Float Tanks (Sensory Deprivation)
Floating in an enclosed tank of body-temperature Epsom salt water to eliminate sensory input, inducing deep relaxation, reduced stress hormones, pain relief, and enhanced creativity
Bottom Line
Float tanks (also called isolation tanks or sensory deprivation tanks) remove nearly all external stimuli - no light, no sound, no gravity sensation. The result is a unique state of deep relaxation that's difficult to achieve any other way. Research shows significant reductions in cortisol and blood pressure, improvements in chronic pain, and enhanced creativity.
Joe Rogan's vocal advocacy brought floatation therapy mainstream, but the research predates the hype. Studies consistently show benefits for anxiety, stress, muscle tension, and pain. The experience is unlike anything else - many describe it as meditation on steroids.
Highly effective for stress reduction and recovery. Try a 60-90 minute session at a local float center to see if it works for you. Most people need 2-3 sessions to fully relax and get the most benefit. Regular floaters (weekly or biweekly) report cumulative improvements in baseline stress and sleep.
Science
Mechanisms:
- Reduced sensory input - Brain shifts processing away from external stimuli
- Magnesium absorption - Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) absorbed through skin
- Cortisol reduction - Studies show 20-30% decrease post-float
- Theta brainwave induction - Similar to deep meditation or pre-sleep state
- Parasympathetic activation - Shift from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest
- Proprioceptive reset - Reduced gravity load allows muscle and joint relaxation
- Blood pressure reduction - Consistent finding across studies
Key concepts:
- Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) - Scientific term for float therapy
- Theta state - Brainwaves between 4-8 Hz, associated with creativity and deep relaxation
- Interoception - Enhanced awareness of internal body states
- Set and setting - Mindset and expectations significantly impact experience
- Learning curve - Most people need 2-3 sessions to fully relax
Evidence base:
- Kjellgren et al. studies: Systematic research on flotation REST showing stress reduction
- Feinstein et al. (2018): Float therapy reduced anxiety in anxious patients by 50%
- Bood et al.: Studies showing pain reduction in fibromyalgia and chronic conditions
- Meta-analysis shows consistent effects on stress, pain, and negative affect
- fMRI studies show reduced activity in stress-related brain regions
Limitations:
- Many studies have small sample sizes
- Blinding is impossible (you know if you're floating)
- Placebo/expectation effects difficult to control for
- Long-term effects less studied than acute effects
- Individual variation in response is significant
Supporting Studies
6 peer-reviewed studies
View all studies & compare research →Practical Protocol
First float preparation:
- Don't shave day of (salt stings cuts and freshly shaved skin)
- Avoid caffeine 2-3 hours before
- Eat a light meal 1-2 hours before (not too full, not hungry)
- Use provided earplugs (keeps salt water out)
- Apply petroleum jelly to any cuts or scrapes
- Shower before entering tank (required)
During the float:
- Enter tank, close door/lid (most have interior lights you control)
- Lie back - you'll float effortlessly due to salt density
- Arms can be at sides, above head, or wherever comfortable
- Try different positions until comfortable
- Relax jaw, release muscle tension
- Let go of trying to achieve anything specific
- Mind may race initially - this is normal, it settles
Duration options:
| Duration | Best for |
|---|---|
| 60 min | First-timers, busy schedules |
| 90 min | Standard session, recommended |
| 2+ hours | Experienced floaters, deep work |
After the float:
- Rise slowly (may feel dizzy)
- Shower thoroughly to remove salt
- Don't rush - give yourself transition time
- Avoid immediate intense stimulation
- Hydrate well (salt can be dehydrating)
Frequency recommendations:
- First time: Single session to try
- Getting started: 3 sessions within 2 weeks (builds familiarity)
- Maintenance: Weekly or biweekly for ongoing benefits
- Intensive: 2-3 times per week for specific issues
Tips for better floats:
- Keep eyes open or closed - experiment
- If neck is tense, ask for inflatable pillow
- Focus on breath if mind races
- Set intention but don't force outcomes
- Regular practice improves quality
Risks & Side Effects
Common experiences (not risks):
- Restlessness or difficulty relaxing (especially first time)
- Time distortion (common and normal)
- Vivid mental imagery or hypnagogic states
- Feeling "weird" or disoriented after
- Skin pruning (harmless)
Potential side effects:
- Salt water in eyes (stings significantly - keep still)
- Ear discomfort if water enters
- Nausea in rare cases
- Claustrophobia (most tanks can be left open)
- Skin irritation in sensitive individuals
- Temporary blood pressure drop when standing
Contraindications - do NOT float if:
- Open wounds or recent surgery
- Skin conditions that salt would aggravate
- Severe claustrophobia (though open tanks exist)
- Active psychosis or severe mental illness
- Epilepsy not well controlled
- Kidney disease (magnesium absorption concern)
- Low blood pressure (may drop further)
- Under influence of alcohol or drugs
- Recent hair dye (can discolor tank)
Relative contraindications (consult provider):
- Pregnancy (generally considered safe, but consult doctor)
- Anxiety disorders (usually helps but can be challenging initially)
- PTSD (can be therapeutic but may trigger)
Risk Level: Very Low (when contraindications respected)
Who It's For
Ideal for:
- High-stress individuals seeking deep relaxation
- Athletes wanting enhanced recovery
- Chronic pain sufferers (fibromyalgia, tension, etc.)
