Story by Ekaterina Vasileva
Photos by Kathryn Boyd-Batstone
Sensory deprivation can be a pause button for life’s chaos, a type of waking dream, a source of creativity, a method of finding oneself, or all of the above. Floating alone, engulfed in absolute solitude in an enclosed saltwater tank, it’s the type of aloneness that allows for only the sounds of heartbeats and breathing. Time and space melt away, making room for relaxation, meditation, and—to the surprise of many—inspiration.
Sensory deprivation generally refers to the intentional removal of anything that stimulates the body’s five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. It can be as simple as a pair of earmuffs blocking out sound, or as complex as an enclosed sensory deprivation chamber that removes all physical awareness. Sensory deprivation has been studied for decades by psychologists and has recently begun to be used in alternative medicine. At Float On, the largest sensory deprivation float center on the West Coast, this phenomenon has not gone unnoticed. The center has established a free float program for artists, chefs, and musicians, provided they create recipes, artworks, or pieces of music after their sessions. “Artists can sometimes forget how magical and exciting practicing their art is. Floating can refresh that feeling,” says Jeanine Bocci, a dancer, contortionist, and employee at Float On.
Artistic inspiration, Bocci says, often hits after a float because a lack of sensory awareness can renew and revive artistic energy by putting the user into a meditative state. Anticipating this effect, Float On provides paper and writing utensils in tank rooms in case inspiration strikes following a session.
The center, based in Portland, Oregon, offers two types of deprivation tanks: oasis and ocean. In an oasis chamber, the user lies in a rectangular, pod-like, four-by-eight-foot long tank. The low height of the tank means users must crouch down and climb into the tank. Once inside, he or she has the option to close the door or leave it open. In contrast, an ocean tank, which caters to those who suffer from claustrophobia, offers more room in terms of height and can be entered standing upright. Ocean tanks also provide the option of leaving the lights on or off while inside. Beyond the tanks’ height difference, the sensory deprivation experience is the same: a greater sense of relaxation, self-awareness, and introspection.
Loreé Kramer, a sensory deprivation practitioner from Lebanon, Oregon, affirms that after her first 90-minute sensory deprivation session she was so relaxed, she couldn’t drive home. “It was like a twilight. I felt like I was spinning on a cloud—a nice, slow spin. I couldn’t hear anything but my eyelashes flicking,” Kramer says.
Both types of sensory deprivation tanks are filled with ten inches of water calibrated to 93.2 degrees Fahrenheit, near the body’s normal skin temperature. The seamless temperatures create an environment that prevents the brain from knowing where the skin ends and the water begins. The shallow water is also saturated with Epsom salt, making it dense enough for the user to float in what feels like zero gravity, creating a weightless sensation. The tank is ventilated and has a sophisticated filtration system, as well as built-in speakers that play classical music to gently bring the user out of his or her session.
Sensory deprivation tanks were first developed in 1954 by American neuroscientist and physician John C. Lilly, who devoted his research to investigating the nature of consciousness by exploring exactly what happens to the human brain when it’s stripped of external stimulation. Lilly and a colleague were the first test subjects in his experiment.
During the first trial, Lilly lay submerged in 160 gallons of water and wore a diver’s helmet that simultaneously blocked light and supplied him with oxygen (users later found the masks cumbersome and eventually chose to dissolve Epsom salt in the water in order to float). Believing he could use his sensory deprivation experiments to establish communication with alternate universes and dimensions, Lilly spent hours floating in the tank.
Since Lilly’s groundbreaking trials, psychologists have experimented with other forms of sensory deprivation, some of which have uncovered disturbing effects. In a 2009 study conducted by University College London, 19 psychologically healthy volunteers were placed individually into a sensory deprivation chamber with no light or sound for 15 minutes.
Although volunteers were offered a panic button if they wanted to be released early, all stayed for the duration of the test. After the trial was over, volunteers reported experiencing paranoia and a depressed mood while in the chamber. The experiment was also followed by a Psychotomimetic States Inventory test to determine whether they had experienced any hallucinations or psychoses during the trial. The users who scored highly on the Revised Hallucinations Scale (that is, those who are more prone to experiencing hallucinations) reported feeling something important or special happened inside the room. When prompted to describe these hallucinations, six said they saw objects that were not there, five hallucinated faces, four experienced a heightened sense of smell, and two described feeling an evil presence in the room.
