# What happened To "Sensory deprivation tanks"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 24, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-sensory-deprivation-tanks/349754 "2006-03-24T18:36:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-sensory-deprivation-tanks/349754/1 "2006-03-24T18:36:49Z")
These were pretty popular in the mid-70’s. they were basically a coffinlike water tank, in which you lay (in dense, salty water, heated to body temperature. Inside, you saw no light, herd no sounds. The idea was that if you were deprived of most sensory inputs, your brain would relax, and you could come up with great thoughts-including the solution to world hunger, cure for cancer, etc. You don’t hear of them now-is it time to revive this? or did they turn people into raving lunatics? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-sensory-deprivation-tanks/349754/2 "2006-03-24T18:39:25Z")
Daredevil sleeps in one in the first movie. That’s the first I’ve heard of them in a while. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-sensory-deprivation-tanks/349754/3 "2006-03-24T18:45:15Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-sensory-deprivation-tanks/349754/4 "2006-03-24T18:50:27Z")
William Hurt turned into an australopithecus in one. That and the turds & semen floating in the water made most people hesitant to get ito one. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-sensory-deprivation-tanks/349754/5 "2006-03-24T18:52:57Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > William Hurt turned into an australopithecus in one. That and the turds & semen floating in the water made most people hesitant to get ito one. Gold! ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-sensory-deprivation-tanks/349754/6 "2006-03-24T20:14:39Z")
They are still around, just using different names. Here’s one: [http://www.thedeephaven.com/about.htm](http://www.thedeephaven.com/about.htm) I know of one in the Cleveland area too, but the name escapes me at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-sensory-deprivation-tanks/349754/7 "2006-03-24T20:43:42Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > That and the turds… Yeah, but from **Dorjän’s** link: > [@thedeephaven.com](#): > > Floaters once relaxed enter a deep meditative state and are fully conscious and during this time. I wonder if this is how Mr. Hankey got his start. ---
**Author:** ![mrunlucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@mrunlucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrunlucky)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-sensory-deprivation-tanks/349754/8 "2006-03-24T22:20:14Z")
They’re still around. I think there are atleast two in Chicago, the enduring one is called [SpaceTime Tanks](http://www.spacetimetanks.com/). The 80s brought an advancement in the technology of sensory deprivation blindfolds/headsets and earphones with such elements as flashing light displays and sounds/music. That made it possible to experience this at home if you wanted to spend the money, or you could do it at a place like SpaceTime. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-sensory-deprivation-tanks/349754/9 "2006-03-24T22:33:50Z")
Joe Rogan from Fear Factor has one, he apparently loves it.