- Those with anxiety or stress disorders
- Meditators wanting to deepen practice
- Creative professionals seeking inspiration
- Anyone with sleep issues
- People who struggle to "turn off"
Especially beneficial:
- Type A personalities who can't relax
- Those with physically demanding jobs
- Chronic tension (neck, back, shoulders)
- Anxiety that doesn't respond to other methods
- Athletes in heavy training phases
May not enjoy:
- Severe claustrophobics (though open tanks help)
- Those who dislike being alone with thoughts
- People with very active skin conditions
- Those who need constant stimulation
How to Track Results
What to track:
- Pre/post stress levels (1-10)
- Pre/post muscle tension (1-10)
- Sleep quality night of float
- Pain levels if relevant
- Mood changes
- Duration of relaxed feeling post-float
Simple tracking method:
Before and 24 hours after each float, rate: - Stress level (1-10) - Muscle tension (1-10) - Sleep quality - Overall mood - Pain (if applicable)
Signs it's working:
- Deeper relaxation with each session
- Improved sleep on float days
- Reduced baseline tension
- Lower stress response to triggers
- Enhanced creativity or problem-solving
- Faster entry into relaxed state
Timeline:
- Session 1: May feel restless, learning to relax
- Sessions 2-3: Deeper relaxation as novelty fades
- Sessions 4+: Consistent deep states, cumulative benefits
- Regular practice (4+ weeks): Baseline stress reduction
Top Products
Float centers (find local):
- Float Lab - Premium float experiences, multiple locations
- True REST - Float spa franchise, many US locations
- Local independent float centers - Often comparable quality, better prices
Home float tanks:
- Samadhi Tank Co. - Original float tank company, premium quality
- Float Lab - Known for Escape Pod and Double Pod
- Zen Float Co. - More affordable tent-style option
- Royal Spa - Commercial-grade tanks
Accessories:
- Mack's Silicone Earplugs - Keeps salt water out of ears
- Vaseline - Protects cuts and scrapes from salt
- Epsom Salt - For home Epsom salt baths (not full float but similar benefits)
Recommendation:
Start at a local float center with 3 sessions spaced 1-2 weeks apart. This gives you time to learn to float properly before deciding on regular practice or home investment.
Cost Breakdown
Float center pricing (typical):
- Single 60-min session: $50-80
- Single 90-min session: $70-100
- Monthly membership (4 floats): $150-250
- Packages (5-10 floats): $50-70 per float
Home float tank options:
- Entry level pods: $2,000-5,000
- Mid-range tanks: $5,000-15,000
- Premium tanks (Float Lab, Samadhi): $15,000-30,000
- DIY builds: $1,000-3,000 (requires skill)
Cost considerations:
- Start at a float center to see if you like it
- Memberships offer best value for regular floaters
- Home tanks require space, maintenance, and significant upfront cost
- Break-even for home tank: 100-300+ floats depending on tank cost
Find float centers:
- FloatationLocations.com
- WhereToFloat.com
- Google "float tank near me"
Cost-benefit assessment:
At $60-100 per session, floating is a moderate investment. For stress reduction and recovery benefits, it compares favorably to massage therapy. Try 3 sessions before deciding if it's worth regular investment.
