The tank
The shell
clean it with enzyme cleaner
Condensation
According to Tim, if you heat the interior roof area of the tank then you'll have no condensation at all.
According to David, sloping the roof is a good idea. Otherwise use bubble wrap. David is also partial to Lilly's idea that condensation is a useful tank stimulus.
Heat
Inline or Waterbed
There is a fascinating debate on inline versus waterbed heaters. With an inline heater, you heat the water between sessions as it flows through a pump. Amazingly for an hour session, little heat is lost. Unlike, inline, with a waterbed heater, you constantly monitor and heat the water.
Correct temperature
93.5 is average skin temperature, not body temperature - that's what we heat to
Replacing heater
You can get a standard waterbed heater or buy a heater from David Wasserman of Oasis Relaxation
Hygiene
Tim discusses a thorough protocol for cleaning the tank - IMPORTANT.
Water
- Chlorine and bromine have no place in a float tank.
- Hydrogen peroxide is good either dilute food grade like Vicky or just use plain 3% and dump in a whole bottle, like me.
When to change it?
A high use center changes every 18 months. The key to knowing when to change is when the pH cant be maintained.
Salt
Why epsom salt
- See the Epsom Salt Council page for much info.
- recent data: reduces likelihood of cerebral palsy
Getting and maintaining right concentration in tank
"The Deep Self" gives the guidelines
the hydrometers that are provided in standard battery testers are fine for getting the proper concentration. However Tim knows of a professional hydrometer
We go for a specific gravity of 1.26 and put fresh salts in when it drops to 1.23, with a hydrometer callibrated at 60 Degs F.
Where to get in bulk
Any local store will sell Epsom Salt for 50 cents a pound, so a bulk order is only going to take longer and save you 25 cents per pound. This amounts to 250.00 savings, but lots more hoops and delay since most of these salt distributors deal in much larger quantities and don't really have much interest in a 1000-pound order.
- PQ Corp sells.
- Giles Chemical(http://www.gileschemical.com/contact_us.htm) will refer you to some local distributors who should be able to get you 1000 pounds for 25 cents a pound. I was given these names: Jack Shanks 770-982-4466 and Dan 913-671-7979
- PICC NY/Kali wont deal in anything less than 1 ton of salt. They will refer you to Epsom Salt Plus 973-471-8919 who deals to the little guy.
- Univar does not seem to have very good prices.
Caking
Dissolve the salt well
Before turning on the heaters, make sure the salt is well-dissolved or you run the risk of melting it together or setting the insulation on fire.
Audio
Speakers are going to sound OK. Now they will distort the sound through the water. Better is a waterproof mp3 player such as Oregon Scientific. Another good one is SWiMP3.
The Floater
Health benefits
Hazards
- salt crystallization
Cuts and Scrapes
- Petroleum jelly in packs works too but others fear it gunking up the system and recommend New Skin. and others use Un-Petroleum jelly from the health food store.
Itching
- petroleum jelly
- pH?
Sleeping
- 2 hours in a float tank is neurological equiv of 8 hr sleep
Pregnant women
Are you sinking
The tank needs proper specific gravity --- you can be very precise about specific gravity with a good hydrometer.
Shower before entering
get rid of long hair that might clog pump. Remove dead skin cells.
Earplugs
As a business
Recommended books
- Vicky and Tim like The Tipping Point
- Tim sees no need to advertise
The public health department
Books
- "Tanks for the Memories"
- Restricted Environmental Stimulation: Research and Commentary Medical college of Ohio Press 1987 ISBN: 0-944742-03-3
- Clinical and Experimental Restricted Environmental Stimulation: new developments and perspectives Springer Verlag, New York 1993 ISBN: 0-387-97962-X ISBN: 3-540-97962-X
- Restricted Environmental Stimulation John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1980 ISBN 0-471-83536-6
- The Book of Floating and Megabrain by Michael Hutchison
- The Deep Self by John Lilly Altered States by Paddy Chayefsky
First/Second/Third/Fourth International Conferences on REST and Self-Regulation
Restricted Environmental Stimulation by Peter Suedfeld
Brain Benders:A Study of Effects of Isolation by Charles Brownfield
CigaREST Quit Smoking Program by Charles Brownfield
Sensory Isolation and Personality Change by Mark Kammerman
John Lilly
By JCL
Dr. John Lilly's books:
Man and Dolphin
The Dolphin in History [w/M.F. Ashley Montagu]
Lilly on Dolphins:Humans of the Sea
The Mind of The Dolphin
Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer
The Scientist:A Novel Autobiography
The Scientist:A Metaphysical Autobiography {same as above/different title}
The Center of The Cyclone
The Dyadic Cyclone:Autobiography of a Couple
Simulations of God:The Science of Belief
The Deep Self:Profound Relaxation and the Tank Technique
About JCL
John Lilly, so far.... by Francis Jeffrey and John C. Lilly
JCL's Favorites
Pathways Through to Space by Franklin Merrell-Wolf
The Philosophy of Consciousness Without an Object by Franklin Merrell-Wolf
Last and First Men:The Starmaker by Olaf Stapledon