FLOATING IN DREAMS
Floating Therapy is like floating in space in an endless dream
Iwould like to believe that my adoration for film director and producer Christopher Nolan has a great effect on my floating therapy experience, and it’s a realization that occurred to me right after the session. When I set my appointment for sensory deprivation therapy, a Black Mirror scenario immediately engulfed me in fear. Not to mention, I just binged Final Destination a few days prior to the session. I was not mentally prepared and I had my doubts. What if I get stuck inside? What if I get claustrophobic? What if I don’t see the light of day again? Turns out, I was just giving myself unnecessary stress—it was so much better than I had expected.
Walking in Recovery Spa at The Upper Deck, the relaxing scent and ambience embraces you, thereby setting you in a good mood. Also with the help of the ginger tea served by the staff, you will completely forget that you was about to float in an enclosed pod in complete darkness. I was oriented twice on what to expect inside the pod. First-timers like me were told that nausea can occur and no, I won’t be trapped inside without any help. Accessible on the right side of the pod is a red button that should be pressed in case of emergencies. "It’s seldom used,” Grace from Recovery Spa assures me. Plus, you can always get out of the pod. You’re in total control.
Grace also tells me to get rid of my expectations since everyone has different experiences while floating. After putting on my earplugs, I was ready to float. It was suggested to do be done naked. The water is dense with magnesium sulfate or Epsom Salt. "Let go of myself and float,” I was instructed. So I did.
Sprawled like a starfish inside, the water reaches the sides of my face, framing it at a comfortable distance from my eyes. For the first five minutes, light therapy put me in a certain headspace to get comfortable with the water. After the music disappeared, I pressed the green button on the left side of the pod and the light turned off. I was left with the sound of my beating heart, floating in what seemed to be a vast space of darkness.
I have never heard calm, until that moment. In fact, I don’t think I have ever jammed to the rhythm of my own heartbeat. Is this what it feels like to float on the outer space? You can’t move rashly or the salt water will get into your eyes, which I tell you, isn’t a very pleasant experience (but there is fresh water and a towel readily available and easily accessible by the entrance of the pod to rinse it off). I had several dreams in the pod, all of which ends after a flinch. It was as if I had complete control over them à la Inception. Before I know it, a bird chirped at my ear and the movie was back on. After, the pod literally says, "Your session is over.” It wasn’t what I had imagined it all.
Floating therapy is a different kind of experience. Since its invention in 1950s, it’s proven to help increase productivity, reduce anxiety, and chronic pain, and help promote blood circulation and better night’s sleep. "Didn’t you feel claustrophobic inside?” I am asked a lot. I can’t speak for people with this phobia, but I didn’t feel it. The pod was more spacious than it seemed on photos, and you can control the music and lights.
Being in the pod allowed me to explore deeper thoughts. Floating therapy is basically making your body believe you’re asleep. Dreams, of course, feel real when you’re in a pod where you don’t see, hear, or feel anything other than what’s present.
For me, the best thing about the pod, is how it made me realize all the nonsense that surrounds me. In that pod, I was alone with my thoughts and my subconscious mind spoke freely through dreams. The stress you have from places like work, relationships, and yourself are superficial tests that build you from within. It moulds you to better face these stressors. This pod is concrete proof that what doesn’t kill you does make you stronger. It’s not a cure to physical or mental illness, but it does help in releasing stress and giving yourself time, putting you in the right headspace to look beyond the problem, leading you towards a certain solution.
Sensory deprivation gave me the time and space to find a solution. The space may not be within my reach, and dreams may not be tangible, but in this pod it’s just right around the corner, waiting to cradle me back in again.
THIS POD IS A CONCRE TE PROOF THAT WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU DOES MAK E TRONGER” YOU S