…or the sensory deprivation tank. Has anyone been in one lately? It’s been more 30 years since I’ve stepped in one, however my claustrophobia has increased considerably since then. My first experience was quite interesting.
Since the OP is asking about personal experiences, let’s move this to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Floating is the new thing for health nuts in my neck of the woods. Floatation Therapy is what I think it’s called. I was giving an hour float and I tried it. It was fun. I didn’t get into the whole meditation thing, but it was pretty relaxing when I wasn’t bouncing myself off the walls like an astronaut.
Try it with some peyote
Pros: Blair Brown
Cons: Turning into a lizard
We don’t really know what was in the mix. The shaman seemed to add something like mushrooms to the mix, IMHO. There is also a mention of mushrooms tossed about early on. Nothing to suggest peyote.
Oh, you do NOT want to barf in a float chamber.
We have to take the good with the bad!
You are correct. Let the experimentation begin 
I did it about a year ago. I won’t say it was earth shattering for me, or anything. I mean, I haven’t gone back since, so it couldn’t have been too great. I had a very hard time shutting off my brain, but I must have at some point because turns out that I was in there for two hours (I had only paid for one, but the owner cryptically asked if I had anywhere to be afterward, and when I said no, let me stay in for two without telling me until afterwards). Definitely did not feel like I was in there that long.
I could sort of feel by brain detaching a bit, and leaving the place and hitting the city streets afterwards was considerably more bright and overwhelming than usual. But, I didn’t have any sort of existential experience. That said, I’m probably not the best person for this sort of thing.
My roommate and I traveled from West Texas to visit a friend in Albuquerque right after Altered States came out. (Jesus, was that really 36 years ago? :eek:) Quite a few folks in that city were cashing in on the movie’s popularity by obtaining an isolation tank and renting out time in it. I tried an hour in one and decided it was much ado about nothing. At that time, I was somewhat of an expert on altered states too.
I’m in one now. Four AM with jetlag.
I also slept in one of those Capsule Hotels in Manila last month.
A psychonaut at heart (and formerly in practice) here, but no never actually been in one. Mostly because of my claustrophobia.
The one and only time I did it was on acid, but only a hit or two and it was because of Altered States. I’m a bad ass (in my mind, not scared of anything) when tripping, so the enclosed atmosphere wasn’t an issue. Best I can remember it was a very pleasurable experience. However, today I can’t imagine stepping into one.
I’ve posted this before - I went to college with a guy who spent a summer working at a sensory deprivation place. His job was cleaning the tanks between customers. According to him, most people moved their bowels and/or masturbated in them - and no, neither of those events was sufficient cause to change the water. So if you want to try one, find out their cleaning routines before stepping in.
That’s enough to never enter one again.
I work (occasionally) in an anechoic chamber (example from google). These are surprisingly creepy when you’re alone inside. I have to come out every so often to make sure the world is still there.
I can’t imagine going into an isolation tank for entertainment.
Thanks for the image.
I tried one once. Just a whole lotta nothin’ for me. It was like taking a shallow bath in a very dark room. The floating wasn’t too successful because my butt kept bouncing against the floor.
I didn’t think my senses were deprived at all. I could feel the water, I could feel me floating (and bumping), I could even see a vague outline of my body when I looked down. If these things triggered hallucinations, or out of body experiences, then people could do the same thing in a dark bathroom. I didn’t feel any relaxation either because the whole thing seemed like a rip-off, so I was getting pissed.
Just another disappointment in my life. At this rate, I wonder if any new experiences I have won’t be disappointing to me.
Seems like isolation tanks and anechoic chambers would be best used by people with some experience in meditation.
Can you describe what it’s like and the psychological effect it has?
How did the acid change the experience?
As I said, I’m a bit claustrophobic and the acid dispelled any of those fears. I remember a lot of animals (only in my mind) in my experience, but I used to always see animals when tripping. Lot of vivid colors - cliche, I know. That was only 30-45 minutes of the trip. Trips can go one for 12 hers. We were in Dallas, visiting my best fried who went to SMU, at the time and from there went to Six Flags. Believe me the roller coaster was the most intense experience of the evening.