Floatation and Creativity

Ever wondered where musicians, poets and artists get their creativity?  Do you often wish you had a source of some sort to get your creative juices flowing?

Look no further!  The Floatation Tank, also known as a Sensory Deprivation Tank, is known to help inspire creativity and innovation in a range of individuals.

No wonder why floatation tank therapy is so popular with many creative minds, including those of designers, architects, artists, musicians, and many more.

Floatation Encourages Creativity

In fact, studies have shown that floating in a sensory deprivation tank has enhanced perceptual-motor skills in sports, and creativity in the sciences.  Further studies have demonstrated an improvement in music students' technical abilities after floating once a week, for only four weeks (Vartanian & Suedfeld, 2011).  Enhanced musical ability has also been noted in research, specifically with the jazz genre, in musicians who have floated.  Others have found inner benefits of floating after improvements were discovered in 'creative cognition' in a range of individuals.   

You may be curious as to how floating helps in this way.  Increased creativity is achieved through a number of techniques explained below, which can all be experienced in as little as one hour of floating.

Sensory Deprivation
We've all heard stories of artists who claim that their sudden insight, revelation, or creative designs occurred in situations where their sensory input has been reduced.  This includes circumstances where their attention has been turned inward during long walks along the beach, or while starting off in space.  What you may not have realised is, that one of the fundamental elements of creative or imaginative thought, is concentration gained through some sort of sensory restriction or deprivation.  What better way to eliminate the overload of sensory input of our busy lives, than floating in a floatation tank?

Brain Waves

Theta State
One of the explanations as to how many gain unexpected inspiration, physical relaxation, creativity and vivid imagery, particularly while their mind wanders off while gazing into the distance or just before entering their sleep stage, is the influence of the theta state. 

Theta state is the brain wave experienced when we are in a very deep state of relaxation.  This is the state that is used in hypnosis and during REM sleep.  Normally we experience this theta state for a few minutes, but enclosed in a floatation tank, this state can last for longer.    
Unfortunately, this does not mean reaching theta state in a floatation tank will leave us all geniuses.  Rather, the floatation tank has the ability to let us easily fall into this state, which can be an essential tool in promoting innovation and creativity.  The more you float, the more benefits you may discover, as the theta state becomes longer, the more often the floatation tank is used. 

Visualisation and Imagery
Another vital component of creativity is visualisation or imagery.  Visualisation can be a very powerful tool which helps us invent and create, which has been proven throughout history.  Many geniuses over the years, well-known and not so well-known pioneers, encountered visions or mental images of their 'reality-changing ideas' or concepts before pursuing them.  

An Invigorating Float can help with Musical Ability

The floatation tank is the perfect environment created for experiencing vivid and intense mental imagery and visualisations, and the best space to manipulate these also. 

What makes the float tank so optimal for inspiration, is the profound relaxing environment.  In these surroundings, your brain is so relaxed that it generates an exceptional amount of very slow, strong, rhythmical theta waves.  You already know a little about theta waves (mentioned above), but the extended theta states gained from floating are associated with vivid, lifelike hypnagogic images.  Deep relaxation and strong mental imagery are derived spontaneously and effortlessly while floating in the float tank for most individuals.

Visualisation can Improve Creativity

As described, there are a number of techniques associated with floatation tank therapy that can inspire and encourage creativity and innovation.  Relaxing in a peaceful and comfortable environment for an hour or so, doesn't appear to be too hard of a job to gain some extra insight to assist with your creative activities.

Be mindful, that the longer it's been since your last float, the less prominent the effects will be - they will begin to diminish as time passes.  To preserve ongoing imagination and vision, consider floating on a regular basis, or on an as-need-basis when you need to rejuvenate your creative self.

Floating for Relaxation

Comment below and tell us about your experiences: whether that be what you've seen while floating, the success of your musical band, or how your creativity has thrived.