Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST), Sensory Deprivation Tank, or more commonly known as Float Tanks, are a relaxation and meditation technique. In today’s world, we know of its effective use in treating musculoskeletal conditions and to open the creative mind.
The practice involves floating in water that is of your body’s natural skin temperature, densely saturated in Magnesium Sulphate (Epsom Salt) that renders the body completely buoyant. This offers complete and effortless floatation, as well as a light and sound proof environment. That is, unless you’d prefer your experience accompanied with a choice from our selection of meditative music. The desired effect is to remove you from outside stimulus, creating a quiet and free space.
It was first popularized by neuroscientist John C. Lilly in the 1970’s. The First tank was designed in 1954 to study the origins of consciousness by cutting off all external stimuli. Later on in the 1960’s, Mr. Lilly controversially experimented with sensory deprivation while under the effects of Hallucinogenic drugs. His research inspired curiosity and the research continues. Since then, it has been proven to produce several effects on the brain, ranging from hallucinations to enhanced creativity. Primarily, it has the ability to bring you into a state of deep relaxation.
Currently, floating has had a resurgence, with hundreds of tanks in over 88 centres worldwide, increasingly so in North America. There has been much discovery since.