Taking Meditation Up a Notch with Sensory Deprivation Tanks

Sensory Deprivation Tanks block out noise and light, and allow you to float in body temperature salt water so that you hardly notice gravity. It’s kind of wild.

But does that really take meditation up a notch, or are you just having a good nap in a bucket of warm water?

The classic way to do it is use a dedicated tank with a few inches of saturated salt water (epsom salts, usually) maintained at body temperature. To reduce noise and light, the tank is put in its own room.

At commercial venues, they’ll have a shower in each room, plenty of towels, and the light timers are triggered by the door. These are either dedicated spots or part of a high-end spa.

You strip, shower, and get in the tank. You settle in and float. Soon after you get used to it, you begin to sink into a meditative state. Each time I’ve done it, once I’m in the meditative state, the time has passed in what amounts to the blink of an eye.

The timers are set for 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes, depending on how much you paid. It may seem pricey, but it’s always been worth it. (Money makes the world go around, which is why you should charge for your creative work.)

The magic of sensory deprivation is that it gets your brain into a persistent Delta Wave state. You’re super calm. The entire body relaxes.

Supposed benefits are that the calm lasts well after the session, like for days or a week.

The meditation helps open up channels to the subconscious, allowing ideas and solutions to problems appear in your consciousness.

I loved the calming effect. When you emerge, you’re a bit soporific and chill.

It helps you think about what matters. I’m always working on creative projects and it helped me decide about priorities. There were some projects I needed to end but was couldn’t summon the courage. The sensory deprivation sessions helped me get act together and quit what wasn’t working for me anymore. I finished two novels that year, which felt pretty good.

I quit going during the pandemic but I’m ready to get back into it as I enter a new phase of my creative life.

You should look for local venues—check spas if there aren’t any dedicated studios for sensory deprivation. Try out what’s available and figure out which you like, what seems to be fairly priced.

It’s ain’t cheap. It’s expensive to maintain the facilities and do it in a nice, calming atmosphere. But it’s worth it.

The fact that I haven’t done it in a while is bugging me so I’ll be back there soon.