The Dream Pod: Like A Film Without Sound

I'm sure the staff at Pure Zen Float Therapy wish they had a dollar for every time someone asks them, 'So what's it like?' The experience is a very personal one, so it really is impossible to say what yours will be. Some people love it and have an overwhelmingly positive experience, others not so much. I was well aware after talking to a few people that have tried it that this really could go either way. The only way of knowing is to try it yourself.

What they can tell you is that some of the many benefits you may experience from flotation therapy are: Pain relief, improved injury-recovery time, assistance with injury rehabilitation, stress relief, profound relaxation, deep meditation, enhanced creativity and focus, mental and physical revitalisation, assistance with anxiety or depression and help with addictive behaviours. Naturally, I was intrigued...

After a particularly frustrating Monday battling failing technology, I was more than ready to spend an hour away from the stresses of the modern world. I only hoped my mind would allow me to 'stop thinking' during my hour of sensory deprivation I had booked in for that evening.

As I'm sure many people are before trying floatation therapy, I was a little nervous about being enclosed in the pod for an extended period of time. Fellow claustrophobics, rest assured you are able to leave the lid of the pod completely open should you choose to, however it is recommended that you close it in order to get the full experience. I actually surprised myself and felt comfortable to close it almost all the way down, with just a small gap.

Once in the pod, I thought to myself, 'Ok, it's just you and me, brain. Be good to me.' Just a few minutes in, unexpectedly memories started playing in my mind like a film without sound. The sensory deprivation triggered intense memories of real life moments I hadn't thought about in years, mixed in with some I was yet to actually experience, as if I was reminiscing on these life moments that haven't even happened yet - like unconscious life premonitions, I guess you could say.

One moment I was sitting under the Christmas tree as a child in our family home, opening presents together. The next I was a kite taking flight. I was a green tree frog. I was telling my boyfriend I loved him for the first time. I was standing on a ladder, painting the sky. It was beautiful, heartwarming and felt oh-so-real. I was having a great time!

I was in a meditative, dream-like state. I truly was having a magical, psychedelic, out-of body experience. I now know this is not an uncommon reaction to sensory deprivation. The mind works in mysterious ways!

I let go. I didn't try to control my thoughts as I thought I would. Occasionally a negative thought or memory would pop up, but they came and went. I came to the realisation that there was no reason to try and stop my thoughts, for that would only lead to disappointment. A common misunderstanding of meditation is that we have to stop our thoughts altogether. This then leads to feeling like we've 'failed' at meditating.

To say I felt relaxed afterwards would be an understatement. I was marinating in zen - now I know why they called the place Pure Zen! I showered, put on the supplied dressing gown and spent some time zennning out in the little communal chill out room complete with lounge chairs, colouring books and refreshments. This was a really nice, gentle way to end the experience.

For me, floatation therapy was like having really good dreams... and for someone who very rarely has good dreams, it was priceless.