Unless you’ve spent the last few years in… a sensory isolation float pod, chances are you’ve heard of a little Netflix series called ‘Stranger Things’.
Beyond being a rather successful series that appeals in particular to teenagers nostalgic for the 80s, it distinguishes itself by the fact that it repeatedly features floating in sensory isolation, and its…supernatural properties, particularly in season 4.
SPOILER ALERT
So here’s what “Stranger Things” tells us about floating in sensory isolation:
1/ The components are key
Without giving too much away, but to provide some context for the uninitiated, the characters in Stranger Things, particularly Eleven, a telepathic and telekinetic girl, use a sensory isolation floatation tank to communicate with their friend who is in a parallel dimension.
As the gang embarks on the rudimentary construction of a flotation capsule for Eleven, we find all the necessary components for the experiment:
- A tank/pool… or in their case, a children’s pool (season 1) or a pizzeria freezer (season 4)
- The total darkness of a school gymnasium at night (season 1) or DIY blackout glasses (season 4)
- And the weightlessness effect – achieved in the same way as us, i.e. with a solution of water and Epsom salt
These ingredients taken separately may seem basic, but their combination proves incredibly powerful and allows Eleven to access her full cerebral potential.
2/ Floating takes you to another world
Although it’s not exactly the terrifying Upside Down in which Eleven navigates, the float experience does transport you to a parallel reality. A sort of purified, silent and calmed version of your present world. A world that allows you to reach the best version of yourself.
Here, as in the series, sensory isolation is the solution
3/ You can still reproduce this at home…
In the series, the troupe tinkers with their flotation capsules in no time at all in the back kitchen of a pizzeria. The reality is a little more complex
It is quite possible to do this again at home… Provided that you have a capsule or basin large enough for the float to never touch the walls, you will then need to use almost half a ton of magnesium sulphate; isolate your room completely from sound and light; and finally deploy a whole technical arsenal in order to 1/ maintain the water at the same temperature as that of the skin and 2/ maintain a constant degree of hygrometry around 60%.
4/ …but it is still easier to book at G R A V I T I
It is unlikely that you will have the same gifts as Eleven or the same responsibilities.
If, on the other hand, you just want to disconnect, clear your head and revitalise your body, you just need to make your first appointment.
We will guide you through your first session and ensure that you get the most out of it.
For while flotation is not strictly speaking a “stranger thing”, it is indeed an incredible thing.
See for yourself today!
