been interested lately in the principles that underlie sensory deprivation

i know that when i meditate for a while ( no sounds, close my eyes, no scratching my nose when it itches, no tastes, no nothing)

then... later on

everything looks so much more clear, crisp, sharp
sense of smell heightened
feeling heightened

wonder if anyone else feels this way

oh yeah, i was also wondering about that tank thing

some tank thing that has water that people go under

but was wondering why anyone would do that

spend money to go into a claustrophobic tank


when all they have to do is close their eyes

and be in a quiet place

but still very interested

in knowing about other practices that lead to the inner scape being deepened
and then when coming out of it, the outer scape is more "bright"

well... u know fasting and raw foods does this for me too

but its just one of the tools

okay..so maybe this question makes no sense

so i will reiterate it

Question: what forms of sensory deprivation do you use in order to cultivate
a deeper connection to self and environment?

[en.wikipedia.org]

I've always thought that would be a cool thing to try out.

This reminds me of the "Iso Tank" episode of the British comedy from the '90s, Absolutely Fabulous. The main character goes in for what she thinks is hours and hours and ends up having hysterically funny hallucinations. She is a serious drug fiend, however. Maybe a raw foodist would have wonderful dreams and end up solving the world's problems in an isolation tank : )

Ooh, AbFab, one of my favourite old shows!

I liked the Simpsons episode "Make Room for Lisa" where she and Homer have sensory deprivation tank experiences. Homer's literally runs away with him, ha ha. Funny funny funny stuff!


Sorry Ver, you come in here asking a serious question and all you get is this kinda stuff from us. Sigh. We are so juvenile.

Question: what forms of sensory deprivation do you use in order to cultivate
a deeper connection to self and environment?

For me, it's not as much seeking sensory deprivation as it is preventing sensory overload. When I want "a deeper connection to self," I avoid television, radio, stereo, computer, telephone, etc. I also benefit by spending some time alone. Hiking by myself for about an hour each day makes a tremendous difference in my health, happiness and connection to the environment.


My favorite raw vegan

Very interesting phenomenon.
I have heard of those tanks where you are totally shut off from your senses.
When you think of it,it is almost impossible to achieve that without being in the tank,because total silence and total darkness are very rare in nature.You can see that in how the sky never totally darkens at night,and there is an occasional animal sound,or simply the wind.

I would imagine it could be either a very relaxing experience,or the opposite..one that creates anxiety because we arent used to it.

Vinny

thanks for the responses
trive
the hiking an hour each day sounds good

eaglefly

yes
its true
but the smell of nature
i like
best

deepens relationship to self
the most
can sleep better
in nature too

Interesting. . .

For me, I've had to "adjust" what works for me to meditate. Sensory deprivation for me is having only ONE thing to hear and ONE thing to smell.

I have had poor eye sight since the get go - hence, my hearing and sense of smell are heightened.

I tried meditating by just closing my eyes - didn't work too well - my sense of smell and hearing go nutbars. I can hear the clock ticking upstairs in a room that the door is closed. I can smell things that I am sure most other people cannot. Meditating with my eyes open isn't too enjoyable. So, I usually burn some incense and listen to some soft music otherwise I get overloaded with all kinds of sounds and smells.

I also need to sleep with some form of light otherwise it's far too noisy and far too smelly to relax.

The tank would be interesting to try. It would either be super calming for me or I would go apesh*t.

I love my heightened sense of hearing and smell when I'm out in nature - but being a city dweller. . . .

I have quite a bit of experience with float rooms.. the ones I have used are about 11" of water, kept in the same temperature range as the skin, no lights, loads of salt so you float like a cork.. It's a beautiful (non) experience

Similar to meditation, the mind can go a bit nuts, but you can also lose yourself.. even moreso - due to lack of chair sensation (or floor or where ever you meditate). In one sense, it's a great way to find your Self, but a great way to lose your self.

I highly recommend it, 3 to 5 times to really "get it" so to speak.. my wife's first experience was unpleasant for her, motion sickness feelings, a little panic and such.. she did get over it though.

I've been roughly a dozen or so times. I enjoy it a great deal.

The tanks are claustrophobic seeming, the rooms are quite large. Eliminates all the sensations while meditating.. I don't know about you, but after 20-60 minutes of meditation - I can get crampy, back or leg pain(s), etc.. melts all that away quickly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2010 03:13AM by OhThatNewb.