It is no secret that some people who subject themselves to enter and be enclosed in an isolation tank have reported having a “psychedelic experiences” and it does not stop there!. Based on reports gathered over a period of a few decades, esoteric communities have been promoting floatation therapy via the use of isolation tanks as a means towards enhancing the state of “spiritual wellbeing,” emotional clarity, and enhanced states of the mind.
The setbacks that plagued the esoteric community was the fact that what they were promoting were subjective in nature and difficult to prove. However as technology advanced and based on the most recent research that have been published in a variety of medical and social Journals have actually proven what these communities were trying to share with the world for decades and they have more positive things to add based on the fact that sensory deprivation actually works because of its capability to reduce the natural propensity of the human body’s stress response system which in turn induces deep relaxation by quieting mental chatter that is brought on by external stimuli such as sound, heat, sight, smell and even gravity.
What has come to light is the fact that research has proven overwhelmingly that “floatation therapy” is actually an effective method or rather a non-invasive methodology for helping patients to contend with stress related issues and as well as pain among others and it is more than just a placebo which has made it a complimentary addition to contemporary medical treatments.
How these isolation tanks or sensory deprivation tanks work is by floating an individual in an enclosed capsule that eliminates almost all sources of external stimuli or sensory experiences which include as mentioned earlier sound, sight, smell, and touch not to mention gravity as the Epsom salt solution that is heated to skin temperature and prevents the floaters from sinking or drowning.
“Restricted Environmental Stimulation Technique,” or floating-REST which is how medical professionals choose to refer to it as actually have also been known to provide a variety of other benefits that researchers are only just beginning to find out, which includes the use of Epsom salt (which contains high amounts of magnesium sulphate) that allow subjects to remain afloat in complete silence during the period of the therapy.
The magnesium seeps through the skin and ‘rectifies’ the central nervous system that will be in practically a state of suspended animation allowing the mind to repair, re-balance and readjust ‘everything that need to be repaired, re-balanced and readjusted. This is the primary reason for the feeling of ‘renewed and positive’ feeling that subjects experience during and after each floatation therapy session.
The impact of flotation or REST’s on physiology is actually overwhelming due to the fact that floatation therapy also lowers the level of cortisol in the system which also helps in reducing stress whilst simultaneously lowering blood pressure which has a direct impact on the mental state of an individual leaving them with positive feelings of well-being. Besides that floatation therapy also shows that subjects have enhanced concentration levels or increased mindfulness due to the ability of REST to reduce markers of BDS (bodily distress syndrome).
This aspect of floatation therapy alone is thought to be the reason behind other ailments being better managed with the help of floatation therapy as the entire biological construct of subjects are revamped by the brain that refocuses its enormous processing power inwardly.
Another undeniable factor about REST is the fact that it is also cost effective in treating ailments that would otherwise rip a hole in an individual’s pocket as contemporary treatments are not just complex and tiring, but they are also expensive.