Recommended Reading
Podcasts
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Discussed in Podcasts
51 curated moments from top health podcasts. Click any timestamp to play.
Float Tanks: Protocol
I mean, I do sensory deprivation tanks a lot. Like I do float tanks.
"And then, you know, I kind of take the protocols to kind of get myself back up. I mean, I do sensory deprivation tanks a lot. Like I do float tanks. Oh, that makes really good sense with the amount of sensory stimuli you're immersed in at night."
Each float tank session has been a life-changing experience
Emily shares that after her coach introduced her to float tanks in Reno, each of her three sessions has been genuinely life-changing, starting with an open bathtub-style tank with Epsom salt where she floated in the dark.
"And each time that I have been in a float tank since, it's been three times now, it has been a life-changing experience, you guys. I'm not joking. So the float tank that I did with her was basically like a big bathtub, right? So it wasn't enclosed or anything. And yes, the lights turned off. I had the ability to turn them on if I wanted to, right? But there's Epsom salt on the water, so you float, right?"
Float tanks as a gateway to spiritual and shamanic experiences
Emily connects float tanks to her spiritual practice, explaining how the sensory deprivation environment opened her up to Celtic shamanism experiences and deeper connections with herself that she could not access through other means.
"Welcome to the magical world of fitness witchcraft. I'm your host, Emily Flood, and I created Fitness Witchcraft specifically to help witches and spiritual women to become mentally and physically healthy after trauma."
Dread of podcasting vanished once she followed her passion for float tanks
Emily describes how she had been dreading recording podcast episodes until she gave herself permission to talk about what she was truly passionate about: float tanks and Celtic shamanism, illustrating how float experiences can spark creative energy and enthusiasm.
"So I know I have promised a six-part series of six beliefs that I needed to have in order to reach my fitness goals. But quite honestly, I had this idea a few weeks ago, and I wanted to talk about float tanks and Celtic shamanism, and I was feeling really passionate about that."
Over 95% of Americans are magnesium deficient and floating addresses it transdermally
Max Casa explains that floating in a tank saturated with magnesium salts addresses widespread magnesium deficiency, which affects over 95% of Americans and impacts enzymes, hormones, metabolism, and virtually every biological function.
"in a silent, dark, saltwater filled tank, not only healed his body, but simultaneously enhanced his mind and deepened his connection with spirit. So now Max aims to spread his knowledge on the benefits of floating, magnesium, minerals, and energy in hopes to help others strengthen and balance their mind, body, and spirit. You can learn more about Max and his work at maxvitality.co. Max, thanks so much for coming on the show."
Float tanks create a unique zero-gravity healing environment
Max describes the float tank environment as one of the most unique healing environments on Earth, with 10 inches of water super-saturated with over 1000 pounds of magnesium salts creating extreme buoyancy where even a bowling ball would float.
"Inside this chamber is the most unique environment on the face of planet Earth, because there's 10 inches of water inside the tank, but those 10 inches of water are super saturated with over a thousand pounds of therapeutic grade Epsom salt."
Three pillars of float benefits including transdermal magnesium absorption
Max outlines the three main pillars of floating benefits: deep relaxation and stress relief, increased consciousness and brain power, and transdermal magnesium absorption through the skin during every single float session.
"And ultimately, when our brain power isn't being put towards processing the external world, we have so much more brain power and consciousness put towards whatever we really have to do. And oftentimes that's relax, it's recover, it's detox, it's reset better than ever before. And thirdly, the benefits of the magnesium that's being absorbed transdermally"
Float tanks force meditation on people who otherwise would never do it
Jeff admits he would never meditate if left to his own devices, but the controlled environment of a float tank makes meditation the natural and expected activity, making it ideal for high-achievers who struggle with traditional meditation.
