Floatation tanks, also known as Isolation Tanks and formerly known as Sensory Deprivation tanks, were first developed in 1952 by John C Lilly as a therapy named REST or Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy. Lann & Martin (2010, p. 1638) describe them as ‘virtually stimulation-free’. Isolation tanks are typically a dark tank filled with water and a large quantity of Magnesium Sulfate. Magnesium Sulfate, commercially known as Epsom Salt, is a multipurpose product with many therapeutic and household applications for body, garden and cleaning (Unknown, 2009; Epsom Salt Council, n.d). The fluid is kept at the same temperature as the air and therefore a perceived loss of gravity is felt. There are thousands of studies into the benefits of Isolation tanks and they are proven to have effects such as reduced muscle tension and chronic pain (Kjellgren et al. 2001), reduced stress and increase relaxation (Suedfeld et al. 1983; Turner & Fine 1983) and reduced symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (Goldstein & Jessen 1987).

A comparative pilot study (Fine, Mills & Turner, 1993) between wet and dry floatation concluded that wet floatation had a larger effect on the reduction of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that is released in response to stress and if too high in the human body it has effects such as suppressed immunity, heightened blood sugar levels, increased insulin resistance, carbohydrate cravings and decreased libido (Wikipedia). Other direct stress response hormones such as ACTH and epinephrine showed decreases from the therapy known to psychologists as REST (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy)(Turner & Fine, 1983). A continuous reduction of the adrenal-associated hormones cortisol, aldosterone and renin activity over a period of multiple sessions was also found (Turner & Fine, 1990).

An EEG based study also compared the the types brain waves of the participants had in with the wet floatation testing to have not only a much higher percentage of participants with Theta type waves but for them to start much earlier in the experiment (Fine, Mills & Turner, 1993). This equated to 50-60% of Wet tank participants reaching Theta waves, associated with within 15 minutes. The majority of dry tank participants remained in Alpha wave for the experiment. Alpha brainwaves are considered to be 8-14Hz and are associated with an idle, restful and introspective state (Palva & Palva, 2007). Theta Waves are considered to be 4-7Hz and are shown to reduce anxiety and are associated with increased short-term memory (Desai & Bhatt, 2015).

The Oxford Dictionary defines Immersion as “1. The action of immersing someone or something in a liquid” and “2. Deep mental involvement in something”(Oxford Online). Isolation tanks lie in the intersection of these two definitions, self-referential and contemporaneous they are an interlace of physical and psychological immersion.

We talk about the second definition of Immersion cross-contextually with an increasing relevance in the technological age. To be immersed is a metaphorical movement from the real world to a simulated or fabricated one, an immersion in the “ocean” of a film or other. Erkki Huhtamo (1995) describes this process as ‘A “passage” from one realm to another, from the immediate physical reality of tangible objects and direct sensory data to somewhere else’.

Although Sensory Tanks are not a technology in the sense these explanations are referring to the same theory can be applied. The target audience for a sensory deprivation tank experience is mostly people needing to relax, rejuvenate or reduce stress or pain. Beyond Rest list reasons for attending their business such as ‘energise and revitalize’, ‘promote calm and peaceful relaxation’ and ‘facilitate freedom from habits, addictions and phobias’ (Beyond Rest. n.d). They are inviting people to tap out of the sensory overload of being a human in the modern world.

As soon as you enter Beyond Rest things are in play to support this experience. Although the effect of colour is often subjective there are ‘underlying universal colour patterns that everyone responds to’ (Karen Haller, p. 557). Colour in interior design affects the mood of an environment or space and this, in turn, relates to our mood and psychology. The correlation between psychology and colour makes sense when you consider what colour as what it actually is – electromagnetic energy (Wright, 2012). The interior of Beyond Rest was mostly white, blue and muted tones. White relates to ‘clarity, purity, efficiency’ and Blue relates to the mind, light blue is ‘serene and mentally calming. Aids in reducing stress and relieving tension, helpful to insomnia sufferers’(Karen Haller, p. 562-563) as well as being ‘affecting the intellect, promoting thought and ‘higher order’ activity’(Wright, p.161).

The architecture of Beyond Rest was based on Sacred Geometry, ‘nature’s mathematical self-organization of harmonic patterns’ (Hotze & Hagens. n.p). Aromatherapy Diffusers dot the establishment with a light scent of lavender. A study was conducted in dental waiting rooms to establish the ability of Lavender scent to reduce anxiety of patients it was found to be effective (Kritsidima, Newton & Asimakopoulou. 2009). Due to these implementations it can therefore it can be surmised that Beyond Rest intentionally and successfully use them as design features that contribute to a harmonic and all-immersive environment.

