A single 90-minute session of Floatation-REST, which minimizes sensory input, reduces resting-state functional connectivity within and between posterior hubs of the default-mode network and somatomotor cortices extending into the posterior insula. A control condition of resting in a zero-gravity chair produced a similar pattern of reduced connectivity. The findings suggest that reducing nervous system stimulation is reflected by decreased connectivity in brain networks that construct and map the sense of self.
Floatation-REST, a therapy involving floating in a tank with reduced sensory input, induces altered states of consciousness in people with anxiety and depression. In a randomized trial, 75 adults who floated reported increased awareness of their heartbeat and breathing, along with feelings of oceanic boundlessness, disembodiment, and unity—a pattern called 'aquahenosis.' These effects were strongest in those who chose longer, flexible sessions. The experiential profile overlapped with those reported for psychedelics like psilocybin and ketamine, particularly in boundary dissolution. The findings suggest Floatation-REST is a non-pharmacological method for inducing specific altered states, with oceanic boundlessness mediating improvements in positive affect.
Floatation-REST, which minimizes sensory input by having people float in warm, salt-saturated water in a dark, silent tank, produces stronger altered states of consciousness—specifically a dissolving sense of body boundaries and distorted time perception—than simply lying on a waterbed in a dark, quiet room. In a crossover trial with 50 healthy adults, a 60-minute float session led to greater relaxation, less anxiety, and less tiredness compared to the control condition. The loss of body boundaries during floating directly contributed to the reduction in anxiety, pointing to a previously unknown mechanism behind floatation's calming effects.