Jan 2, 2011

Minimalism

Graham Talley @ Float On

Graham's in the business of exploring inner space.  He is 1/4 owner of Float On, a spa featuring four sensory deprivation tanks-- baths completely insulated from light and sound.  For 90 minutes you float in salt water, immersed in darkness and completely isolated from the outside world.   It's a void ripe for contemplation and imagination.  Changes in brain activity occur:  Theta Waves are activated and Dopamine is released, causing an intensified dreamlike state and blissful experiences.  In this chamber, there is literally no difference between opening and closing your eyes, all you have is a multiplex of your own making... your inner cinema.

Businesses like Float On have the potential to change the world.  Graham and his collaborators are passionate, pragmatic individuals, each contributing their personal talents and resources to the collective.  Their mission is to make sensory deprivation available to anyone curious to try it and they stand by that principle.  Sessions are affordable (if you can afford a bag of weed, you can afford a float) and they provide volunteer opportunities, as well as a barter program for artists.  Talking to Graham and his partners for awhile gave me the impression that by nurturing healing and creativity they hope to inspire broader transformations.  By deepening our understanding of ourselves, we may develop sensitivity towards others and take compassionate action in our lives.  It's a folky affirmation, I know, but I think that Float On itself is a testament to that simple truth.  They're good.

*On a sidenote, this blurb was written a few hours post-float.  Each experience is different, but the effects seem to amplify with each session.  Today I experienced some auditory hallucinations (crickets). 
         

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