TIME DILATION

Time dilation  -  Sensory deprivation  -  Gravitational deficit   -  Mind discovery

Cutting off from sound, sight, weightlessness, enveloped by water that doesn't drown; you are left with nothing but self evaluation for an hour. Nothing, but nothing, prepares you for sensory deprivation floating tanks.

For someone like me, nothing is worse than being motionless with no stimuli for sixty minutes in a confined space.  Just sitting still at the beauty salon for the weekly prerequisite grooming; of manicure, pedicure, waxing, hair trimming sends me to paroxysm of angst.

As a work-force product of this millennium of LCD stimuli, whether it be a laptop, smart phone, multi-faceted minutia of instant gratification, I am guilty of all of the above.  How is it possible to go through an hour-long confinement in a tank of Epsom Salt, meditative music and self-introspection?

Allow me to take you through this wondrous moment of time dilation.

 Showered and in my birthday suit, I gingerly lowered my body into the tub, holding on tight to the stainless steel handle as if the whole contraption was going to swallow me whole.  Light switched off, soft meditative music piped-in, I float in this 2ft deep water in total darkness.

Initially a wave of concern washes over me, but hell I’d sky-dived recently so step off the grid of fear and within seconds of the decision to trust this place, my neck muscles loosened, my back fell to the cushion of water and very soon the music stops.

I am alone with my thoughts; it has never been so stark that I even cannot hide behind my own subconscious.  Brainwaves, in and out, flashes of memories that dart backwards and forwards and from nowhere I have an image of a French adventure years ago with my daughter.   The images so real, the happiness welled in my heart.  Another flash of an equally happy time on a rooftop in Rome;  Chianti in one hand and gesturing with the other in my broken Italian under the night sky.

I could hear nothing but my own heartbeat, strong and rhythmic, gurgles of air, running down the tubes.  Aware of one’s own organs functioning is self assuring that all is in working order.  Breathing regular deep breaths, I am able to see the oxygen passing through the lungs, exchanging with the blood vessels and slowly in tune with my body, unafraid of my mortality.

And then the realization of the pulsating heart, the breathing, the gurgling all resembled the nine months I spent in my mother’s womb; so loving, so comforting, I could stay in this state of submerged amphibian life forever.  I was annoyed when the music piped-in again signaling my hour is up – it was only ten minutes ago, so it seemed …..this is time dilation that Annile conveyed.

Sometimes money spent on watches, an expensive and satisfying meal, a visiting international concert, or the essential brand handbag, does wonders for the ego, but surely loving yourself in this way truly gives the soul the glow it needs that can never be acquired elsewhere.

Thanks to Theta Float Centre and Annile who unknowingly gave me back my spiritual oneness.