In Slater and Wilbur’s 1997 research on immersive visual technology environments, they define immersion as a technological feature that is:

An inclusive, extensive, surrounding and vivid illusion of reality to the senses of a human participant. Inclusive (I) indicates the extent to which physical reality is shut out. Extensive (E) indicates the range of sensory modalities accommodated. Surrounding (S) indicates the extent to which this virtual reality is panoramic rather than limited to a narrow field. Vivid (V) indicates the resolution, fidelity, and variety of energy simulated within a particular modality (for example, the visual and colour resolution). Vividness is concerned with the richness, information content, resolution and quality of the displays.

This theory can be applied to immersion in the context of a Sensory Deprivation Tank as well as the environment of Beyond Rest. To start with Inclusive: entering an Isolation tank is intentionally shutting out the physical reality of the outside world; it is an on-radar experience that aims to create an off-radar environment. The tank itself is a very modern looking device and is fitted with a purple/blue light (this is turned off once the floatation begins). The attendee is asked to take a warm shower before entering the bath and it is suggested that earplugs are worn as to eliminate any sounds and to stop the salty solution from infiltrating the ears. The floater does so naked, again to reduce distraction and to promote true immersion. The water is kept at the same temperature as the air inside the tank which aligns with the average human body temperature. It includes a large quantity of Epsom Salt, also known as Magnesium Sulfate, creating an extremely buoyant and immersive loss of gravity. The person cannot feel where the water stops and the air begins, they are truly floating effortlessly.

An Extensive range of sensory modalities are engaged as outlined in the appendix stimuli list. The Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary (8th Ed) defines Sensory Deprivation as:

A major reduction in incoming sensory information. The main input sensory channels are the eyes, ears, skin, and nose. If input from all of these is blocked, there is loss of the sense of reality, distortion of time and imagined space, hallucinations, bizarre thought patterns, and other indications of neurological dysfunction. Even minimal sensory deprivation in early childhood can have a serious effect on the personality.

Vision is stimulated (or more so deprived) by the darkness, relaxation music is played as a cue to enter and exit the tank but the float itself is in silence. The naked body is immersed and immersed, and normal sensory processing of the skin is evolved. The experience is all encompassing and Surrounding, it is not visual and therefore not panoramic as such but entirely immersive. Despite there being no screen or viewer to discuss the colour resolution of the experience is extremely Vivid in nature. As well as this there are reports of visualizations occurring for people whilst floating (Beyond Rest. n.d).

It can be hard to sustain immersion and in the case of Beyond Rest a perceived contributing issue to this is the tank size; for tall people it may be a little small and therefore at points they drift towards the edges, breaking their immersive state. The music played at the start and end of the experience, though immersively contributive for some, is perceived as corny to others. These issues and the problems they cause for some as well as the positive immersive experiences of floaters are relatively subjective. Despite many examples of research that point to the physical and psychological benefits of the immersive experience that is an Isolation tank there will always be subjective variability. Some of these factors include mood, caffeine intake or meditation experience (Beyond Rest; Turner & Fine 1983).

In conclusion floatation tanks are beneficial for stress, relaxation and reduction of muscle pain. The stimuli that contribute to this at Beyond Rest include Epsom Salt, Temperature, Darkness, Water, Silence, Relaxation music, Lavender Scent, Architecture/Interior Design, Water and a lack of sensory stimulus. The degree of the effect of these stimuli is subjective with the experiences varying both person to person and float to float. Personally I found the experience to be relaxing however it was difficult for me to relax as I am not accustomed to such sensory deprivation, however I certainly felt the physical benefits and can see the value of continued use.

APPENDIX

STIMULUS	DESCRIPTION	HYPOTHESIZED INTENDED EFFECT	NOTES/THOUGHTS
Epsom Salt Magnesium Sulfate	Around 500kg of the salt per float	Buoyancy, relief of muscle pain, loss of gravity	Epsom salt is frequently used as a muscle relaxant in baths at home – I certainly felt the effects of it post-float.
Temperature	Set to body temperature, air and water at same temperature	Reduction of feeling gravity, relaxation of muscles	The bath did become a little cold towards the end, contributing to my loss of immersion.
Light/Darkness	1. Lighting of building very dulled (No direct lighting) 2. Purple/Blue light pre float in tank 3. Complete Darkness whilst floating	1. Relaxing and Serene Environment 2. Continued Relaxation, ease of adjustment to darkness 3. Contribution to Sensory Deprivation/ Relaxation	Interesting to note that at first the darkness caused a panic for me personally due to it being an uncommon experience. This was reduced as time went on.
Sound/Silence	1. Relaxation Music played on entry and exit to pod 2. Complete silence in Pod, suggested use of earplugs to accentuate this	1. Relaxation, calming entry/exit to experience 2. Contribution to Sensory Deprivation/ Relaxation	Relaxing effects of music is subjective, it appeared crass to me as a seasoned listener of music. At first I found the silence a little terrifying. I did consider this as possibly an evolutionary response to silence, eg. When the birds stop tweeting and fly away something is wrong.
Architecture/ Interior Design	1. Architecture uses a lot of curves, is based on Sacred Geometry 2. Interior Design uses muted colours and white, blue.	A calming effect, reminiscent of utopian imagery	The architecture and interior design was very well executed and aligned the business with an intersection of professional, therapeutic space, medicinal and futuristic.
Tea	A relaxation blend of herbal tea was on offer after the float experience	Continuation of the experience whilst reflecting on it.	This was nice, though perhaps a little gimmicky. It is a good example of how well thought out the business is by its owners.
Scent of Building	Aromatherapy Diffusers with a Lavender based Scent	Relaxation	I think this can be considered an off-radar stimuli. It is a cog in a broader immersion machine.
Water	The tank was filled with salty water	Feeling of floating, loss of gravity.	The water, temperature and epsom salt work all together to play with the sense of gravity and feeling of skin.
Lack of Sensory Stimulus	An attempt to block out all senses	A break-away from the outside world	I found it noteworthy that whilst in the tank I was likening the experience to floating in the ocean and was thinking about the fact I find having the visual stimulus of the sun/sand/water possibly more relaxing. I think, overall the experience of the floatation tank is subjective. Not only from floater to floater (Lauren and I had very different experiences) but for a floater from float to float.*

