I've done the flotation tank thing a couple of times. The claims by floating afficianados are extreme and some of them even bizarre but I can say this; it is relaxing and I've experienced some interesting sensations. I think it's especially nice for people who love the water in general like myself. It is a bit expensive but I think of it as a treat like getting myself a massage; an hour alone in the dark warm water where no one can bother me and I don't even have to hold up my own head because the water is doing it for me.
This video was made 7 years ago. A LOT of science has been done since then. I work as a manager at a float spa. We treat it like a luxury medical spa. Studies show it takes 3-4+ times to start to feel genuine relief. Studies show good relief from PTSD, anxiety, and can potentially help calm adhd. It also helps chronic pain. I went into this job with 8 years experience in healthcare and a biology minor. I never did this specific type of job before. I thoroughly analyzed the science and was frankly surprised to see the good science benefits from it. Our spa DOES NOT turn it into a snake oil salesman. We are straight up with you - if we don't feel your specific circumstances won't benefit, we won't try to sell a float to you.
If you're truly and completely cut off (naked, no light, no sound, water at the perfect temperature), you stand a decent chance of tripping balls on your thoughts alone.
Usually you can examine the reasons why people create these fads and from there you can usually determine whether or not it's stupid. That's exactly what Hank did in the video.
I love using sensory deprivation tanks! I have hallucinations and generally come out relaxed. I do it recreationaly and I have not heard anyone making bold or wild claims about miracle cures because of it.
I'm not surprised the cold mice gained weight, wouldn't you assume that they would naturally try to get a thicker layer to heat them to their natural temperature?
Sensory Deprivation Tanks are actually awesome, it causes you to feel very... different, and are very good for just thinking about things. Hyperbaric Chambers are really pointless in my experience. Cryotherapy works as far as I can tell but I've only done it a couple of times so it may have just been coincidence or the placebo effect. Bottom line, the only one I'd recommend doing is the Sensory Deprivation Tank just for the experience
I'm not expecting any kind of miracles, but I really want to try sensory deprivation. I can only imagine the amazing daydreaming I could accomplish in that thing!
I would love to try cryotherapy. My DBT therapist had me dunk my face in ice water whenever I'm having a hard time getting ahold of myself because it triggers something called the dive response, which is basically where your brain thinks your whole body is in a frigid body of water, like a glacial lake. So, your brain tells the nervous system to slow down and focus on keeping your core warm until someone saves you. I wonder if the response would be more profound in a cryotherapy tube.
I used to sometimes kind of do it at our indoor pool. I live in a condo and there are times where there is no one else there and you can get virtually the same affect. Though I quite enjoyed watching the light reflect off the pool creating patterns on the ceiling instead of the darkness. There were times I would close my eyes and all there would be was the very soft sounds of the pool and I would just let my mind wonder.
You8 forgot to bring up the other part of the flotation tank experiments, the participants were often high as balls, something else linked to pain releife relaxation and increased creativity (not just anecdotally). Drugs of choice were generally barbiturates and various psychoactive compounds.
"The patients were... what? What were the patients? Medicated? No, no, no... too weak. Stoned? Nope... Trippy? Uhg... no! What were the patients? Oh! They were 'high as balls'! That'll work" +Echo_Hotel probably
Jack Linde no patients, just test subjects usually the experiment designer among them. High, tripping, wasted, call it whatever, the progressive intellectual class was big into altered states by 1970 and they scared the hell out of Richard Nixon, so the War on Drugs. He probably did himself and his causes a big disservice with that but who really knows.
I can tell you that sensory deprivation tanks certainly dont cure autism! My mother was really afraid of my little brother being autistic, so ever since he was 6 months old, she would put him into a little sensory deprivation tank we got from ebay (Man, you can find a lot of bargains on that site!). And she did this for like 2 years before giving up. And wouldn't you know it, my brother ended up getting autism none-the-less! He is like 6 years now, and only communicates in hisses. We still love him, but we try to ignore him as best as we can, so that his symptoms doesn't worsen. Thanks for a good and informative video as per usual, SciShow!
