Floating Tank (Sensory Deprivation) and Astral Projection

[leavesofgrass]

I am just finishing up a one month pass of several long floating sessions per week at a local float center. I made a deal with the owner and he let me float for up to 3 hours most times even though I had only paid for 1 hour passes. Because I am passionate about floating he was happy to let me get my fill of it!

All I can say is that floating is the single easiest way to center your focus inward. There is no light, no sound, no pressure on your body anywhere, you cant feel where your body ends and the water begins...basically all you are left with is your awareness...your consciousness. Thats it! And from that as your starting point it is a whole heck of a lot easier to turn your focus inward.

Put it this way...Ive got a Laxman light and sound machine and a Proteus light and sound machince...both are great for what they do in helping you alter your state of consciousness...but, you still have to contend with all sorts of stuff like noise, points of pressure on your body, being too hot or too cold, itching, etc. When you float, all of these distractions just melt away.

Now, the first time you float you may feel a bit weird because it is a new experience...the first few times may just take some getting used to. But as you learn to accept the feeling and get used to it and really start letting go you start to let go more and more and go deeper and deeper within yourself. Its crazy how easy it makes it all.

So I have taken the next step and have ordered a floating tank to be delivered to my house. It should arrive within the next couple of weeks. As soon as I have it all up and operational I plan on floating every morning from about 3-6am...right in the heart of those great meditation hours...and then I will also float for an hour or so each evening before bed. Just like I did with Laxman, I will use this forum to post updates on the floating...benefits, experiences, etc.

If you havent yet read Michael Hutchisons book on floating...then google it, get the PDF for free and read it. Its awesome and you will learn a lot. For example, floating puts you into the theta brainwave state like nothing else...and not only that but you maintain elevated levels of theta for the rest of your day even when you are out of the tank! This has so many benefits for meditation and projection I cant even begin to explain it all but read up on it and you will see what I mean...and better yet, find a floating center near you and get a series of passes and start floating!!

More to come when the tank arrives.

[prometheus2050]

finally another member that is a floater!!!!!!!!! I built a float tank and have been using it for about a month now and I must say that it is sooo easy to go into a relaxed state where the body dissolves completely. very coooool. I feel I am now at the point of standing in the doorway yet I cant find it. I feel that once I get this exit part down, with the use of the tank it will be an almost on demand obe situation. have you projected out of the tank yet? how many times have you floated so far?

[Contenteo]

I'll just throw this here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isolation_tank

Interesting stuff, never heard of them. I'm Intrigued. Sounds great for attempting projections. Talk about non-normal sleeping spot. Jeez. This'll do the trick alright.

Cheers,
Contenteo

[leavesofgrass]

Hey Prometheus,

Awesome that you built your own tank!

If people on this forum only knew that being in a floating tank is the easiest way to project...time and again with almost no effort. You cant help but be in deep Theta and yet fully mentally alert in the tank. Takes hypnagogic imagery to a whole new level and then you just step on through...so much easier than anything else I have tried and by a long, long shot.

For everyone interested in floating, do a youtube search on Joe Rogan and floating and see what he has to say about it.

My tank has finally arrived and will be set up next week. But then there was a salt shortage from the supplier here in Sweden so the salt will arrive around April 21...and then I will be floating long sessions every night before bed and every morning early upon rising...basically sandwhiching my sleep right between the long floats...this is going to merge my waking and sleeping states of consciousness so I can step back and forth between the two at will no matter what state I am in...of course this will take practice but now I have the best tool on the planet. I will be sure to post lots of updates here as I get it all underway and start floating every day. Its going to be crazy.

You asked how many times I have floated? I only had to float one time to know that it was the best tool on the planet for projection and so I ordered a tank...and then while the tank has been on the way, etc...I have floated another 5 times...so I have only floated 6 times in my whole life! Well, that is going to change here in about 2 weeks. Total hours in a tank so far for me has been about 13 hours....when I get my own tank up and running I plan on being in there between 6-8 hours a day...late at night and early in the morning around my sleeping block.

Lets keep the discussion going! Hows it going for you? Any interesting experiences? Any advice for when I finally get mine set up? How did you put your salt in? Slowly with very warm water or did you just dump it all in at once?

Cheers.

