On their website, the Float Zone touts the many benefits of being in a sensory deprivation tank, from relieving stress to a heightened sense of self. Because of the amount of chaos in our lives, the benefits of floating in a warm liquid bath are supposed to realign us and “wash” away the stress in our lives. The website also has a list of famous floaters such as John and Yoko, Nobel Physicist Richard Feynman and philosopher Aldous Huxley. But all I could think about are those horror films where a mild-mannered scientist climbs into a sensory deprivation device, as in “Altered States,” only to emerge as a disfigured, raging monster. What have I gotten myself into, I wondered?
I arrived at a nondescript house in Lake City, the home base for Float Zone feeling energetic and in good spirits. I was about to embark on something that had been a lingering curiosity of mine for some time. At Float Zone one can schedule time inside a sensory deprivation tank, or flotation tank, for one or one and a half hours at a time. What I’ve heard of sensory deprivation tanks in the past consisted of wild stories where people uncovered latent psychic powers or had crazy visions and mind trips. I imagined you were plopped inside a dark and eerie metal tank where you lost all sense of self. Instead I was greeted and given a short orientation by Juju Ishmael, the business proprietor and LMP. Friendly and warm as well as direct and professional, Ishmael did a good job letting me know the how-tos of “floating” as well as what I was to expect out of the experience.
Ishmael told me there are many reasons why people float. Some float to gain spiritual inspiration, some to relieve chronic pain, others to improve mental or athletic ability. The number one reason that people float is for relaxation. After an hour you are supposed to feel completely renewed and refreshed. She also told me that it is a good idea to have a specific intention in mind before starting a session. I tried to think of my own goal as I undressed and showered to get ready, but there were so many thoughts going through my head it was hard for me to focus on a single one.
When I first got in and shut the pod door, I was in complete darkness. My first reaction was anxiety. Where was the light switch again? I fumbled around running my hand along the smooth plastic wall trying to feel my way to the switch. When I did find it and turned the light on, I saw a pleasant glow shining from underneath the water, illuminating the tank softly. It was nice, but
not what I came here for. I turned it off. For a few minutes I left my hand on the switch so I could turn it back on quickly in case I felt anxious again. I knew exactly where I was and why I was there. Why was I nervous? I think it was because I was in an environment that was completely new to my body. The sensations were foreign and took getting used to.
The initial shock to the system subsided into an exploration of the buoyancy of my body in the Epsom salt water. In her orientation, Ishmael had mentioned that the water was soft and silky feeling and it wasn’t an exaggeration. It felt great. The water was heated to body temperature to help blur the sensation of where your skin ends and the water begins. It was like being naked in a huge tub of warm shampoo. I expected to feel completely relaxed the whole time I was in the tank. Instead, I felt similar to when I went to my first yoga class; the stretching and relaxation brought out the pains and alignment problems. I usually go through the day unaware of. Being deprived of all other senses, I was acutely aware of every ache and pain. Little by little I was able to let go of some of the tension in my body, but it was a slow process. Left alone with my thoughts, I went into a sort of head-trip and had a few epiphanies.
My first epiphany occurred when I felt myself becoming a new personality. The persona that I had taken on was that of a joke-cracking blond man who had a sense of humor about everything and who only told deep inner truths. The “Tonjia” ego felt much further away and the two personalities started having a conversation within me. Looking back at this the experience was fairly unusual, but at the time I didn’t think it was in any way extraordinary and wondered if and when anything was going to “happen” to me. Within this experience I’d come up with the idea of a personality prism. This idea is that within ourselves we have many different personalities that change due to our varying circumstances. We filter our experiences and reflect a different side of ourselves much like light is reflected in a variety of colors through the many facets of a prism. Each personality is a different variation of us that shows itself when circumstances deem appropriate.
Occasionally, a drop of water would fall onto me from the condensation that would form at the top of the tank. Once a drop hit me on the face I immediately felt anxious again. What if the salty water hit me in the eye? This question led to my second epiphany. I have eyelids and they are functional. I had trouble trusting that I would be okay even if I did get hit in the eye with stinging water. There was always this subtle internal feeling that I might not be completely safe that kept me slightly on the alert at all times, constantly aware of my own body. I thought, why can’t I just trust that I’ll be fine and let go? Then I thought, I’m going to trust and just let go. My next thought was, I’m going to do that right now. I relaxed into a peaceful state where I really felt the burden of gravity fall away from my body and my mind felt empty. I don’t know how long I lay there in that state. It was hard to have a real sense of time after letting go of all of the normal monitors that I am used to.
I began to get restless and also had to pee. I’d arrived with nothing in my stomach except for a few vitamins and some soymilk, so I started to feel a bit hungry as well. Just as I was contemplating getting out of the tank before my time was up a soft bell chimed and music began to play—signaling that I had only five minutes left. I took my time getting out of the water and drying off. Later that day I performed with the music collective Whatever Zoe. Even though it was a laid back show and we’ve performed many times together the experience wore me out. That afternoon and for days after, I felt over-sensitive to the barrage of day-to-day stimuli. I could barely handle myself. Even though the ensuing sensitivity was difficult I feel like the experience led to an inner exploration and growth. The relaxed feeling that my body had when leaving Float Zone didn’t last for more than a day. However, I’ve read that the more times you go the more beneficial the effects are. My skin, though, feels great.
Rates at Float Zone are $50 for one hour and $70 for one and a half hours. Float packages are available as well as massage therapy. Float time is booked by appointment only. For more information visit floatzone.com, email float@floatzone.com or call 206.286.0268.
|