You don't really "get" autism, as much as you are born with it. Either way, I'm just legitimately surprised that people believe in the idea that a neurological disorder in the development of the brain can be "cured".
Why are you making a fuzz about this. Every time he made a racket all up in there, we opened it up and said "Dont even worry about it, it's going to be O.K." just to let him know not to worry about it, and that it was going to be O.K. We tried it because my mother read it might be a good idea in a magazine. And we were really afraid of autism.
As someone with Panic and Anxiety Disorder, sensory dep tanks are really helpful. Perhaps it is a placebo effect, but going once or twice a month does a lot for my state of mind. From what myself and friends have experienced, it tends to put you into a near dreamlike state. If nothing else, it is super relaxing and a very safe place.
Flotation really works. I've done it 10 times. There are clinical trials going on right now that will show how the effects could be used to treat anxiety.
Sensory Deprivation Tanks are basically a short cut to meditating. You can do the same thing in your home for free with enough focus and clearing your mind. If you find it really hard to focus, visiting one of these tanks is a good way to get a taste for it!
Not all changes come in psychical form, deprivation tanks are more about physiological improvement, the ability to think clearly and actually relax in a way never experienced before can be quite eye opening.
That's the thing about time travel. Time travel is without further definition quite uneventful. We're already traveling through time constantly. According to my calculations, we travel roughly 60 minutes in time every hour. I still have to go through my calculations to verify it, however.
I'm absolutely skeptical about new agey pseudo remedies, but I've tried the float tank. I have a stressful job with kids, so 90 minutes of pure stillness and quiet is worth $60 in and of itself. Second, my back felt GREAT afterwards, and my skin was smooth and looked healthier for about a week. No hallucinations, just a lot of relaxation, which is worth it to me.
Winston Williams Hyperbolic time can't be done as it requires at least 2 dimensions of time and we only have 2 incongruous quarters to work with, forward movement without perception and rearward perception without movement.
I hear getting stuck in them sucks. It would take years for anyone to realize you were stuck, and you can't get out unless you can scream with the force of an SS3 child
I was thinking they sounded absolutely horrible and torturous (adhd / extrovert-leaning ambivert / inner ear chronic problems and damage, etc. etc. etc.) *UNTIL* I just saw your comment. ABSOLUTELY. I am the exact opposite of the above when I have migraines, and I am totally convinced that going into one of those when a migraine is happening would be the most absolutely M-Fing gift from God that you never even imagined would possibly exist!!!! 🤕😓
I have Multiple Sclerosis and my nurse kept pushing the hyperbaric chamber treatment at me. I have politely declined as it seems to be complete feng phooey. Thanks for confirming my suspicions..👍
I'd recommend time in a sensory deprivation tank. Very relaxing and having short periods with absolutely no muscle load is great. It's just too far to travel for me regularly.
the cryo chambers are used in the treatment of rheumatoid disorders like arthritis. I haven't been offered such treatment but fellow patients say it can help a lot!
I have been Meditating since I was 12 years young, I am now 75 so adding the many wonderful out of body experiences to my already weekly flashbacks of childhood and traveling down the beautiful tunnel where I met myself before I was Born.......on and on they were all enhanced once my time in a flotation tank became a monthly treat. Please, from one brother to a family member, try this most wonderful way to be close to GOD.
well, even then, recreational stuff is often better than medicine, else we just call it recreational medicine. how well it works depends on how well you can recreate.
That's because in the more civilized parts of the world, they're not allowed to be marketed as medicinal, since these areas are governed by laws protecting citizens from false advertising. Marketing them as recreational is naturally less restricted. On a sidenote, nowadays I've found them to mostly be referred to as isolation tanks. I wonder if that's just me or SciShow had other reasons for referring to them as sensory deprivation tanks.
This is the first time I've heard anyone talk about benefits of a sensory deprivation tank. I thought people were paying for the experience, not health benefits.
