Sensory Deprivation Tanks

[Fresco]

Has anyone ever tried AP'ing using a sensory deprivation tank??
If so do you have any advice??

[Stookie]

I've never done it, but I would really like to try it at least once. I hear good things about it.

[Xanth]

I've never done it, but I would really like to try it at least once. I hear good things about it.

I'd love to try it as well.
Sounds like an amazing experience. 

[bardips]

My advice is to put your goal of AP'ing on the back burner.  make a list of techniques you'd like to put to the test and once you're in the tank, have at it testing them.  you'll find that some are amazingly powerful and others are just junk.  you might also find that some work for you personally better than others, and that some projection techniques are not going to make you project at all but they're fantastic at other stuff.

There are oodles of techniques to try for achieving projection, doing energy work, raising kundalini, activating chakras, etc.  A sensory deprivation tank is a superb place to put these techniques to the test. 

why?  because you can discriminate your sensations and experiences.  In the tank, everything is going to be endogenous.  When you try to do spiritual things in your living room, you might have animals and children crawling on you, people walking and talking around you, bugs on you, loud noises, etc.  So 1. it's difficult to tell if a technique is effective when you're distracted and are only putting in half effort and 2. it's difficult to tell whether a sensation is "spiritual" or "physical;" endogenous or exogenous. 

In the tank, everything is endogenous - so if you're distracted, there's no one to blame but yourself.  if you have hypnogags and hypnopomps - you know it.  If you have difficulty relaxing, you're in a relaxing place so you need to work on your skill at relaxing. and if you're much more relaxed than normal, then that's indicative that you may need to remodel your usual meditation spot to make it more conducive to success.

so that's my advice - if you go into one, use the opportunity to learn about the techniques, why they work and how to get the most out of them in the long run.  and if you project, that's even better.

..

i've actually never been in a legitimate deprivation tank, however, i've hodge-podged them together to meet my needs.  I am actually in the process in making a more permanent one in my yard so i have access to it daily.

[personalreality]

anyone ever see "Altered States"?

good movie.

[Fresco]

Xanth, there's a place in TO where you can go into a tank for $100: http://www.tranquilitytanks.com/giftcertificates.html

I'm assuming given the price for just 1 to 2 hours these tanks are not cheap.
You also have to maintain them and keep the bugs out of the saltwater and the tank's interior

[Stookie]

anyone ever see "Altered States"?

good movie.

One of William Hurt's best. That's a good sci-fi.

[horaciocs]

I've never been inside any of those cabins, it must be very interesting. However, I think it should be used only as a self-knowledge tool. Once you know what is what inside your mind, it's time to leave practicing in the tanks and begin to do some "outside" work.

A important part of meditation is the ability to go deep within yourself at will wherever you may be. Practicing at busy places whith lots of noises is also a healthy habit.

For instance, on Tuesday I was fucusing inwards a little while at a break on college and there were some minor noises around me (people moving, office noises, all that stuff, but little of it). As I progressed, I felt as if I had earphones on (I didn't have). The sounds were still there, but they were muffled. I was like "oh, it's just like I'm wearing headphones! let me try and take them out". As I did, I went a little more superficial and the sound came to its normality. It did feel as if I had removed a pair of earphones. I then tried to "put them back on", and it worked, all became muffled again. It was very interesting, but I haven't been able to do that again yet.

It would be a nice experience, though, to be inside one of those cocoons for a while (meditation made easy!)  

[Fresco]

It would be a nice experience, though, to be inside one of those cocoons for a while (meditation made easy!)  

You can find one in your area: http://www.floatfinder.com/