Abstract
Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) reduces sensory input to the nervous system through the act of floating supine in a pool of water saturated with Epsom salt. The float experience is calibrated so that sensory signals from visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, thermal, tactile, vestibular, gravitational and proprioceptive channels are minimized, as is most movement and speech. This open-label study aimed to examine whether Floatation-REST would attenuate symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression in a clinical sample. Fifty participants were recruited across a spectrum of anxiety and stress-related disorders (posttraumatic stress, generalized anxiety, panic, agoraphobia, and social anxiety), most (n = 46) with comorbid unipolar depression. Measures of self-reported affect were collected immediately before and after a 1-hour float session, with the primary outcome measure being the pre- to post-float change score on the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory. Irrespective of diagnosis, Floatation-REST substantially reduced state anxiety (estimated Cohen’s d > 2). Moreover, participants reported significant reductions in stress, muscle tension, pain, depression and negative affect, accompanied by a significant improvement in mood characterized by increases in serenity, relaxation, happiness and overall well-being (p < .0001 for all variables). In reference to a group of 30 non-anxious participants, the effects were found to be more robust in the anxious sample and approaching non-anxious levels during the post-float period. Further analysis revealed that the most severely anxious participants reported the largest effects. Overall, the procedure was well-tolerated, with no major safety concerns stemming from this single session. The findings from this initial study need to be replicated in larger controlled trials, but suggest that Floatation-REST may be a promising technique for transiently reducing the suffering in those with anxiety and depression.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03051074
Highlights
The sample spanned the spectrum of different anxiety disorders, with many comorbidities, including a mix of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (n = 26), Social Anxiety Disorder (n = 16), Panic Disorder (n = 12), Agoraphobia (n = 8), and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (n = 17)
This study found that a single one-hour session of Floatation-restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST) was capable of inducing a strong reduction in state anxiety and a substantial improvement in mood in a group of 50 anxious and depressed participants spanning a range of different anxiety and stress-related disorders
The findings from this open-label study suggest that FloatationREST may be a promising technique for acutely reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, the persistence of these effects is presently unknown
Summary
Brain would respond to an environment devoid of external sensory input. Initial designs employed various masks intended to shield the brain from sensory input [1], whereas the first fully immersive floatation tank wasn’t built until 1957, when Dr Shurley constructed his laboratory at the Oklahoma City Veterans Administration hospital [2]. In this first iteration of Floatation-REST, the participant was immersed vertically in a tank of water with an opaque helmet surrounding their head connected to a series of breathing tubes for ventilation. Due to the confined nature of the helmet, very few individuals participated in these early experiments outside of NASA astronauts in training for the mission to the moon [3, 4]
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