Sampler to work in progress
The first time I got in the tank I (excitedly) thought this is the perfect environment for meditation! I was in my early 20s and had been exploring western esoteric traditions where there was always the suggestion to meditate in order to experientially understand fundamental concepts and to develop spiritually. To date I had not found a teacher or a tradition where I could learn and practice meditation. There were a few tentative experiments based on what I read which yielded minimal result and increased confusion and frustration. So, when I became aware there was a local resource offering training in Transcendental Meditation I jumped at the opportunity. Here was a living tradition (albeit strange and foreign) taught by real people. Soon, I had a teacher and was given a mantra and hoped to transition to transcendence. Admittedly I was not the most disciplined of students, yet my attempts were not reinforced with hoped for results, even stable relaxation, let alone transcendence. So it was an epiphany to realize a meditative state could be experienced by even me, with next to no effort, just by laying down and floating in a solution of salt water in a dark and quiet box! What I read about in various texts was now palpably real – no need for imagined embellishment. I have been floating ever since, now for some thirty five years, with periods of more or less regularity.
How floating can help meditation
Most meditation traditions recognize the importance of achieving and sustaining a relaxed state of body and mind.
In the Buddhist Theravedan tradition, shamatha, or calm abiding, is a necessary complement to samadhi, insight and wisdom. The Tibetan, Vajriana tradition describes bardo, or intermediate states. In all traditions including yoga schools, jhanic, or states of absorption are described as important, even necessary stages on the path toward awakening.
In my personal experience and through conversations with other meditators, two of the biggest factors that inhibit effective access into and sustaining meditative states is physical discomfort in the body and sensory distraction. These distractions are virtually eliminated with floating.
As a youth, I may have been more interested in more of the dramatic energetic states, but now more mature (as I imagine myself) I am more interested in the more subtle states. The experience of “falling” into a deep, stable state, where an “observer me” can watch the mind doing its thing with little to no desire to influence – is immensely refreshing and satisfying. Of course there is a desire to maintain this state when experiencing and to find when outside of, but for now, it seems a relatively wholesome involvement, that doesn’t seem to create harmful ripples.
Moreover, though not a replacement for regular sitting practice, in my experience, floating can complement and enhance meditation. And, although the traditionalist in me has been reticent to make this claim, I will be bold and say that one can actually meditate while floating. After all the Buddha himself suggested meditating in the postures of sitting, standing, walking and lying down – which of course is the position of the body while floating. Perhaps, if Buddha were alive today he would include a special call out to floating! What I’d like to share here, is how floating can assist meditation, how floating can include mediation, similarities and differences between the two, as well as some tips and cautions.
It is important to manage the nervous system as this is ground central for the fight or flight or possum - stress response. As science shows and we all know from personal experience – stress affects all areas of our lives. So, learning to calm our nervous system promotes health both physical and psychological. In all meditative traditions, attending to the needs of the body are foundational in a systematic approach to supporting meditation. As anyone who meditates will attest – the body, and in particular discomfort (and conversely, sometimes also pleasureable states) can distract, detract from, event prevent effective mediation. Certainly, one must work with the physical body, but, especially as we are beginners (at any stage) and establishing momentum in our practice, it seems important to create causes and conditions that will improve and support a skillful and successful practice.
Without exploring known and speculative reasons why this may work at this point, floating seems to assist the body/mind to quickly and effectively achieve a state of deep and sustained relaxation – notably without effort. Typically one feels very relaxed, yet does not fall asleep – instead one is “suspended” between the sleep and waking states. Current nueropschology has quantified these relaxed brain states as Alpha and Theta – similar to what is seen in research observations with meditators. The intermediate quality seems akin to what the Tibetans refer to as bardo, or in-between and transitory states. Personally I like to view this as an access state, that, once achieved and recognized can be utilized for meditative contemplation. This, in my experience as a 20 something year meditator, is where the value for floating as a meditative tool lies.
The challenge here, is that this state is very pleasureable and the tendency often is to become attached and desire its continuation or to just let go and fall deeper, often into sleep and unconsciousness. At the least, without the gentle effort of attention, the mind in these states tends to become diffuse and wander. Perhaps not the worse situation, as it seems to be a type of jhanic bliss, but has a subtle pull towards staying there and dropping into unconsciousness.
Tips:
It may require a slight effort to prevent falling into sleep. It is like “pushing a bubble along,” too much effort and the bubble breaks, too little effort and the bubble dissolves back into its matrix.
I would experience things while floating that I would recognize as what was being referred to in dharma talks for example jhana states, how the mind works, and how most of mental process happen on their own without any I/me/mine.
In recent years I have noticed an increasing number of individuals coming to meditation as a result of floating, sometimes the result of a single mind expanding experience (perhaps not unlike psychadelics, but much safer) or more commonly as a naturally unfolding process of an increasing curiosity about the mind and its potentials. I find it interesting to note that some floating individuals who float even semi-regularly, with little or no dharma instruction, communicate with the wisdom of seasoned meditators.
On the flip side, it seems rather unfortunate as I have not seen many from the meditation community try floating. Of course, a tool such as floating may be unnecessary for most, but for others, it may enliven or enhance their practice. From my admittedly biased and limited perspective, I know of many individuals who have sat for years, even decades with little discernable or reported movement. And although practice is not necessarily goal oriented, it does seem that a boost that could enliven one’s practice may be worth consideration. The advantage meditators bring to floating is their understanding of the dharma and their personal, tradition guided work. One who has practiced such, may be primed for and recognize jhanic states which could then be skillfully incorporated into regular practice. Practitioners who struggle with chronic pain and sensory distraction, or may be hardwired toward hyperactivity may find it a refreshing relief to quickly access elusive calm, which then could be brought on the cushion.
