Is it possible to simulate a sensory deprivation tank in your bathtub?

Obviously the tanks are optimized for whatever it is they do (emulating senselessness?) but is it possible to emulate that?

How much epsom salt would you need and would it be cost-effective and safe to go down the drain relative to going out to an actual tank?

Please tell me it isn't completely impractical and it could be done :)

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA ,
@HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world avatar

Not my bathtub, no. It's too small.

treefrog ,

You can do it on your floor if you take enough ketamine.

In all serious though, not really. I think other people already pointed out why.

However you can also learn to close the sense gates, without drugs or a bathtub. Later Jhana meditations do this.

And even just you relaxing in your bathtub with your ears under the water, that's a step towards that stuff. The whole idea is to get very relaxed and minimize the stimulation from your senses, so that your mind can just relax and drift and be.

It doesn't need to be full sensory deprivation to get the benefits in other words.

TheBananaKing ,

It's not practical.

However, have a shower in the pitch dark sometime. It's the most ridiculously soothing thing imaginable.

Put your shower gel and stuff where you can find it by feel, obvs.

conciselyverbose ,

I think your best bet is probably some kind of kiddy pool/pet bath with sufficient depth. Even most jacuzzi style tubs aren't actually big enough for an adult to float in.

Would take a lot of salt though.

Mountain_Mike_420 ,

Oh this gave me an idea. Kiddie pool, tons of epsom salt, filled with warm water and a souse vide machine to keep the water warm.

conciselyverbose ,

I'm guessing you'd have to be pretty deliberate about preventing corrosion.

For me personally just salt water goes a long way, though. I go to the beach when I can and I'll spend an hour floating in 2 feet of 60° water and feel amazing for a week.

Venator ,

You'd probably need a few sous vide machines...

imaqtpie ,
@imaqtpie@sh.itjust.works avatar

Are you asking this because of Stranger Things?

I think the biggest issue is that a bathtub isn't big enough for most people to float in without touching the sides. Assuming the tub is large enough, the epsom salt would work to make you float and would be cost effective. You would have to figure out a way to regulate the temperature to 98.6 degrees though. And you would have to be in a pitch dark room.

cheese_greater OP ,

No just was taking a bath and I held my ears under for a while which is fantastic for relaxation :)

It reminded me of the sensor deprivation tank in the sims game and I want that experience on tap :(

imaqtpie ,
@imaqtpie@sh.itjust.works avatar

Yeah that sounds nice. But what if you just ended up spending all of your time in the tank? It might be too much power to have a tank like that on tap

paf0 ,

The float place near me uses something like 1200 pounds of Epsom salt in a tank that is maybe twice the volume of my bathtub. Then they also regulate the temperature within the tank, both air and water, to be close to normal skin temperature. I'm not sure it's practical.

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA ,
@HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world avatar

So you're saying I just need a sous vide thingy that works in salt water (or to clean the damn thing afters) and a big tub, that's actually pretty doable

paf0 ,

If you want that sensory deprivation feeling, you have to control the air temperature as well and keep it in the dark, and it's larger than a big tub. There is a company that makes a sensory deprivation float tent that will sell you all of the parts and salt. I looked into it a bit after enjoying my local float place. Maintaining the filters, the pH and dealing with the hundreds of pounds of salt seems like more trouble than it's worth.

Paragone ,

Float-tanks are this:

Imagine a bigger-than-normal bathtub, so you can sprawl-out ( arms & lega akimbo ) without hitting the sides..

the water-density is upped with brine, instead of plain water ( the float-tanks place I used to go to used sacks of "bitter salts" & the texture of the brine was damn-near oily, and DO NOT EVER shave shortly before going into a brine-soak, or you're going to discover what stinging really means )

also it is brought up to a person's body-temperature, or close to it.

When there's no temperature-difference, & you're floating sooo high that drowning is much less likely ( the Dead Sea is probably the prototype for all float-tanks, btw ), & you aren't bumping into the walls, then you're in blissful sensory-deprivation ( total dark, too, obviously, probably use a timer, limit it to 2h max ), & meditation can be awesome in these conditions.

_ /\ _

atrielienz ,

Are the tanks sound proofed too?

GreyEyedGhost ,

More sound damped in quiet buildings. You can hear someone noisy in the room outside the tank, but normal sounds are blocked. So the building acts as sound damping, with more in the tank. At that point, all I could hear was my tinnitus.

Vanth ,
@Vanth@reddthat.com avatar

There are a few DIY guides out there.

I don't think a bathtub is the way to go. They aren't long enough for most adults to float in. Plus they take a lot of salt, so either the bathtub is dedicated as a sensory tank or you have to drain it / refill it frequently (which gets expensive) in between using it as a normal bath.

The salty water can go down the drain though.

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