MiracleMan

Sensory Deprevation Tanks Aka Floating

3 posts in this topic

Last weekend I went to try a sensory deprevation tank at a local spa, it was $50 to ride the ride for an hour and half.

It was an awesome experience, you really lose yourself in there, it also helped drain a bunch of nasty crap out of my sinuses (not inside the tank, in the shower after). 

I felt like I was in there for 15 minutes, but also felt like several hours, very strange statement but it really fucks your sense of time.  I went into a trance like state pretty quickly once I was situated.  I had some hallucinations, mostly just flashes of light, points of light or beams appearing, like shooting stars, and a weird blanket of something I could only describe as like shifting sands but all black and white, or basically the same patterns you'd see in a cloudy sky if you were lying on your back.

After the session was over, I was laughing when I got out, felt like I had just gotten off a roller coaster, pretty neat.  Anxiety and back pain were gone (briefly but came screaming back after the weekend was over).  

I've heard of these being used therapeutically for depression, anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain, quite successfully, but they are expensive as crap, it's more of a luxury item.  I'm going to get on Autodesk Inventor when I get home and start designing one to build in my house.

I also looked into Zen Float, it's more like a tent and inexpensive but looks like a living crap ton of maintenance among other issues.

Anyone else tried this?  I highly recommend it.


Grace

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12 hours ago, Source_Mystic said:

Let me know how much it ends up costing you when you are done.   I have been interested in  Sensory Deprivation Tanks for as long as I can remember. I have never have gotten a chance to try one. I would  be interested in a simple design did not cost a absurd  amount of money. 

Looking at the cost, the Zen Float Tent is a good deal, but from what I'm seeing it will require above average maintenance to prevent any water quality issues, as of 2017 they replaced the pump it comes with to filter more water.  Another issue is how long will these things really hold up, but it's not a huge issue for me.

I'm in the camp of believing that floating, like meditation, is medicinal and not dietary, so I don't think it's something I would need to last but a few years anyways.

I didn't get around to making my own design as my student license has expired and I'm waiting on free software to be distributed through my employer.  But just a quick rundown of the basics of what you'd need:

  • A basin for the water, at least 8 ft long by 4 ft wide
  • A sealed structure that is water tight to keep in humidity and free of light leaks, total darkness is a must
  • Some type of heater to get the basin up to body temperature and regulate that temperature so it doesn't go over or under
  • A powerful water pump, some folks use pool pumps, preferably external, to filter the water at least 2x a day
  • A GFCI switch to prevent electrical mishaps
  • Sound proofing is optional, and difficult, you should be wearing silicon ear plugs anyways which blocks most noise and prevents swimmers ear
  • 800lb to 1000lb of Epsom salt, this will cost anywhere from $500-$1000 depending on availability in your area
  • Lots of water quality maintenance, maybe a bit more than a pool/hot tub as it's something that will be used daily

That isn't an all inclusive list but it helps to start the thought process.  The house I have now, I've realized I can't really build one by design.  My next house I will likely try to do one myself as a fun project.  I think I'm going to try getting the float tent or at least breaking down the plans for it and building something similar.  Honestly it's 2 grand for the tent without the salt, that's damn good seeing as a professional would charge you well over 10 grand or more to build one for you in your house.  The float pods I've been in at the local spa are upwards of 20 grand with really nice external filtration systems.  

I think I could manage to build a nice system for under  $5000 including the salt, but right now I have no where in my house to build it. 

 


Grace

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38 minutes ago, Source_Mystic said:

I am just spit balling ideas here.

If I was you I be looking in a scrap yard for the main body I be looking for a some kind of tank I could cut with a torch and hinge. If you could scrap a old large propane tank or oil tank something similar cut it in half use a liner and a water bed heaters maybe . Not sure about the filtration system . But does it have to be Epsom salt I am betting there is a cheaper option somewhere.   Agriculture stores sell salt in bulk that might be a option depending where you are.   All the filtration pumps maybe check a aquarium store that sells salt water tanks I am sure they have salt water filtration and basically it is just a really big tank of water.

 

Not sure if it has to be Epsom salt but I think they recommend it because of the therapeutic benefits of that type  of salt, maybe it's easier on your skin too?  I've heard folks who float a lot say the salt can irritate your skin if you're in there frequently.

I'm wondering if a plastic tank could work as well, as long as it's not translucent.


Grace

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