[leavesofgrass]

Hey Contenteo,

Thanks for putting that up.

You should definitely find a float center near you and go spend a few hours in the tank...since you are interested in projection, etc. I can almost guarantee that you will want to get a tank once you see how easy it is to project from that state.

Cheers.

[prometheus2050]

I am up to my 27 float and I float on average of about 2.5 hrs. I floated last night and feel I get to the zone quickly but am having trouble with exit. the way I look at this is this is taking me forever and along the way I should be getting a good learn on the full lead up to the phasing process that by the time I do get out hopfully I will have learned all the steps well enough that, once I do get out it will be easily repeatable on demand from their on. a few of the big problems that I run up against is I get this overwhelming vibrational sensation in my left leg that sometimes gets so bad that I end up moving and then I have to start over. but that is one good thing about the tank is starting over does not take to long to get back to where you were. I would say about 5-10 min. the other is I really suck at visualization.  the one thing that I feel that helps me get to the zone the quickest is to just focus on long slooooow even breathing. by doing this it gives the mind something to focus on without allowing the mind to just run amuck and get of track and this is how I start it gets me past all the body problems that pop up like the swallowing need the clearing the throat issue I get alot, itches. another cool thing I have noticed in the tank the falling sensation produces a little jerk of the body that produces a disruption of the water and you can feel it. and this is when I know I am getting close. there are ather times when I feel like I am in the zone all the way when I feel the water just start waving like something else just moved in the tank and from all I can tell it was not me this does not happen to often. I think its kinda cool and wierd at the same time because to me I think its produced by possibly geting out a little and then snapping back in and the sudden entry is causing the whole body to sink into the water all at once just enough to make ripples that can be felt. the reason I think it is this is because it happens only about 10-20 min after the last falling twitch.

[prometheus2050]

now as for adding the salt in the tank I used a hose, i took off the shower head and connected it directly to the pipe. I used only hot water and put in about 200lbs of salt in and let the water melt that much first. you need to just keep stiring it around to speed it up I just got in and use my feet and just kept spreading it around. this is one thing I have been told by others is that when you are using a waterbed heater which i think all tanks use you can not let the salt just set in a pile on the bottom because it insulates the heater from the water and it puts a lot of stress on  the heater and will cause it to over heat and burnout. my tank is heated with a radiant hotwater concrete slab under the liner. that is connected to my solar hydronic system. and I did find that just letting the salt set in a pile on the bottom prevented the tank from heating up. it took me about 4 hours to fill and break down all the salt partly because I had to wait for the hotwater heater to replenish the hot water because cold water does not melt the salt nearly as fast. so if you are tired of sloshing it around just make sure it is not piled up on the heater and you should not have an issue with damaging the heater. so just remember where the heater is when you put it all together. I actually finished the last 200lbs the next day and even then I still had a pile of salt on the bottom but once the salt is all the way go it should heat up quickly. mine heats up slower due to the type of heater but is very efficient. 

another thing that you will find is that the salt will cool down the water very fast and this is some kind of chemical reaction. stick your hand into a pile of salt on the bottom that is under the water and squish the salt in your hand it feels pretty cool and is quite cold. but once the salt is dissolved completely it will not have this cooling effect. my set up is 198 gal. and I put in about 870 lbs. I would like to know what your directions have to say about how much you are supposed to add. did yours come with a hygrometer. and what level does it say to use. what brand of tank did you go with?

now that I see where you live that phone call might be out of the question. didnt think you might be outside the US. the state where I live there are no float centers and the closest place would be several hundred miles away that is why I just built my own. I did not even float before I floated in my own tank. check out my profile pic.  I even built a shower that is 3 feet from the tank door just to keep the salt mess to a minimum.

[prometheus2050]

if you want to see some other pic of my tank go to the wefloat forum and look at my profile it has alot of pics of the whole construction process. this forum is not really for astral projection type info though. more like running a float center. but some of these people might be able to help you out with other tank related questions. there is also another forum floattalk on yahoo groups. also more tank related info.

[prometheus2050]

Contenteo

I think I saw you on the salt cube forum do you know what happened to that place it seems like no one uses it any more. if it was not that one then another one I have been eveywhere I can find insearch of the info it will take to get me out of the body. or was it the astral pulse forum. cant remember.

