Float Tanks (Sensory Deprivation)
Episodes covering float tanks (sensory deprivation) — protocols, research, and expert discussions.
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
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
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
Episodes
Luke Story sits down with Crash Hoefler, the inventor and founding director of Float Lab Technologies in Venice Beach, California, to explore the world of sensory deprivation ta...
Host Ana Cristal welcomes Alissa Bestwick (Float Girl Official) to discuss how float tanks serve as a powerful integration tool for ketamine therapy and broader subconscious hea...
BBC's Sliced Bread investigates whether float tanks live up to their marketing claims. Host Greg Foote is joined by listener Maddie, whose partner found floating euphoric and cl...
Luke Story welcomes Max Casa, founder of Max Vitality and a lifelong martial artist turned float therapy advocate, for a deep conversation about float therapy and transdermal ma...
Dr. Wendy Myers interviews Max Casa, founder of Max Vitality and a lifelong martial artist who discovered float therapy while training for UFC competition. Max shares how he was...
The Mindfully Fit Podcast features Dr. Justin Feinstein, a clinical neuropsychologist and pioneering researcher in flotation REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy). Dr...
Host Jeff Sanders shares his first-hand experience with float tanks and infrared saunas as tools for focus, meditation, and mental health. His wife Tessa gifted him a series of ...
Host Emily Flood shares her deeply personal experiences combining float tanks with Celtic shamanic journeying meditation. After three float tank sessions, Emily describes each a...
Float center owners Dylan (The Float Shop, Portland, Oregon), Kim Hannon (Tsukino Float Center, Indiana), and guest host Kat Roberts (Surface Float, Fredericton, New Brunswick) ...
Hosts Talia Dinwiddie and Jay Terrell explore float tanks in this experiential episode where they actually go to Just Float in Pasadena and report back on their sessions. Talia,...
Host Shelley Shearer shares a deeply personal account of how a float tank session helped her recover from a severe anxiety breakdown. Living with fibromyalgia and dealing with t...
On this casual comedy podcast, co-host Jay shares his first float tank experience as a 30th birthday adventure at Float Sixty in the South Loop of Chicago. After years of hearin...
Host Lance Baker sits down with Jason Wallace, owner of Newcastle Float Centre in Australia, for an in-depth conversation about the float tank experience from the perspective of...
Host Matt Meyer visits Ascend Float Spa to interview co-owners Katrina and Carl about their journey into the float therapy business and the healing properties of floating. Matt,...