Obviously the tanks are optimized for whatever it is they do (emulating senselessness?) but is it possible to emulate that?
How much epsom salt would you need and would it be cost-effective and safe to go down the drain relative to going out to an actual tank?
Please tell me it isn’t completely impractical and it could be done :)
Float-tanks are this:
Imagine a bigger-than-normal bathtub, so you can sprawl-out ( arms & lega akimbo ) without hitting the sides…
the water-density is upped with brine, instead of plain water ( the float-tanks place I used to go to used sacks of “bitter salts” & the texture of the brine was damn-near oily, and DO NOT EVER shave shortly before going into a brine-soak, or you’re going to discover what stinging really means )
also it is brought up to a person’s body-temperature, or close to it.
When there’s no temperature-difference, & you’re floating sooo high that drowning is much less likely ( the Dead Sea is probably the prototype for all float-tanks, btw ), & you aren’t bumping into the walls, then you’re in blissful sensory-deprivation ( total dark, too, obviously, probably use a timer, limit it to 2h max ), & meditation can be awesome in these conditions.
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Are the tanks sound proofed too?
You can do it on your floor if you take enough ketamine.
In all serious though, not really. I think other people already pointed out why.
However you can also learn to close the sense gates, without drugs or a bathtub. Later Jhana meditations do this.
And even just you relaxing in your bathtub with your ears under the water, that’s a step towards that stuff. The whole idea is to get very relaxed and minimize the stimulation from your senses, so that your mind can just relax and drift and be.
It doesn’t need to be full sensory deprivation to get the benefits in other words.
It’s not practical.
However, have a shower in the pitch dark sometime. It’s the most ridiculously soothing thing imaginable.
Put your shower gel and stuff where you can find it by feel, obvs.
Not my bathtub, no. It’s too small.
The float place near me uses something like 1200 pounds of Epsom salt in a tank that is maybe twice the volume of my bathtub. Then they also regulate the temperature within the tank, both air and water, to be close to normal skin temperature. I’m not sure it’s practical.
So you’re saying I just need a sous vide thingy that works in salt water (or to clean the damn thing afters) and a big tub, that’s actually pretty doable
If you want that sensory deprivation feeling, you have to control the air temperature as well and keep it in the dark, and it’s larger than a big tub. There is a company that makes a sensory deprivation float tent that will sell you all of the parts and salt. I looked into it a bit after enjoying my local float place. Maintaining the filters, the pH and dealing with the hundreds of pounds of salt seems like more trouble than it’s worth.
There are a few DIY guides out there.
I don’t think a bathtub is the way to go. They aren’t long enough for most adults to float in. Plus they take a lot of salt, so either the bathtub is dedicated as a sensory tank or you have to drain it / refill it frequently (which gets expensive) in between using it as a normal bath.
The salty water can go down the drain though.