Yeah, most of the industry is on board for the latter. There are tests being done on the benefits, if they can be substantiated. But most people are there to chill with their brains, or get away from the world.
That's why I did it. I never thought there were going to be any physical benefits at all. I just assumed it was going to allow me time to relax with my thoughts, and that's what it did. Some of my friends freaked out in them.
I've done the sensory dep tank....and it was great. What your missing from this little vid is that the water used is heavily saturated with magnesium salts. So much of it that you float. Magnesium and its effects is well studied and has many benefits including relaxation. You dropped the ball on that part.
phantasm1234 depending on your perspective: your lucky to be alive. I survived a 7.5cm aortic aneurysm. Not fun. However. At times I wish it would have killed me.
I've done the oxygen therapy tank a few times, its supposed to help accelerate healing for small injuries and bruises, which I'm not sure is true but whenever I go in with a bruise it feels strange while in the tank
Floatation tanks... Just scuba dive. Diving is therapeutic. Very much so for PTSD and anxiety. There are now a few small studies which involved amputees. After diving increased sensatiom was noted at the amputation site.
I have successfully converted my science classroom.... We are now routinely watching Crash Course and SciShow videos in class! YAASSS!!! The teachers still make it really boring, but Senpai makes it bearable.
For people suffering from rheumatism and are under constant medication to cope with the pains, the cold chambers or saunas offer proven ways to ease pain without painkillers. Thus helping the patient in many ways. Keeping the levels of medication lower and thus enabling longer use of current medicine and naturally keeping the side-effects of the medicines a bit lower. And of course helping with the pains. The more common way to help with the pains is to go ice swimming. Preferably daily. I couldn't find any usefull links in English on the matter, only in Finnish as the practice is well known and widely used in Finland.
I love the floating tanks, I use it as a way to escape the constant craziness of San Francisco. Also one of the few places I can go without hearing anything but my own breathing and actually sleep in water without drowning. Try going to sleep when you constantly here people drunk talking/shouting, fire trucks or police sirens, loud busses or cars constantly wizzing by your door/window. But for those that get psychedelic effects, this has never happened to me. Its just like closing your eyes in the night.
As an athlete I use Ice Baths for recovery sometimes when I do a lot of running, sprinting or leg work in general, but never much below 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit... I can't imagine standing in -100 degrees Celsius does much more than that and seems a lot more risky...
For my birthday I got to spend one hour in a deprivation tank, and damn it was nice! If you like meditation and stuff, then it's totally worth to try it out. It felt like I had a good night worth of sleep and felt rejuvenated for at least a few days. I don't have experience with the whole body cryo-therapy, but it certainly helps to apply ice on sore muscles after a hard workout, so I think that certainly helps athletes with recovery.
Sensory deprivation has been studied since the 50s, and the amount of scientific research and papers released on the topic are so voluminous that even those within the industry dont have time to keep up with all of them. The single hour of being in a sensory pod has been equated to about 4 to 5 hours of rest because of the near zero gravity effect that occurs when the body is floating in this solution of magnesium sulfate(or epsom salt). Minus soaking in this compound solution which has been shown to produce profound effects on the muscles and mind, there is also the factors of deep sleep and switches to theta wave activity in the brain. The reduction of external stimuli induces one of the deepest meditations possible, which opens doors for clearer understanding, visualization(as many medal holding olympic champions and succesful professional athletes have used to their advantage), reduced stress response in cortisol levels and thereby effects how we approach life on a daily basis bringing in new patterns and carry over effects. To say that sensory deprivation is non-scientific is to say that magnesium sulfate at this density is not beneficial, that meditation does not help the mind, and that sensory neutrality does not facilitate theta wave activity in the brain. The relaxation and pain management aspects has helped numerous people with simple aches and pains all the way down to those suffering with crohns or MS. Its also been a choice in pain management for cancer patients going through chemotherapy. This episode of your show is based on shallow research. I find it wildly inappropriate. I have seen the effects of sensory deprivation and its possibilities for a life riddled with input in our industrial era. I think as a "scientist", you should spend more time reading the SCIENCE, andd less time baiting for youtube. Thanks.
