Immersion Tank Fun

I’ve been hearing a lot about immersion tanks lately. A couple of immersion tank centers have popped up in the Boston area where I live. I never had much interest in sensory deprivation until I heard stories of people experiencing visions and meditative states as a result.

This might be a way to easily access my higher mind, I thought. And so I set out to try it.

Immersion tanks have been around for decades. By filling a tank with water and epsom salt and shutting off sound and light, one can experience the feeling of being weightless and formless.

Did I mention I am sort of claustrophobic? The idea of being in a coffin-like structure, in the dark, and possibly experiencing a mind-altering state seemed a little daunting.

Thankfully the employee at the float center where I had an appointment was warm and extremely helpful. She explained how the tank worked, how to access the light switch on the inside of the tank, and that I could stick a towel in the tank door to let in a sliver of light. She recommended getting comfortable with the tank and then closing the door completely.

I asked the float center employee what kind of experiences customer typically have. “Everything from panic attacks, euphoria, relief of physical symptoms to full on spiritual visions,” she replied.

I visited the float center on a weekend. They were fully booked that day. The private room with the tank seemed clean enough. But everything smelled wet and I felt strange lying in the same water that at least ten other people had been in that day. It was hard for my mind to settle.

Once I closed the door to the tank, though, something started to happen. Immersed in darkness and floating, I felt like I was in space. I started to have “glitches” – feelings of euphoria and being beyond my normal day to day self. And then I would hit the edge of the tank or my mind would kick in and the experience would go away. This went on for about 15 minutes. Then I acclimated and the rest of the hour float session was relaxing, but certainly not mind altering.

You can read my other higher mind hacks here. Surprisingly, the easiest way for me to connect to my higher mind – and to live more from it in my daily life – was through my body.