* In discussion with Paul who works at Beyond Rest after the experience he told us about how despite having floated over thirty times every experience has been different. In his opinion, the variability of this was due to factors such as mood, energy level, meditative experience.

 

REFERENCES

 

Beyond Rest. n.d, What is Floatation?, Beyond Rest, viewed 1 September 2017

<https://beyondrest.com.au/what-is-floatation/>

 

Epsom Salt Council. n.d. About. Epsom Salt Council, viewed 31 August 2017.

<http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/about/>

 

Desai, R., Tailor, A. & Bhatt, T., 2015. Effects of yoga on brain waves and structural activation: A review. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 21(2), pp.112–8.

 

Fine, T. Mills, D. & Turner Jr, J. ‘Differential Effects of Wet and Dry Flotation REST on EEG Frequency and Amplitude’. In: Clinical and Experimental Restricted Environmental Stimulation. 1993. Springer-Verlag New York Inc. pp. 205-213.

 

Goldstein, D.D. & Jessen, W.E. 1987 . ‘Floatation Effect on Premenstrual Syndrome’. Restricted Environmental Stimulation: Research and Commentary, 260-273.

Haller, K. 2012. ‘Colour in Interior Design’. Colour Design. Woodhead Publishing, Cambridge. pp. 551-584.

Hotze, B. & Hagens, Bethe, 2001. ‘The energetic interplay of color dynamics, sacred geometry, and polarities’. The energetic interplay of color dynamics, sacred geometry, and polarities, pp.ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

Huhtamo, E. 1995, ‘Encapsulated Bodies in Motion: Simulators and the Quest for Total Immersion’. In S Penny(ed.), Critical Issues in Electronic Media. State University of New York Press. p. 159-186

Kjellgren, A., Sundequist, U., Norlander, T., & Archer, T. (2001). ‘Effects of flotation-REST of muscle tension pain’. Pain Research and Management, 6, 181-189.

 

Kritsidima M, Newton T, Asimakopoulou K. ‘The effects of lavender scent on dental patient anxiety levels: a cluster randomized-controlled trial’. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2010; 38: 83–87. 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S

Lann, M. A. and Martin, A. 2010, ‘An Unusual Death Involving a Sensory Deprivation Tank’. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 55: 1638–1640. doi:10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01469.x

 

Mikellides, B. 2012. ‘Colour Psychology: The emotional effects of Color Perception’. Colour Design. Woodhead Publishing, Cambridge. pp. 105-128.

Palva, S. & Palva. J. ‘New vistas for alpha-frequency band oscillations’.

Trends Neurosci, 30 (4) (2007), pp. 150-158

 

Slater, M & Wilbur, S. ‘A framework for immersive virtual environments (FIVE): Speculations on the role of presence in virtual environments’. Presence: Teleoperators and virtual environments 6.6 (1997) pp. 603-616.

 

Suedfeld, P., Ballard, E. J., Murphy, M. 1983. ‘Water Immersion and Flotation: From Stress Experiment to Stress Treatment’. In. Journal of Environmental Psychology. Academic Press Inc. London.

 

Turner, J. W., Jr., & Fine, T. H. 1983. ‘Effects of Relaxation associated with brief restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST) on plasma cortisol, ACTH, and LH’. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 9, p. 115-126.

 

Turner, J. W., Jr., & Fine, T. H. 1990. ‘Hormonal changes associated with restricted environmental stimulation therapy’. In. P. Suedfeld, J. Turner,  T. Fine (Eds.), Restricted environmental stimulation theoretical and empirical developments in flotation REST. New York, NY : Springer-Verlag.

 

Unknown. 2009, Nov 23. Doctors’ Advice: Treat Cold, Flu with Epsom Salt. Business Wire.

 

Wright, A. 2012. ‘Predicting Responses to Colour’. Colour Design. Woodhead Publishing, Cambridge. pp. 158-173.

 

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