesyouwithonlyyourmind,essentially.Onceyourbodystartstogetusedtothelackofsensoryinput,thestress-centersofyourbrainrelaxandreleaselesscortisol—themainbrainchemicalrelatedtostress.GrahamTalley,whoownsasensory-deprivationtankcenterinPortland,explaineditlikethis:Gettingridofallsensoryinputallowsthe‘constantly-make-sure-you’re-not-dying’partofyourbraintochilloutforasecond,allowingthecreative,relaxedpartofyourbraintocomeoutandplay.Withouttheconstantpressureofanalyzingtheworldaroundyou,yourbodylowersitslevelsofcortisol,themainchemicalcomponentofstress.“Yourbrainalsoreleaseselevatedlevelsofdopamineandendorphins,theneurotransmittersofhappiness,”Grahamcontinues.“Nothavingtofightgravityletsyourmuscles,joints,andbonestakeawell-deservedbreak.Withoutthegravitypushingyoudown,yourspinelengthensaninch,chronicpainisrelieved,andyourmusclesgettofullyrest.”Beinginsidethefloatationtanktakesyourbrainfromhighlyconsciousalphaandbetawavestosolidthetawaves—thekindyouwouldnormallyhaverightbeforefallingasleepandjustafterwakingup.Normallyweonlyexperiencethesethetawavesforafewminutes,buthavingextendedthetaperiodshelpsustovisualizebetter,oftengivingusvividmentalimages.Weallexperiencetheta,butmostpeoplefallasleepattheonsetofit.You’reprobablyfamiliarwiththetelltalesignoftheta—vividmentalimageryeventhoughyou’reawake.Thefloattankprovidesareliablemeanstoachieveandsustainthisbeneficialstatewithouttheyearsofpracticethatisnormallyrequiredbyadvancedmeditatorstoachievethetaatwill.ThebenefitsofdeprivingyoursensesFloatationhasalsobeenseentoimprovearangeofailmentsandemotionalstates,suchas:anxietystresschronicpainproblem-solvingskillsandeventechnicalabilityformusicians.Someresearchersconductedanexperimentonmusicianstoseehowtheirabilitieswouldbeaffectedbyfloatinginthesetanks.Theyhadinterestingresults:“asignificantdifferencebetweenthetreatmentandcomparisongroupsontechnicalability,butnotonanyotherdimension,”theresearcherswrite.Thankstothisenhancedskilllevel,thosewhohadfloated“hadsignificantlyhighergradesinthejazzimprovisationclassthanthecomparisongroup.”…thedifferenceintheirabilitywasverylikelytheresultoftheflotationsessions.Wikipedialistssomemoreofthebenefits:Inafloattankthethetastatecanlastforseveralminuteswithoutthesubjectlosingconsciousness.Someusetheextendedthetastateasatoolforenhancedcreativityandproblemsolving.Spassometimesprovidecommercialfloattanksforuseinrelaxation.FlotationtherapyhasbeenacademicallystudiedintheUSAandinSwedenwithpublishedresultsshowingreductionofbothpainandstress.Therelaxedstatealsoinvolvesloweredbloodpressureandmaximalbloodflow.HowthisaffectscreativityIntermsofcreativityspecifically,herearetwoofthecommonpatternsthatpeoplegenerallynoticefromusingthefloatationtanks.1.CreativityisheightenedimmediatelyWhentestsweredoneontheincreaseofcreativityandtechnicalskill,thelongertheperiodafterbeinginthetank,thelesspronouncedtheeffects:Previousresearchthatfoundincreasedcreativityinuniversitystudentsafterfloatingsessionsmeasuredtheirabilitiesimmediatelyaftertheyleftthetankanddriedoff.FloatH.Q.inPortlandevensetupanArtistProgramtointroduceartiststotheforfree:Oneofthecoolestadvantagesoffloatingishowmuchitboostscreativityandnurturesinspiration.Afterfloatingincompleteisolation,yoursensesareheightened…colorsaremorevibrant,scentsmorearomatic,andfoodtastebetter.2.HallucinationsarecommonWhenpartofyourbrainstopsgettinginput—e.g.ifoneofyoursensesisdeprived—otherpartsofyourbrainwillpickuptheslack.Manyfloatersexperiencehallucinationsastheirbrainsrespondtonotgettingsensoryinput.ThisispartofthevividmentalimageryImentionedearlier—yourbrainisrelaxedenoughtovisualizestrongimagesyouwouldn’tseenormally.Interestingly,hallucinationsweremorecommoninstudyparticipantswhoexpectedthem(orsomekindofdanger).Inoneexperiment,participantswhoweregreetedbyresearchersinwhitelabcoats,givenmedicalexaminationsfirst,andshownapanicbuttontopressiftheywantedtogetoutweremorelikelytohallucinatethanthosewhowereapproachedbycasual-clothedresearchersandtoldtobreakawindowiftheywantedtogetout.HowtodepriveyoursensesAreyoucuriousenoughtotryitnow?Icertainlyam.But,ifyou’renotquitereadytogiveitago,oryou’renotluckyenoughtohaveatanknearby,youcanactuallytrysomemildformsofsensorydeprivationathome(Ifyou’rereallyserious,youcanbuyyourowntankforafewthousanddollars,butlet’sstartsmall,shallwe?).1.ReducevisualinputTrylayingdowninadarkroom—maybeyourbedroomorlivingroom—withthecurtainsdrawn.Ifit’seasier,youcouldtryusingablindfoldoreyemaskratherthanclosingyoureyes,buttrytoblockoutasmuchlightandvisualstimulationasyoucan.Trynottomoveandseehowyourothersensesrespondtothelackofsensoryinput.You’llprobablynoticesomesoundsyouwouldnormallymiss!Youmightwanttotrythisfirstthinginthemorning,aswell.Whenyoufirstwakeup,ratherthangrabbingyourphoneorjumpingintheshower,keepyoureyesshutandliestill.Seehowstrongyourothersensesseem(likehearingortouch)intheabsenceofvisualinput.2.ShutoutthenoiseAuditoryinput,likevisualstimulation,isonethatwedon’trealizetheprevalenceof.Soundsareeverywhere.Unlessyoulivefaroutinthecountryside,youprobablydon’tevergetevenashortperiodoftimewithoutanynoise.Ifit’snotmusicorpeopletalkingaroundyou,youcanprobablyhearyourneighbors,carsonthestreetoutsideoradogbarkingdownthestreet.Imagineremovingallofthatinput—justthesoundsyouhear—andwhatahugeimpactthatcouldmake.Trythis:grabsomeearplugsandheadphones,andsitinacomfyspotbyawindow—reallypayattentiontowhatyousee.Andwhatyoudon’thear.Evenifyoucan’tblockoutallsound,you’llnoticethedifferenceofmufflingalotofit.Inparticular,whenyouremovetheheadphones,you’llprobablynoticetheintensityandvarietyofnoisesyou’rehearing.3.IsolateyourselfCuttingoffyoursensesisn’teasywhenyou’rearoundotherpeople—we’rejustanoisyspeciesbynature.Settingupsomeregularisolationtimecanhelpyougetthatcovetedjust-you-and-your-thoughtstimethatcomesfromspendinganhourlockedinafloatationtank.Youcouldtryaregularbathtimeritual—maybeaddingsomeearplugsandaneyemaskaswell.Yourbedroomcouldworkaswell,orevenanisolatedoutdoorspace.Whereverandwheneveryoucangetawayfromotherpeopletobealonewithyourthoughts,giveitago.Thereareprobablysomeothergreatwaystomildlydepriveyoursensesandheightenyourcreativity.Whatareyourfavorites?Imagecredits:AegisTraining,TheBrainBank,StrategyLab,i-sopod,EspressioneArte 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