Sensory Deprivation Tank: Effects and Health Benefits

A sensory deprivation tank, also called an isolation tank or flotation tank, is used for restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST). It is a dark, ... HealthlineHealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectShopSubscribeEverythingYouNeedtoKnowaboutSensoryDeprivationTankTherapyMedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyD—WrittenbyAdrienneSantos-Longhurst—UpdatedonApril13,2020Whatisasensorydeprivationtank(isolationtank)?Asensorydeprivationtank,alsocalledanisolationtankorflotationtank,isusedforrestrictedenvironmentalstimulationtherapy(REST).Itisadark,soundprooftankthatisfilledwithafootorlessofsaltwater.Thefirsttankwasdesignedin1954byJohnC.Lilly,anAmericanphysicianandneuroscientist.Hedesignedthetanktostudytheoriginsofconsciousnessbycuttingoffallexternalstimuli.Hisresearchtookacontroversialturninthe1960s.That’swhenhebeganexperimentingwithsensorydeprivationwhileundertheeffectsofLSD,ahallucinogenic,andketamine,afast-actinganestheticthatisknownforitsabilitytosedateandcreateatrance-likestate.Inthe1970s,commercialfloattankswerecreatedandbeganbeingstudiedforpossiblehealthbenefits.Thesedays,findingasensorydeprivationtankiseasy,withfloatcentersandspasofferingfloattherapyallovertheworld.Theirincreaseinpopularitymaybedueinparttothescientificevidence.Studiessuggesttimespentfloatinginasensorydeprivationtankmayhavesomebenefitsinhealthypeople,suchasmusclerelaxation,bettersleep,decreaseinpain,anddecreasedstressandanxiety.SensorydeprivationeffectsThewaterinasensorydeprivationtankisheatedtoskintemperatureandnearlysaturatedwithEpsomsalt(magnesiumsulfate),providingbuoyancysoyoufloatmoreeasily.Youenterthetanknudeandarecutofffromalloutsidestimulation,includingsound,sight,andgravitywhenthetank’slidordoorisclosed.Asyoufloatweightlessinthesilenceanddarkness,thebrainissupposedtoenterintoadeeplyrelaxedstate.Sensorydeprivationtanktherapyissaidtoproduceseveraleffectsonthebrain,rangingfromhallucinationstoenhancedcreativity.Doyouhavehallucinationsinasensorydeprivationtank?Manypeoplehavereportedhavinghallucinationsinasensorydeprivationtank.Overtheyears,studieshaveshownthatsensorydeprivationdoesinducepsychosis-likeexperiences.A2015studydivided46peopleintotwogroupsbasedonhowpronetheyweretohallucinations.Researchersfoundthatsensorydeprivationinducedsimilarexperiencesinboththehigh-andlow-pronegroups,anditincreasedthefrequencyofhallucinationsinthoseinthehigh-pronegroup.Willitmakememorecreative?Accordingtoanarticlepublishedin2014intheEuropeanJournalofIntegrativeMedicine,floatinginasensorydeprivationtankhasbeenfoundinahandfulofstudiestoincreaseoriginality,imagination,andintuition,whichcanallleadtoenhancedcreativity.Canitimproveconcentrationandfocus?Thoughmostoftheresearchthatexistsisolder,thereissomeevidencethatsensorydeprivationmayimprovefocusandconcentration,andmayalsoleadtoclearerandmoreprecisethinking.Thishasbeenlinkedtoimprovedlearningandenhancedperformanceinschoolanddifferentcareergroups.Doesitimproveathleticperformance?Thevariouseffectsofsensorydeprivationtanktherapyonathleticperformancearewelldocumented.Ithasbeenfoundeffectiveinspeedinguprecoveryafterstrenuousphysicaltrainingbydecreasingbloodlactateinastudyof24collegestudents.A2016studyof60eliteathletesalsofounditimprovedpsychologicalrecoveryfollowingintensetrainingandcompetition.BenefitsofasensorydeprivationtankThereareseveralpsychologicalandmedicalbenefitsofasensorydeprivationtanksonconditionssuchasanxietydisorders,stress,andchronicpain.Doessensorydeprivationtanktreatanxiety?Flotation-RESThasbeenfoundtobeeffectiveinreducinganxiety.A2018studyshowedthatasingleone-hoursessioninasensorydeprivationtankwascapableofasignificantreductioninanxietyandimprovementinmoodinthe50participantswithstress-andanxiety-relateddisorders.A2016studyof46peoplewhoself-reportedgeneralizedanxietydisorder(GAD)foundthatitreducedGADsymptoms,suchasdepression,sleepdifficulties,irritability,andfatigue.Canitrelievepain?Theeffectofsensorydeprivationtanktherapyonchronicpainhasbeenconfirmedbyseveralstudies.Itisshowntobeeffectiveintreatingtensionheadaches,muscletension,andpain.Asmallstudyofsevenparticipantsfounditeffectiveintreatingwhiplash-associateddisorders,suchasneckpainandstiffnessandreducedrangeofmotion.Ithasalsobeenshowntoreducestress-relatedpain.Canitimprovecardiovascularhealth?Flotation-RESTtherapymayimproveyourcardiovascularhealthbyinducingdeeprelaxationthatreducesstresslevelsandimprovessleep,accordingtoresearch.Chronicstressandsleepdeprivationhavebeenlinkedtohighbloodpressureandcardiovasculardisease.Willitmakemehappier?Therearemanyclaimsaboutflotation-RESTcausingfeelingsofoverwhelminghappinessandeuphoria.Peoplehavereportedexperiencingmildeuphoria,increasedwell-being,andfeelingmoreoptimisticfollowingtherapyusingasensorydeprivationtank.Othershavereportedspiritualexperiences,deepinnerpeace,suddenspiritualinsight,andfeelingasiftheywerebornanew.SensorydeprivationtankcostYourownhomesensorydeprivationtankcancostbetween$10,000and$30,000.Thecostforaone-hourfloatsessionataflotationcenterorfloatsparangesfromabout$50to$100,dependingonthelocation.SensorydeprivationtankprocessThoughtheprocessmayvaryslightlydependingontheflotationcenter,asessioninasensorydeprivationtankusuallygoesasfollows:Youarriveattheflotationcenterorspa,showingupearlyifit’syourfirstvisit.Removeallofyourclothingandjewelry.Showerbeforeenteringthetank.Enterthetankandclosethedoororlid.Gentlyliebackandletthebuoyancyofthewaterhelpyoufloat.Musicplaysfor10minutesatthestartofyoursessiontohelpyourelax.Floatforanhour.Musicplaysforthelastfiveminutesofyoursession.Getoutofthetankonceyoursessionhasended.Showeragainandgetdressed.Tohelpyourelaxandgetthemostoutofyoursession,itisrecommendedthatyoueatsomethingapproximately30minutesbeforeyoursession.It’salsohelpfultoavoidcaffeineforfourhoursbeforehand.Shavingorwaxingbeforeasessionisnotrecommendedasthesaltinthewatercanirritatetheskin.Womenwhoaremenstruatingshouldrescheduletheirsessionforoncetheirperiodhasended.TakeawayWhenusedproperly,asensorydeprivationtankmayhelprelievestressandeasemuscletensionandpain.Itcanalsohelpimproveyourmood.Sensorydeprivationtanksaregenerallysafe,butitmaybeagoodideatospeaktoadoctorbeforeusingoneifyouhaveanymedicalconditionsorconcerns.LastmedicallyreviewedonSeptember14,201816sourcescollapsedHealthlinehasstrictsourcingguidelinesandreliesonpeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicalassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.BoodSA,etal.(2009).Treatingstress-relatedpainwiththeflotationrestrictedenvironmentalstimulationtechnique:Aretheredifferencesbetweenwomenandmen?DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/298935CarderK.(2018).Whatisthelivedexperienceofflotation-REST?https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325176720_What_is_the_Lived_Experience_of_Floatation-RESTDanielC,etal.(2014).Psychotic-likeexperiencesandtheircognitiveappraisalundershort-termsensorydeprivation.DOI:http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00106DanielC,etal.