I Tried Floating in a Sensory Deprivation Tank. I Have Many Thoughts.

"The idea of floating in a sensory deprivation tank has always appealed to me. I am a huge fan of fancy spa sessions and most things woo-woo, and floating-a service that invites you to submerge your body in super salty water in the dark, ditching your senses in favor of an anti-gravity experience-sounded like the ultimate meeting of the two. Spa-ish mindfulness! Good for my skin and my mind! Sign me up."

"Upon check-in, the very kind and soft-spoken employee shows me the ropes-but not before gushing about the power of a good float. I will glow. I might even have visions or lucid dreams. At the very least, I will emerge relaxed. He insists that although standard sessions run 90 minutes, you can safely stay in the tub for as long as you'd like."

"I have two tanks to choose from. One is a rectangular room filled with 10 inches of water and a wooden door that sticks as my guide muscles it open. The other is a white pod that looks like it belongs in a sci-fi film. Its round door, like that of a space station, opens into a small pod that appears Vantablack. He explains, as my eyes adjust, that beyond what I can sort of see, there is about as much space as the rectangle room. Both options come with a shower and some blue lighting that is probably meant to be calming but instead makes me feel like the center of some unhinged experiment. I can't stomach the thought of shutting myself in that pod, so I go with door #1."

A spa-enthusiast intrigued by sensory-deprivation tanks visits a float facility despite being grumpy and sleepy. Staff emphasize benefits such as skin glow, possible visions or lucid dreams, and deep relaxation, and note that sessions can be extended indefinitely. Two tank options exist: a rectangular room with ten inches of highly salted water and a wooden door, and a white, pod-like unit with a round door and very dark interior. Both include a shower and blue calming lighting. The visitor rejects the pod as claustrophobic and experimental, choosing the rectangular tank instead.

Read at Yoga Journal