Weird Health Trend 2018: Sensory Deprivation Tanks

If you live anywhere semi-metropolitan, you’ve probably seen or heard the buzz around “float spas” popping up in your area. If you’ve never heard of float spas before this article, welcome to one of the strangest new wellness trends of 2018. Float spas are what they call spas that specialize in sensory deprivation tanks. These isolation tanks are essentially light and sound-proof tank filled with warm salt water where you can pay to float for an hour or so, completely alone and devoid of stimulus. Since sensory deprivation usually sounds like a negative thing, the rise of these wellness tanks has been a bit puzzling to many. So, why would anyone want to spend an hour in an isolation tank?

It turns out that sensory deprivation tanks may have a myriad of health benefits. Considering that we now spend most of our lives in a barrage of sights, sounds, scents, and sensations, it’s rare for us to have any downtime. With our cellphones constantly buzzing, our headphones streaming the latest album or podcast, and new things constantly at our fingertips, we constantly operate at a high level of sensation. The idea behind sensory deprivation tanks is to remove all of this stimulus and press the proverbial reset button.

While floating in an isolation tank, a person’s heart rate and blood pressure drops low enough that they are generally just barely awake, something that forces the brain to ease and clear. The tank can cause some people to feel relaxed and also refreshed and energized, ready to take on another day in a busy life. These tanks could even help those with anxiety to find some relaxation. But the tanks certainly are not going to be a fix-all for everyone. Some find that sensory deprivation tanks are just not for them as they may feel too uneasy at the complete lack of stimuli and light. Wellness trends are never one-size-fit-all, but it’s nice to have so many new options in this ever-changing landscape of health trends.