Sensory Deprivation (Floatation Tank) and Tinnitus

Anyone maybe try sensory deprivation tanks? It's supposed to make the brain really really chill.

Maybe help with tinnitus?

 

I have a Groupon for an hour in a sensory deprivation (floatation) tank, but I'm concerned that the tinnitus will be really noticeable w/out any background noise. It's prevented me from trying it out yet.

 

I'm sure it will make the tinnitus seem louder, but on the bright side when you get out it will seem a lot less loud

It's not going to make your tinnitus worse at all, it might make it seem that way, but it would only be temporary. Sounds kinda fun! I'd give it a shot

 

Used to find flotation tank sessions astonishingly relaxing. The feeling of calm would persist for hours after, strong as a shield against normally aggravating things.

Not tried a session since my T. Your ears are underwater which might help. The magnesium salts in the water would deliver it straight to your eardrum and head. Plus anyone with T caused by tense muscles should eventually relax and drift off.

Come to think of it. If you wanted to I expect you could ask them to keep the floaty music on that signifies the start and end of the session. It's only faint but might be nice to have on the first few times for something to concentrate on.

Great idea

 

Don't do it!
My severe, chronic tinnitus was CAUSED by one hour in a flotation tank three years ago! Beware.
Use ear plugs if you go!

 

How did that happen? Ear infection, weird pressure change, or? Really curious about this because a floatation tank would be the last thing that I would think would cause tinnitus.

 

Yes, I am also curious. It would be terrible to experience this wonderful, relaxing sensation--only to emerge with louder tinnitus!

Last year, Slate magazine published an interesting article on flotation and sensory deprivation. The technique has been studied for over sixty years and has many advocates. The article provides a brief history into the origins of flotation. Though unsure if this quietude benefits people with tinnitus, I know it must be enjoyable for those without it. Of course, if anyone on the forum tries flotation, please let us know!

Here are some excerpts from the article:

For what must have been the first 15 minutes, I [Seth Stevenson] wondered what I was doing there.

...

Then a transformation began. If you’ve ever taken psychedelic mushrooms (and come on, who hasn’t?) you might recall a certain feeling that arises as the drugs take hold. “Something is happening, something is happening,” your body says to your brain, with mild urgency. I got a feeling akin to that while floating. My brain went a little haywire. When the storm passed, I found myself in a new and unfamiliar state of mind.

...

It’s the meditative, relaxing qualities of floating—even non-hallucinogen-enhanced floating....

The water and air in the float chamber are skin temperature, the darkness is identical with eyes open or closed, and there is no sound—thus there is no external input. In turn, my brain decelerated until its output also slowed, and then stopped. I was suspended in a place with no space, or time, or purpose. Once in a while, some quotidian thought would begin to surface at the edges—did I respond to that email?—and then bounce around in the lonely void of my skull for a moment or two. But it would soon melt away as my brain realized it didn’t care. Back to the void.

...

For the first time in my waking life, I had zero thoughts. It was a mental quietude I’d never known existed.​

Below is a recent clinical trial on sensory deprivation utilizing a flotation tank. And the abstract includes a link for the full free text.

BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014 Oct 25;14(1):417. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-417.

Beneficial effects of treatment with sensory isolation in flotation-tank as a preventive health-care intervention - a randomized controlled pilot trial.
Kjellgren A1, Westman J.

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Sensory isolation in a flotation tank is a method known for inducing deep relaxation and subsequent positive health effects for patients suffering from e.g. stress or muscle tensions pains. Very few studies have investigated this method as a preventive health-care intervention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects in healthy participants after receiving a series of flotation tank treatment.

METHODS:
Sixty-five participants (14 men and 51 women) who were all part of a cooperative-health project initiated by their individual companies, were randomized to either a wait-list control group or a flotation tank treatment group where they participated in a seven weeks flotation program with a total of twelve flotation sessions. Questionnaires measuring psychological and physiological variables such as stress and energy, depression and anxiety, optimism, pain, stress, sleep quality, mindfulness, and degree of altered states of consciousness were used. Data were analysed by two-way mixed MANOVA and repeated measures ANOVA.

RESULTS:
Stress, depression, anxiety, and worst pain were significantly decreased whereas optimism and sleep quality significantly increased for the flotation-REST group. No significant results for the control group were seen. There was also a significant correlation between mindfulness in daily life and degree of altered states of consciousness during the relaxation in the flotation tank.

CONCLUSIONS:
It was concluded that flotation-REST has beneficial effects on relatively healthy participants.

TRIAL REGISTRATION:
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12613000483752.​

References:

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/...ks_i_floated_naked_in_a_pitch_black_tank.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25344737​

 

Did anyone go in the end? @Nymue ?

 

My cousin brought up that we should go to this place together because of all the benefits it has bt obviously im concerned if its a good idea or not. Has anyone tried it?

 

Tried it last night.

Once the music stopped and my racing thoughts died down, the ringing became very noticeable, as I had nothing else to focus on. I don't remember the moment that it happened, but eventually I stopped noticing. The tank people say that any chronic pain you have will be enhanced at first, as your mind has nothing else to be occupied with. I think the same must apply for tinnitus. But, like all other things, you relax to the point that it goes away. First you get physically comfortable, then your mind slows down, then the ringing stops being noticeable and you enter a peaceful and quiet state, then the day-dreaming begins.

This was my first experience in the tank, and I plan to do more. Hopefully I can get to the dream-like state sooner in the future. It may help to know that the ringing will go away, so that I will not occupy myself with focusing on it for any amount of time.