It should be noted, however, that these uncomfortable experiences are most likely attributed to the fact that the users sat in a sensory deprivation room, which did not allow much of an opportunity to relax, unlike the sensory deprivation tanks which let users lie down. Jake Marty, a painter, sensory deprivation practitioner, and operations manager at Float On, emphasizes that sensory deprivation tanks are a unique experience for everyone, and that an individual is in “full control of the experience and can get out [of the tank] whenever they want to.” From his observations, those who are claustrophobic are likely to have a negative experience in the tanks. He also says the unique solitude of the tanks could potentially trigger bad memories, making a user uncomfortable.
So, what exactly happens to the brain when it is deprived of external distractions? According to Japanese neuroscientists K. Iwata and M. Nakao’s 2001 study of brain activity in sensory-deprived environments, the brain experiences decreased alpha wave patterns, which are typically found in sleeping states. In this state, the brain also releases dopamine and endorphins, which contribute to feelings of happiness. According to the Floatation Tank Association, spending time in sensory deprivation tanks is associated with decreased stress, lower blood pressure, and better sleep.
For Marty, deprivation tank sessions inspire him to become a better painter because they allow him to think outside the box. “It takes away the fog and cloud of creativity, allowing me to process and deal with things in life and art in order to free up my mind to do what it really wants to do,” Marty says, adding that he has created many paintings from the “intense, crisp visuals” he experiences while in the tank.
According to Float On’s website, significant changes occur in the body as well: cortisol stress hormone levels are reduced, the muscles relax and rest, and the spine lengthens an extra inch. Sensory deprivation tanks can also improve skin condition because the salt-saturated water leaves it soft. These mental and physical benefits can profoundly influence creativity and inspiration. Kramer says this happens because “there’s a certain point during the experience that you stop having sensory input, and then parts of your brain begin firing that wouldn’t ordinarily be used.” And this is where feelings of relaxation, creativity, meditation, and hallucination start. After a session, all the senses are heightened.
Praising Float On’s program for artists, Kramer admits although she has only used sensory deprivation for relaxation, she plans on using it in the future to tap into her creativity. “I think if I got myself into a different kind of mindset before I get into the tank, I could experience some creative thinking,” she says, “I’ve been trying to write a book for 30 years. I think if I apply myself, I could get to the creative experience.”
As a dancer, Bocci says floating has improved how her body moves. Bocci has spent up to seven-hour sessions in the tanks, and sometimes floats to relax and sleep after working the graveyard shift at the center. She sometimes does yoga in the tank because the warm water allows her to stretch her joints in ways she normally can’t. “You’re more in tune with your body. It’s given me a new perspective on space,” Bocci says.
According to Bocci, approximately 40 floats are done per day at Float On and the center hit recently hit its 10,000-float milestone since opening in 2010. The center is currently building and installing two more tanks, which will make Float On the largest float center in the US. These new tanks will be larger than the ocean and oasis tanks, square shaped and almost eight-by-eight feet, which will allow users to fully stretch out and, if he or she wants to, spin in a circle to lose orientation.
For those who think sensory deprivation is a lonely pursuit, Kramer says she enjoys the social aspect of sensory deprivation because it’s possible to drink tea or coffee with other users at the front desk after coming out of a relaxed, isolated state.
In today’s world where sensory input bombards us from all angles and expectations to be at your best never stop, some are beginning to wonder if sensory deprivation is the answer to crushing internal and external pressures. Many believe that floating is a path to inner and outer peace. “Floating is like dreams: everyone’s are different,” Bocci says. “During the first half of the float you spend time just adjusting to the alien environment. It’s kind of hard to quiet your mind. ‘What am I doing? Am I doing this right? What time is it?’ After 45 minutes, that’s when people are capable of letting go.”

Gallery • 2 Photos

Altered Perceptions