Sensory Deprivation: 5 things you must do in the tank

Sensory Deprivation is something that I am becoming a real fan of as time goes on.

I had my first experience at the start of the year. You can read about it here, now.

Recently I went for the third time, and this felt like a game changer. It felt like I had a brilliant session and I’m going to share with you what that was.

These are the five main things to do that I’m going to go into more depth about.

1.  You should use earplugs, get naked and go it alone
2. When you’re in the tank you can do some light stretching to help you relax deeper into a meditative state.
3. Put your hands over your hear when you feel like your mind is running away on you.
4. Use the time to talk to yourself positively.
5. Keep your eyes open.

1: Earplugs and naked

This is more before you get into the sensory deprivation tank. This will prep work will give you a better experience.

Earplugs are important. With sensory deprivation, your senses are heightened. You become more aware of your surroundings. If you have water sloshing around in your ear, it may be a distraction. The place I go to, Hydro-Ease, supplies earplugs

The same thing for going in with any clothes on.

Get naked, even if you’re like me and your birthday suit isn’t the best fit.

When you’re in there cut down any potential distraction to a minimum. Earplugs and being in the Shia LaBeouf will help.

You might be offered to do a couples float. Don’t take them up on that offer. Certain people in this world feel that silence is a hole that needs plugging. If you go into a tank and that person happens to be one they will ruin the experience.

You want the time alone to yourself. Sensory deprivation is about being alone with yourself in your own thoughts. It’s about your own piece of mind, not the comfort of others.

Go it alone.

2: Stretch out

When you’re in the pool, you have a unique opportunity to carry out some light stretches. You cannot sink, you will not sink. You’re floating in space, and you can push your body in unusual ways.

I would sit up in the tank while floating. I would hold a sit-up position and feel my body vibrate.

Then I relax.

Repeat this a few times at the start of the session.

The contrast of tension and the relaxation helped me slip into a deeper meditative state.

3: Hands on your heart

When you are in the sensory deprivation tank, you will feel compelled to let your thoughts run away on you. That’s OK, I understand. How long has it been since you actually had nothing to fill your brain with? I’d bet that it’s been a while.

You are so preoccupied with letting your head take charge you neglect the purpose of your heart.

It’s not your fault. How many times have you been told to use your head? More times than you have been told to follow your heart I’d say. The head is suitable for contemplating possible scenarios. Let’s be honest with ourselves; we use our head to try and predict the future, but we are terrible at it. If we were any good at it, gambling would not exist.

You can reconnect with now by bringing your attention back into your heart.

How do you do this?

The technique is deceptively simple. Put your hands over your heart. Feel the rhythm beating within your chest. Feel the attention be drawn into your chest. Close your eyes and count your breath.

You can do this outside the tank too in your everyday life. If you’re an anxious person, it can help ground you in the now.

In the sensory deprivation tank, this can be even more effective.

4: Positive self-talk

Do you ever talk to yourself? Like verbally, out loud, talk to yourself?

Without knowing who you are or anything about you, I bet you do. While I’m here, I’ll also bet that you talk to yourself whenever you screw up. I guarantee that you’ve called yourself an idiot out loud at least once in your life.

I know you have because I have it. I’ve done it recently too.

Here’s the thing, your subconscious is always listening.

Negative self-talk is something that your sub-conscious will listen to. The more you bash yourself, the more your subconscious will make you resemble your marks.

You are the architect of your own self-fulfilling prophecy.

Sensory deprivation is a unique opportunity to communicate directly with your subconscious.

Your subconscious is like a child. It will accept whatever you say. In that case, tell yourself something positive.

When you’re in the tank really talk yourself up to your subconscious and talk in the present tense. All the subconscious knows it is the now.

Here are a few examples of what I say to myself. Some of this will be cringey, but I hope that it helps you be more positive with yourself.

“I am a fantastic writer.”

“I’m a confident person.”

“I take action as soon as possible.”

“I adapt quickly to any circumstance.”

Give it a go, no one will hear you, no one will see you. Not even you will listen to yourself.

It’s useful in the sensory deprivation tank because you can’t run from yourself. You can bring this positive self talk out of the tank too.

Try it once.

You’re a good person, stop being so hard on yourself.

5: Eyes open

This feels like cheat codes. This was a proper game changer. I can’t remember if I had been told whether or not to have my eyes open before going into the sensory deprivation tank. I did a mix of the two. Closing them at some points, opening them at others.

This recent time I decided to keep them open as much as possible. It felt like I had a proper experience.

I wouldn’t say that I hallucinated but what I will say is that I experienced changes.

You’re probably wondering what kind of changes.

Let me tell you.

The most memorable one was that I felt the room change size. It felt as if everything was stretching out in front of me. The room became a great hall, the sides and ceiling stretching out before me.

I also felt light coming from somewhere inside the room. Now the place is pitch black and is cut off from the outside. There’s no safety light and the light inside the tank was turned off.

Where was the light coming from?

There were also several moments of lucid dreaming. I remember thinking to myself, who the hell is snoring? It was me. I had fallen asleep, yet I was fully aware that I had done so. It was a strange feeling, but I loved it.

If you do go into the sensory deprivation tank keeps your eyes wide open.

Conclusion

I highly recommend you try sensory deprivation at least once.

If you do, here are my tips for getting the most out of the experience.

5: Bring earplugs, get naked, go alone.

4: Stretch out.

3: Put your hands over your heart to focus on the now.

2: Positively talk to yourself.

1: Keep your eyes open

If you ever do try it would love to hear how you get on.

Have you been in the tank a couple of times yourself? If so any tips for me?