"I'm not really good at meditation when you ask me like Jeff do you meditate regularly no however if you put me in the right environment I I do meditate and I do get value from it and if I get the chance to sit for 20 minutes in a sauna if I get the chance to lay down in a float tank"
Pairing infrared sauna with float tank produces the deepest relaxation
Jeff describes his second float session, paired with 45 minutes of infrared sauna beforehand, as the most deeply relaxed he had ever been, calling it a beautiful experience that showed the real potential of floating when you come in prepared.
"session number two I got in real deep like really meditating in a in a deep way really relaxing in a way that I have not done before and that one was actually paired with a sauna session beforehand and so when I left that entire experience of an infrared sauna for 45 minutes and then 40 more minutes floating I was so relaxed afterwards"
High achievers need float tanks as a counterbalance to constant stress
Jeff argues that ambitious, high-energy people who pursue big goals inevitably accumulate stress and anxiety, and they need to counterbalance that intensity with practices like floating, where playing hard can mean simply laying down and breathing for an hour.
"if you view yourself as a high achiever a go-getter the ambitious type who wants to get things done achieve big goals move forward in your career you know improve that resume like be that kind of person who's just out to make something happen what comes with that without question is stress and anxiety and intensity and a fast pace and you have to counter that"
Magnesium absorbs through hair follicles directly into the bloodstream during floating
Max Casa explains that transdermal magnesium absorption happens primarily through hair follicles, where magnesium ions enter directly into the bloodstream for immediate use, making float tanks a uniquely efficient delivery method compared to oral supplementation.
"The hair follicles. Really? It goes in a little follicle? Yeah, dude, it's crazy. It's like you see the skin and a little piece of hair. There's a little canal along the side. And we've literally captured in a laboratory now magnesium ions getting absorbed through the hair follicles directly into the bloodstream where it could be used by the body right away versus oral supplementation we're talking like."
The body closes pores after 45 minutes once magnesium levels are topped off
Max describes how the body has a natural fail-safe mechanism that opens hair follicles and pores to absorb magnesium when levels are low, then closes them around the 45-minute mark once saturation is reached.
"You know, we can leverage that body's natural fail-safe mechanism to open up the hair follicles and the pores to soak up more magnesium when it needs to, when it wants it. And then what we see is around the 45-minute mark, oftentimes it closes up. So it starts to close those off once the magnesium levels are topped off and it won't soak anymore in."
Who to Follow
Key researchers:
- John C. Lilly, MD - Invented the isolation tank in 1954, pioneered sensory deprivation research
- Peter Suedfeld, PhD - University of British Columbia, coined "REST" terminology
- Justin Feinstein, PhD - Laureate Institute, leading modern float researcher
- Anette Kjellgren, PhD - Karlstad University, extensive flotation research
Popularizers:
- Joe Rogan - Vocal advocate, has float tank in home, discusses on podcast frequently
- Tim Ferriss - Featured floating in "Tools of Titans"
- Graham Talley - Float On founder, industry pioneer
- Crash - Float Lab founder, advanced tank development
Synergies & Conflicts
Pairs well with:
- NSDR - Both induce deep relaxation; use NSDR daily, floating weekly
- Sauna - Many float centers offer both; sauna before float can enhance relaxation
- Magnesium - Float tanks provide transdermal magnesium; supplement on non-float days
- Meditation - Floating accelerates meditative states
- Cold Exposure - Contrast: cold for activation, floating for recovery
Timing considerations:
- Float in evening for sleep benefits
- Float after intense training for recovery
- Float before creative work for inspiration
- Allow transition time after floating (don't rush back to stimulation)
Daily/weekly stack example:
- Daily: Morning sunlight, NSDR afternoon
- 2-3x/week: Sauna
- Weekly: Float tank session
Does NOT pair well with:
- Caffeine right before (defeats relaxation purpose)
- Intense exercise right before (too activated)
- Alcohol (impairs experience, dehydrates)
- Immediately before demanding tasks (may feel too relaxed)
Progression:
- First float: Just experience it, don't expect anything
- Sessions 2-3: Learn your comfortable position, relaxation deepens
- Regular practice: Set intentions, use for specific purposes (creativity, recovery, stress)
- Advanced: Longer floats (2+ hours), combine with breathwork or meditation techniques
What People Say
Online communities:
Common positive reports:
Common challenges:
Professional use: