Sensory Isolation in Flotation Tanks: Altered States of Consciousness and Effects on Well-being
Anette Kjellgren, Fransica Lyden, Torsten Norlander
The Qualitative Report January 14, 2015 DOI: 10.46743/2160-3715/2008.1577 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8 |
| Population | Patients with depression, burn-out syndrome, and chronic pain |
| Intervention | Flotation tank therapy |
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness |
| Keywords | Interpretative phenomenological analysis Consciousness Relaxation psychology Pain perception Isolation microbiology Qualitative research Altered state Clinical psychology Developmental psychology Psychotherapist Anesthesia |
| Citations | 40 |
| Key findings | Floating in a flotation tank induces an altered state of consciousness, experienced as pleasant, with effects ranging from profound relaxation to perceptual changes such as out-of-body and perinatal experiences. |
Abstract
A qualitative analysis (The Empirical Phenomenological Psychological method) of interviews involving eight patients (depression, burn-out syndrome, and chronic pain) was carried out in order to obtain knowledge regarding the effects of flotation tank therapy. This knowledge might be helpful for both professionals and potential floaters. The analysis resulted in 21 categories, which were summarized as four themes: (a) experiences during flotation, (b) perceived effects afterwards, (c) technical details, and finally (d) the participants ́ background, motivation, and expectations. Floating was perceived as pleasant. An altered state of consciousness was induced, varying from a milder state including profound relaxation and altered time perception, to more powerful with perceptual changes and profound sensations such as out-o f-body experience s and perinatal experiences.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on altered states of consciousness, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Shaman's Cure: The Relationship Between Altered States of Consciousness and Shamanic Healing1 Nepalese shamans and their patients | 2009 | Ethnography | |
| Psychedelic Drugs: A Study of Drug-Induced Experiences Obtained by Illegal Drug Users in Relation to Stanislav Grof's Model of Altered States of Consciousness Anonymous former illegal drug users | 2000 | Qualitative study | n = 16 |
| Spiritual experiences and altered states of consciousness – Parallels between BDSM and Christianity Self-defined BDSM practitioners in Sweden | 2020 | Qualitative ethnographic study | n = 29 |
| When Seconds Turn Into Minutes: Time Expansion Experiences in Altered States of Consciousness People who reported Time Expansion Experiences | 2020 | Qualitative study | n = 74 |
| Natural language analysis of the structure of altered states of consciousness Narrative reports across 12 ASC induction methods | 2025 | Quantitative and qualitative analysis of narrative reports | n = 300 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives Frontiers in Psychology 2014
- The varieties of selflessness Philosophy and the Mind Sciences March 24, 2020
- Selfhood triumvirate: From phenomenology to brain activity and back again. Consciousness and Cognition November 1, 2020
- Taking the body off the mind: Decreased functional connectivity between somatomotor and default‐mode networks following Floatation‐REST Human Brain Mapping April 9, 2021
- Making Sense of Near-Death Experience Research: Circumstance Specific Alterations of Consciousness Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2019
and 9 more in the library
Cites 6
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Altered States of Consciousness Archives of General Psychiatry September 1, 1966
- The Standardized Psychometric Assessment of Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs) in Humans Pharmacopsychiatry July 1, 1998
- Psychedelic Drugs: A Study of Drug-Induced Experiences Obtained by Illegal Drug Users in Relation to Stanislav Grof's Model of Altered States of Consciousness Imagination, Cognition and Personality September 1, 2000
- Psychometric assessment of the Hallucinogen Rating Scale. Drug and Alcohol Dependence May 1, 2001
and 1 more in the library