Floatation Therapy and The Brain
What happens to the brain when you disconnect the human nervous system from outside stimulation?
Spending an hour with your own thoughts seems drastic for the average person. The thought of being alone with your mind for 60minutes in complete stillness with no external distraction can be quite confronting. Time alone to reflect and ‘disconnect’ may seem uncomfortable but if we allow ourselves the chance to stop and slow down, the benefits are extraordinary.
A study conducted in 2018 at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, Oklahoma, took 50 patients, all experiencing various levels of anxiety disorders and monitored their state of wellbeing in a floatation pod for 60minutes. Results demonstrated that every single patient had a significant decrease in anxiety post-float. [2]
In a randomised controlled trial, patient’s either floated for 90minutes or watched a relaxing, neutral documentary for the same amount of time. Researchers found that anxiety levels and muscular tension had significantly decreased during the floatation session, more so than watching the relaxing documentary. [3]
Muscular tension that we harbour in our body and especially in our back can often be responsible for driving anxiety and stress in the brain. Floatation therapy directly stimulates these issues; by improving mental illness and enhancing mental wellness. [2]
In addition, the short-term serenity effects of floating from the randomised control trial lasted for 24hours. This demonstrates how floatation can be used to obtain a prolonged state of optimal wellbeing. Measurements for blood pressure were also recorded, showing a decrease in blood pressure in the first 5 minutes of the patient’s experience. [3]
In today’s modern world we experience increased levels of burnout, anxiety, depression, whilst there is a mimicking decrease in sleep quality, social interaction and a sense of happiness.
A 60minute float session is able to take a stressed and anxious nervous system and induce a reset that can last up to 24hours. [2,3]
Book in and enjoy the benefits of a floatation therapy session at Saltair Health Spa to unwind the mind and reduce muscular tension.
Resources
1. Feinstein JS, Khalsa SS, Yeh HW, et al. Examining the short-term anxiolytic and antidepressant effect of Floatation-REST. PLoS One. 2018;13(2):e0190292. Published 2018 Feb 2. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0190292
2. Dr Justin Feinstein, ‘The Amazing Things That Happen When You Disconnect’ TEDxSalem, 7th May, 2020
3. Feinstein JS, Khalsa SS, Yeh H, et al. The Elicitation of Relaxation and Interoceptive Awareness Using Floatation Therapy in Individuals With High Anxiety Sensitivity. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2018;3(6):555‐562. doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.02.005
