Exploring Sensory Deprivation and Deep Meditation

With their rise in popularity, now seems a good time to talk about sensory deprivation tanks (aka float tanks). The first impactful meditation I ever had was while floating in a sensory deprivation tank. It was so long ago that I didn’t even consider it meditation at the time. However, it offered me my first real immersive introspection, one that took me on a journey of appreciation and self-analysis. Float tanks are great for meditation, as they block distractions that might normally arise and offer a true escape into yourself with nowhere else to venture but inward. If you’ve never tried meditating while floating in a tank, I encourage you to give it a try. If nothing else, it could be something different to experience from time to time.

Recently, I was excited to discover a meditation technique specifically created to replicate the float tank experience that can also be done on its own. This “Drifting” style meditation is a very customizable experience, as you can opt to use it for 30, 60, or 90 minutes—and it’s unguided. I love diving into unguided experiences, especially ones that are musically based like this one, as they allow my creativity to peak while I journey within.

I’ve been seeing more and more music-driven meditation pieces that rely on spatial audio techniques and specific sound frequencies, and I can’t help but love them immediately. Music reaches deep within me to ignite passion and a desire to explore, so when I can access these depths in meditation, it provides a whole new experience. This drifting-style exercise is perfect for sensory deprivation because the musical cues with special audio techniques evoke a sense of swaying lightly back and forth. I did this in my hammock, where gentle swinging provided a very similar experience, but I do hope to return to a tank with this approach soon.

I recently wrote about the importance of being able to let go of control in exercises and allow yourself full immersion into deep meditative states. I find that both music and sensory deprivation are key elements that can help you let go and explore the vast depths of your mind and the range of consciousness levels that you can access in meditation. Unexpected sounds or visuals can disrupt deep meditation, making it harder to flow with an exercise. However, evenly balanced music can support visualization while filtering out any unexpected sounds that could knock you out of an experience. In the sheer darkness of a sensory deprivation tank, visual distractions are impossible. This not only helps to rid the environment of unnecessary distractions but also suppresses the urge to look around or fidget or move elsewhere, as there is nothing to see and nowhere else to go except within. This experience can take you to surprising new depths if you are open to them.

So, if you have trouble connecting to your meditation, a float tank might work well for you. If you don’t have access to a tank, maybe you can try the drifting-style meditation while relaxing in a hammock, or even just lying in a dark, quiet room with comfortable headphones. The calming audio mixed with music provided me with a deep sense of relaxation when I needed it most.

Creating your own sensory-reduced environment at home can be as simple as:

• Using a comfortable, dark room
• Wearing noise-cancelling headphones with ambient music
• Lying in a warm bath (safely, with someone nearby if needed)
• Using an eye mask and comfortable clothing in a quiet space

The key is removing as many external stimuli as possible so you can focus entirely inward.