Floatation Therapy: A 30-Second History
By Mari Farthing
Back in 1957, at the Oklahoma City Veterans Association hospital, the first Flotation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) tank was constructed by Dr. Jay Shurley. Through research with Dr. John Lilly, Dr. Shurley studied the effects of sensory deprivation on the human brain. The initial thought was to test whether participants would fall asleep when all external stimuli was removed.
This first fully-immersive vertical tank was very confining—a participant would be fully immersed in fresh water, vertically, while wearing an opaque helmet fitted with tubes for breathing, reminiscent of what a strange science fiction spaceman would wear in a double feature movie. Because of this confining effect, the vertical tank was used most often for training moon-bound astronauts due to the anti-gravity effects of floating in the tank of water. Maybe that helmet was not so science fiction?
Even those early experiments in sensory deprivation yielded positive results. A study performed during these very early tests and published by Drs. Lilly and Shurley found that by minimizing external physical stimuli, a participant floating in a tank of water at 94.1 degrees Fahrenheit would achieve a point of “isothermicity”—where the barriers between the body and the water disappear. And rather than sleeping, participants would retain consciousness throughout the float session, experiencing a perceived reduction on stress.
A horizontal tank was developed in the 1970s in coordination with Dr. Lilly, and Epsom salts were added to the water to allow participants to float on the water, removing the need for the helmet. Experiments continued, but most participants also found these flotation tanks too confining, even with the positive outcomes of Flotation-REST.
And that was that, for many years—but now, with the advent of more spacious flotation tanks and pools, there has been a boom in floating and the popularity of Flotation-REST centers, allowing a broader range of participants to experience the benefits of floating.
Recent clinical research has been limited, but study results have shown that the benefits of flotation therapy include a reduction in stress-related conditions (such as anxiety, chronic tension headaches, and hypertension), and that Flotation-REST is an effective tool when used as part of a stress management program.