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all sorts of tests, including
EMG (which measure muscle tension), EEG, blood pressure, and measurements
of certain biochemical's, scientists have determined that the float tank
can bring about a state of extraordinarily deep relaxation-probably deeper
than is possible by any other means yet available except for certain drugs.
This state of relaxation is in itself beneficial to health, since it allows
the body to maintain its internal system of checks and balances, its homeostasis.
That is, the body has its own highly effective methods of maintaining
itself at an optimal level of well-being,and if allowed to operate freely,
it will generally do so flawlessly. But certain mental attitudes can throw
this delicate mechanism out of whack. Stress causes harm by its disruption
of our natural biochemistry. For example, researchers have recently discovered
that, under stress, Type A personalities secrete forty times as much cortisol
and three times as much adrenaline as Type B men. Cortisol has been proven
to suppress the immune system. Tests have shown that floating decreases
cortisol. Excess adrenaline, and related biochemical's such as nor adrenaline
and ACTH also cause our bodies to rev up in fight-or-flight response,and,
ultimately, to wear out. Floating, through deep relaxation, lowers the
levels of the harmful chemicals.
Deep relaxation is beneficial in another
way. Because of what has been called the curare effect, and as explained
by the Webber-Fechner Law, floating leads to increased sensory awareness;
we simply feel our bodies better, more clearly, and as a result we are
able to regulate them more effectively. As John V. Basmajian's experiments
showed, we have the capacity to control the firing of a single motor
neuron in the body, once we are made aware of that neuron. Deep relaxation
also leads to improved access to internal imagery. And awareness and
control of mental imagery is the key to self regulation.
Michael Hutchison "The
Book Of Floating"
"To beat stress, combat high blood pressure,
ease headache pain, kick bad habits, and boost concentration.
Floating, free of light, sound, and touch,
you are now able to tune in to profound relaxation that, scientists
have found, trigger the same positive physical and mental effects that
occur during meditation. And
even more significantly, this deep relaxation seems to linger long after
the float is over, according to Thomas Fine, assistant professor of
mental health at the Medical College of Ohio. When
researchers tested people who floated for 1 hour, they found that the
subjects' heart rates and breathing had slowed down and their blood
pressure dropped. This favorable drop in blood pressure may be due to
the additional finding that floaters have lower levels of cortisol and
other stress related hormones that influence high blood pressure.
If you are suffering chronic back pain,
headaches, or some other painful condition, floating can be a part of
your pain management program. According to Gib Koula, program coordinator
at Stress Lab Services at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Appleton, Wisconsin.
Researchers have found that when
floatation is used as a primary method of relaxation training, chronic
pain conditions improved. For one thing, pain is eased because buoyancy
reduces pressure on the body and thus brings blessed relief. Even more
significant is the fact that floating triggers the production of endorphins,
your body's natural painkillers. Gratefully,
this special painkilling effect continues after you step out of the
Tank. Without outside stimulation you can zero in on your breathing,
heart rate, and muscle tension." This feedback helps you learn how to
deeply relax and alter bodily functions at will for the times you need
pain relief when you are not floating,' says Koula."
--from "The Prevention
How-To Dictionary of Healing remedies and Techniques" by the Editor of
Prevention Magazine; John Feltman, Rodal Press, 1992.
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