Float(isolation) Tank Experience Earlier Today

I had no idea what relaxing meant until today.

Near what I could only assume as the end of the float I tried chanting and I was so relaxed I couldn't even chant. I was entering in and out of altered states of consciousness throughout the entire 1 hour experience.

Here is a picture of exactly the one I was in..



There were little speakers I could turn on or off and I choose to have about ten minutes of some mantra in order to relax because it was my first time, I recommend against that and just going in there into total darkness.

At first I began having the light streamers and dots, and squiggly lines you get at times during meditation or when your almost asleep at night but as the outside world began to dissolve away it almost immediately began to become an inward experience. I know there is another way to define that with a single word but I can't think of it right now I think it's because I'm to relaxed still to be honest with you, kind of not caring really.

So anyway one of the observations I had was that as I was sliding into deeper states I would immediately be brought back into the "real" world by a specific kind of thought, ego thoughts. This realization brought into an entirely new paradigm of thinking while I was in there. I began thinking about how the ego thought was bringing me out of deeper states and how ego thinking was effecting the world and keeping us in this primal, alpha, Darwinian experience that we're having on this planet right now. I began thinking how the ego thinking was holding back humanity and how we need to each individually within ourselves destroy the ego and eliminate it's presence from this world in order to manifest a deeper, brighter more connected world.

I also had a self realization while I was in another altered state of consciousness later on in what I can only describe as the trip. I realized that I need to stop trying to control everything and let things happen more. I am still contemplating this as that was a deeper thought I hadn't have thought about before. I realize this is another manifestation of the ego and how the ego is holding me back from experiencing a better world.

When I got out of the tank I had come to the full realization of how deep and relaxing the experience was when I had to actually use my body, see and hear again.

Overall the experience was a amazing and I will be adding this into my weekly routine or bi weekly routine at the very least. I highly recommend it for any of you spiritually inclined.

Dude....


So was this at a spa? Or some place specifically for this?

Again

Dude

ive been wanting to try this out! a few new float businesses have popped up around town but im hesitant about the "pods" does the air get stale or hot in it with the heated water and you breathing deeply?

ive seen pics of really wide ones or even ones the size of a room which i think would be nice.

a reply to: Squirlli

It's at a head shop that sublets to a float spa.

a reply to: onequestion

Very interesting man. One question though... Do you meditate a lot? Ive always wanted to try an isolation tank (if i could find one), but Im hesitant because my meditation skills are very low. I figuared the same random thoughts and body tensions might end up giving me the same experiance as meditating on my bed.

Also, im not sure if we can destroy the ego. I think it will always be there, even if one is enlightend. Maybe it can be transcended, but not destroyed. Thats just my impression from watching enlightend people speak. They have their opinions, thoughts and ego but are not attached to them. They can be free of it at any moment. Thats just my conclusions tho.


However, I totally understand how your "ego" is holding you back from experiancing the world with new eyes. Ive certainly felt that constrast on occasions.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experiance and tip for no music/mantra. Would you ever go into a isolation tank on psychadelics? This thread has me thinking about the movie altered states

a reply to: dreamlotus1111

There we're short periods where I felt the air get heavy but it was quickly replaced with thinking, or other odd weightless/ loss of orientation.

There was no static experience it was constantly changing the entire time.

a reply to: onequestion

Nice I thought about building one a few years back... is te water very salinated so you could easily float suspended in it?

Theres a very trippy Jeff Bridges movie called Altered States thats really good involving sensory depro chambers.

a reply to: blueman12

Very interesting man. One question though... Do you meditate a lot? Ive always wanted to try an isolation tank (if i could find one), but Im hesitant because my meditation skills are very low. I figuared the same random thoughts and body tensions might end up giving me the same experiance as meditating on my bed.

Recently no, but I have phases where I meditate a lot.

The thing is you have to resist the urge to move. I also felt tension in my lower back and I think it was just my body releasing negative energy if that makes sense. I had a constant pressure on my head and neck too. I don't think my body is used to relaxing.

It kind of highlight where I had the most tension in my body.

They have their opinions, thoughts and ego but are not attached to them. They can be free of it at any moment. Thats just my conclusions tho.

Hmmm. I don't know how far we can take the no ego paradigm.

a reply to: BigBrotherDarkness

Oh I was floating easily, total relaxation.

i've done one of these too one time. Very cool experience but for 60 dollars an hour i'd rather meditate in my bed. Takes a little more practice but you don't have the time against you.

You can have the same exact experience if you practice meditation. You can even go further and have an out of body experience where you literally feel your soul pop out of your body.

Astral projection and meditation are what made me want to try a sensory deprivation chamber. The chamber definitely helps get you into a relaxed state of mind. i just wish it was less than 60 dollars an hour to try.

I think the word you are looking for is hypnogogic by the way.

a reply to: onequestion

Nice

a reply to: booyakasha

Oh man I went so much deeper in the tank and the relaxing effect on my back and muscles.

I notice it a lot probably because I'm very athletic.

35 is what I paid today.

a reply to: onequestion

I recently starting floating at a local spa. It really is a soulful, relaxing experience. It has several awesome health benefits aside from deep relaxation. For instance, it naturally aligns your back. Also Epsom Salts is mostly a magnesium compound that helps with inflammation and it naturally raises seratonin levels. It's also really good for your skin and hair. I'm sure there's a lot more benefits I haven't mentioned and definitely worth checking out if you've never done it before.

turn down the peyote option, whatever you do !!!!

a reply to: Coloradical

Oh yeah, maybe that was the pressure I was feeling on the right side of my lower back and my neck was an alignment.

a reply to: onequestion

Awesome! I have wanted to do the same (T&C-25 experieces haved helped me tune towards that frame of thinking anyway). So how... much did it cost? Just wondering. Cause if it is less than the chemicals that do the same then it is worth it!


(ETA: Gee, 35 bucks is cheap! Worth the cost!)

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

It cost me 35 and it's not even in the same category trust me I know.

a reply to: onequestion

We've been dancing around the topic in Baddogma's Metacafe thread. ☺

Come check it out!

Thanks for sharing, I have had some great experiences in a float tank as well. My favorite float(done about 100-150 floats) was when I was deep in the zone and all of a sudden white light fills up my mind. Simultaneously I felt totally overjoyed, I had the largest smile on my face and in my mind. I felt a sensation of rising towards this white light, and as my ego started to question what was happening I felt myself coming back down, the volume of the blissful joy started to be turned down to normal levels, and then it was done. That was the float that I always tried to recreate, but was never able to.

a reply to: jaws1975

It's crazy how the ego separates you from the experience isn't it