I saw a really good idea in the comments the other day--Scishow Human. It's a combination of the three options, and would avoid getting restrictive as just one topic might. I just wanted to make sure you're aware of the idea, as I think it's a good one.
I have Aspergers, a form of autism. I went to regular education and in 2018 Finished my study in Biology and Medical laboratory reseach. I do not wish to be cured and see no reason some preasure and extra oxygen will just magically fix the way my brain works. Even if it works and I could be considered normal with more and better social skills I would loose what makes me me. And that would be a sad thing. My autism comes with downsides yeah but also has made it possible for me to learn well and do quite high level study and make me a engineer. I still have trouble with people who see Autism as a problem that need fixing. I'm aware autism doesn't mean the same for everyone though but I think understanding it is a better way of dealing with it than forcingly trying to change someone.
My insurance company several years ago added a "health coach" that would call you up and give you advice on health goals that they pushed you to make. Mine included weight loss and in the middle of a snowy January mine told me to "spend a few minutes at a time outside without a coat" for this same effect. Always "love" finding out supposed medical professionals believe known quackery too.
I've been curious about sensory deprivation chambers for a long time. Not really looking at it for some kind of therapy, but it is on my bucket list. It's pretty far down the list, mind you, but it's on there.
I'm autistic, only just on the measurable side of the spectrum but I feel like the deprivation chamber would do me more good than oxygen therapy. Love scishow
Bubble Nigguh Yeah, I know. SciShow did an ep on it. I don't know how to get rid of it though. All I can do is sleep through it or drown it out with some other droning noise.
BigFatJuicyMonkies tinnitus is a permanent condition...All you can do against is learn how to cope with it. If you really do suffer from it, it is best to consult a psychologist about it...and a doctor, of course.
I also can't do silence because of tinnitus. I learned to cope with it after I read an article explaining all the parts of the brain that sound has to go through in order to be heard. The first few are obvious, but the last one was the part that consciously attempts to make sense of the noise. The same way that a brain can filter out an annoying external noise, it can be trained to ignore an internal noise. Which sounds super dumb, but I've been able to ignore the noise down to a bearable level. Silence though, silence is still rough.
Can you do an episode on Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, or it and related disorders (Marfan and OI are two I know off the top of my head) It'd be nice to have a video to explain it when the same questions come up every time someone asks, plus spreading awareness is always important.
The sensory deprivation tank was awesome just because you can veg out and feel like you're floating. It was trippy, I had to keep touching the sides and stuff to remind myself where I was. But it was super relaxing nonetheless, which was the only reason I did it. XD
I personally do the cryotherapy chamber fairly regularly, the one I go to is also about $50 per session, not $100. I mostly use it for my knees as both of mine are in pretty bad shape from previous injuries and if they're feeling really sore, cryo usually makes them feel so much better. I'll go in limping and come out just fine. It also wakes me up a lot. I always seem to have more energy after a session. All the claims about weight loss seem a little ridiculous though.
I know that during his run on Broadway as Aaron Burr, Leslie Odom Jr used whole body cryotherapy as a supplement to his normal workout and physical therapy routine to stay in performing condition.
These are all kinda interesting experiences though. I did the sensory deprivation thing because some people experience hallucinations. Overall it was very relaxing but not what I expected. The salts they used to achieve neutral buoyancy though did wonders for my skin, so soft, so smooth. Would recommend at least once.
it's $45 for a float at my place - my 3rd year in biz and it's a good tool for sure. other studies about magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) should be considered. there's. also good studies about theta brain waves. So if you get time and chance to float try it :)
I'm not on Patreon, but maybe it's still worth saying I vote for SciShow Life here. I would love to see where all the SciShow team could go when specifically following themes of evolution that led to Earth's diversity of life.
I literally use hyperbaric oxygen exposure to induce oxidative stress in my experimental tissue. I then measure the effects, which simulate/emulate ageing!!!
