Enhancement of randomness by flotation rest (restricted environmental stimulation technique).
S Sakata, J Shinohara, T Hori, S Sugimoto
Perceptual and Motor Skills June 1, 1995 DOI: 10.2466/pms.1995.80.3.999 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 7 |
| Population | Student volunteers |
| Interventions | Flotation REST in-bed REST |
| Duration | 40-minute sessions for each condition |
| Key findings | Floating in a sensory isolation tank increased randomness of generated sequences, while lying on a bed decreased it. |
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the positive effect of flotation REST on the production of random sequences, employing both behavioral and physiological measures. The subjects were 7 student volunteers who spent a 40-min. session lying alone on a bed in an isolation box and two 40-min. sessions floating in a commercially produced tank. Polygraph recordings (EEG, EOG, ECG and respiration) were made continuously. Randomness of orally generated sequences was measured by RIP scores based on the Pólya-Eggenberger distribution in three test sessions, e.g., pre-, during, and post-REST period. Randomness increased in the floating condition, while those parameters decreased in the bed condition. Sleep-stage analysis and EEG spectral analysis showed that the flotation REST induced a more hypnagogic state and light sleep than did in-bed REST. It is speculated that the hypnagogic state and light sleep induced by floating enhanced random generation.