[prometheus2050]

leavesofgrass

what is it like to use the light and sound in the tank. that to me is the next step.

[prometheus2050]

contenteo

   ha ha ha i guess I wasn't paying attention as to which forum I was on. I have found a few others.

[Contenteo]

Lol, salt cube forum. Nah, it was probably this one. I am pretty intrigued, though. Found out there is a center a few towns over, not even 15 minutes. I'll have to go talk to them. Thanks for the motivation! This should be fun, I hope I don't get too addicted.

Cheers,
Contenteo

[Fairywindblues]

Congrats on buying the tank! I'm still waiting for my Laxman to get here. Floating is on my list of stuff to try, too, I just need to research it some more.

[leavesofgrass]

Hey Prometheus,

Sorry I havent been able to respond sooner. Life with a newborn is demanding! Our little girl is only 8 weeks old so we are still getting used to the whole parenting thing.

Thanks for the tips on filling the tank with salt and water for the first time. That makes a lot of sense to not put too much salt weight on the waterbed heaters. My tank does use waterbed heaters. They are very efficient but unfortunately they are also very sensitive. So I will be sure to keep a close eye on them during the initial salt loading. I did order top pharmaceutical grade magnesium sulfate so it should be very fine upon arrival. Then I plan on putting it into the tank maybe 100 pounds at a time with piping hot water. I have heard that the piping hot water will help to really break the salt down into its finest form.

The tank I bought is called a Panta Rei from Sweden (where I live). I did a lot of research on the different tanks available to me here in Sweden and went with the Panta Rei for several practical reasons. It is made by hand in Birch wood. The wood panels as well as the extra insulation will mean I can float very long extended sessions (upwards of 8 hours straight sometimes) without worrying about losing heat. And the waterbed heaters will always be on so really I should be able to float as long as I want without worrying about loss of heat. This was one of my primary concerns since I plan on doing very long floats. Also, with this tank the roof is slanted nicely so the condensation build up isnt too bad and the ventilation is laid out in a way that makes sense and provides for maximum fresh air flow...again, very important for long floating sessions. Finally, the way it is constructed means that it is quite resistant to sound and fully resistant to any light coming in. Basically it will provide the full sensory deprivation experience and that is what I am looking for. The other tanks I looked at in Sweden either had problems with letting cracks of light through the door, flat roof, bad ventilation, etc. So this tank really had it all in terms of what I am looking for. And the man who builds these tanks with his hands is a bit of a floating fanatic just like me...so we get along great and I have a new life long floating friend. If anyone else in Sweden is interested in a floating tank PM me and I will give you the details to the guy who sold me mine...he is the absolute best. Super genuine and just an all around great, great human being.

A couple of comments about your phasing in general Prometheus...and if I am out of place here just tell me to mind my own business and I will. But I recognize a lot of myself in your early attempts here and so I have a few suggestions. In my opinion you are trying way too hard and that is scuppering the process. I know because in the beginning this is exactly what I did. It wasnt until I really, really let go that things started to flow naturally...and then projection is a whole lot easier from there. Not to mention we have the best projection tool in the world...our very own floating tanks! So the tank should really help you let go like nothing else. I think its great you are following your long slow breaths while in the tank. Just keep following those breaths with zero expectations and zero trying. And it sounds like you are trying to "get out of your body"....keep in mind that you are not really getting out of anything and you are not going anywhere....all you are doing is penetrating the depths of your mind and following your breaths with single pointed focus will take you there. As far as that uncomfortable vibration feeling in your leg or whatever else comes up just ignore it and put your focus back on your breath and you will go right through whatever uncomfortable things come up...and if your leg does distract you thats ok just note it and go back to your breathing and eventually you will get better and better at following those breaths that nothing will be able to take you away from your single pointed focus on the breath. When you follow your breaths deeper and deeper into your own mind eventually you will come upon the Astral and you will just be there without having even tried to go anywhere or get out of your body or any of that stuff...just relax, follow your breaths, and know that the Astral is just a focus of attention away from your normal focus of attention...its right there...the key is dont try too hard. And remember, you are working in the best environment in the whole world..your very own floating tank!! If you have the time and the motivation I would highly suggest you float for a couple of hours before bed and then wake up extra early and float a few hours when you wake up...this will start to blend your sleeping and waking states of consciousness....and this will make it that much easier to project I promise.