(2015).Predictingpsychotic-likeexperiencesduringsensorydeprivation.DOI:http://doi.org/10.1155/2015/439379DrillerMW,etal.(2016).Flotationrestrictedenvironmentalstimulationtherapyandnappingonmoodstateandmusclesorenessineliteathletes:Anovelrecoverystrategy?DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.peh.2016.08.002EdebolH,etal.(2008).ChronicWhiplash-AssociatedDisordersandTheirTreatmentUsingFlotation-REST(RestrictedEnvironmentalStimulationTechnique).DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732308315109FeinsteinJS,etal.(2018).Theelicitationofrelaxationandinteroceptiveawarenessusingfloatationtherapyinindividualswithhighanxietysensitivity.DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.02.005FeinsteinJS,etal.(2018).Examiningtheshort-termanxiolyticandantidepressanteffectofFloatation-REST.DOI:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190292Floattanksguidelinesforregulatingfloatationsystemsasspecialusepools.(2017).https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/333-219.pdfJonssonK,etal.(2014).Curingthesickandcreatingsupermen–HowrelaxationinflotationtanksisadvertisedontheInternet.DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2014.05.005JonssonK,etal.(2016).Promisingeffectsoftreatmentwithflotation-REST(restrictedenvironmentalstimulationtechnique)asaninterventionforgeneralizedanxietydisorder(GAD):arandomizedcontrolledpilottrial.DOI:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-016-1089-xKjellgrenA,etal.(2014).Beneficialeffectsoftreatmentwithsensoryisolationinflotation-tankasapreventivehealth-careintervention–arandomizedcontrolledpilottrial.DOI:https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-417KjellgrenA,etal.(2011).Preventingsick-leaveforsufferersofhighstress-loadandburnoutsyndrome:Apilotstudycombiningpsychotherapyandtheflotationtank.http://www.ijpsy.com/volumen11/num2/299/preventing-sick-leave-for-sufferers-of-high-EN.pdfMasonOJ,etal.(2009).Thepsychotomimeticeffectsofshort-termsensorydeprivation.DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0b013e3181b9760bMorganPM,etal.(2013).Theacuteeffectsofflotationrestrictedenvironmentalstimulationtechniqueonrecoveryfrommaximaleccentricexercise.DOI:https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31828f277edoi.org/10.2147/OAEM.S17853PastakiaK,etal.(2011).Acutewhiplashassociateddisorders(WAD).DOI: FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyD—WrittenbyAdrienneSantos-Longhurst—UpdatedonApril13,2020ReadthisnextABeautyMaskSoEasy,ItWorksWhileYouSleepMedicallyreviewedbyCynthiaCobb,DNP,APRN,WHNP-BC,FAANPAnovernightmaskismorethanaskincarefad,it’sastapletosoft,hydratedskin.Wedigintothesciencebehindwhyitworksandwhichproducts…READMORE8BestWeightedBlanketsforAnxietyMedicallyreviewedbyKarinGepp,PsyDWeightedblanketscanhelpyoumanageyouranxietyandsleepmoredeeply.Hereareeightofthebestoptions.READMOREIsItSafetoSleepwithEarplugs?MedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,MSNCan’tsleepwithoutearplugs?Theycanmakeaworldofdifferenceforlightsleepersandforpeoplewholiveinanoisyarea.Still,there’ssome…READMOREThe9BestNonToxicCandles&WhattoConsiderMedicallyreviewedbyDominiqueFontaine,BSN,RN,HNB-BC,HWNC-BCBurningacandleisaneasywaytorelax.Butaretheyreallysafeandhealthy?Wediveintotheresearchandourfavoritenontoxiccandlebrands.READMOREWhatIsBushMedicine?ADiveIntoThisTraditionalPracticeMedicallyreviewedbyDebraRoseWilson,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,IBCLC,AHN-BC,CHTBushmedi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