I havent checked out that other forum where you posted pics of your floating tank but I will do that now. Cant wait to see what you built. Sounds like your heating system with the concrete slab is awesome! And yes, the shower right there is key. The room where I am putting the floating tank has a shower as well.

Ok, well my salt will be delivered this week. Finally! And I will be up and floating and we can share notes through this forum posting. I think its good to share all of our notes publicly so that everyone can follow along and maybe be inspired or motivated or learn something or whatever.

Fairywindblues...good luck with the Laxman. Its a great tool! Keep us posted on your developments.

Contenteo...dont worry..you will become addicted!! Dont fight it! Just go with it! Get a tank!!

Cheers everyone.

[leavesofgrass]

Ive been waiting to make my first post here until I felt like I really had some good stuff to share.

With all the delays on getting my tank and getting the salt everything was finally up and operational about 8 days ago. During the last 8 days I have floated on average 2-3 times per day for a total of around 5 hours per day. Also during this time there is quite a lot of messing with the temperature guages to get the temperature just right...I finally have it right where I want it at 93.5 F or 34.1 C.

Floating is like this...think of yourself as on onion with many, many layers. What happens is the first say 10 times in the tank you are getting used to the environment which has no sound no light and you are floating in 800 lbs of epsom salt with water temp at 93.5 F so that your skin is the same temp as the water and you lose all sense of your physical body....so to put it lightly this is a very strange environment and even for the most passionate/motivated floater it takes time to get used to this environment. So the first say 10 times is like slowly peeling that first layer of the onion known as you...and the more you focus on just relaxing and letting go...and then relaxing more and letting go more...etc etc...keep doing this...dont try and do anything just relax, relax and more relax...you will go deeper and deeper and start peeling away those layers of yourself.

What happens in this environment as you start to get comfortable and peel away those layers is that the mind has no physical sensory input to latch on to...no sight, sound, touch, taste, smell...nothing...so what happens after many, many floats and hundreds of hours in the tank is that your mind realizes that there is nothing left out there to latch on to....think of it this way, physical sensory input is like food for the mind...its what our mind thrives on here...so with all this time in the tank peeling away layers of yourself and the mind having no physical sensory input left to grab on to...the mind then turns inward on itself and starts devouring itself...now this may sound unpleasant but its not...its what you want if you want to project or go deep with meditation or whatever...the key is turning the mind inward on itself. And there is no better environment that I know of than a sensory deprivation or floating tank.

In terms of personal experiences here is where I am at. Before getting my own tank I already had 6 sessions averaging 2.5 hours each in public tanks. Those were a nice introduction. But nothing can compare to having your own tank. You really learn to let go and start peeling away those layers...there are no time limits, no noises at the public float center...nothing. Just you and your tank. My first 5 days in my own tank were really just learning to be comfortable in the tank and feel safe and secure there....once I crossed that barrier a couple of days ago the sessions just keep getting better and better. Whereas the first few days it took an average of say 60 mins to really lose myself....now it only takes 5-10 mins and then you are very, very deep into your own mind...and so you can imagine if you spend a few hours in the tank...and you lose yourself at the 5 min marker..lots and lots of time is going to exploring your mind and getting to know your mind. So I am at the point now where it is just starting to get really fun and very interesting...and yet the adventure is only just beginning.

I will post more here when I can. But I really just want to get the word out about floating to all people serious about their meditation and/or projection or whatever. Its such a fun and effective way to explore your mind...not to mention the countless physical benefits that your body receives from being in this low gravity environment.

Cheers

[Lionheart]

 Thanks for the update Leaves.

I hope all is well with you and your family my friend.

...and I just want you to know, I am still jealous of you, but in a good way, lol!   

Good Luck with your tank! 

[Sixx]

Hi leaves
just curious to know how much a  pod tank costs?
and compared to the lucia 3 , is it better , i know tanks have many healing benefits
thanks 

[Lionheart]

 Leaves hasn't been logged in since May 10th. So it might take  while for your question to be answered.

He has his hands full with a beautiful newborn daughter in the home and life in general!