I remember sitting in the lobby at Float On waiting for my first float, looking around at this weird place I found myself in. I was full of nerves waiting for the float attendant to call me back. I was trying not to think about all the things my brother had told me about his floats, as I wanted my experience to be natural, instead of hoping it compared to all I had heard. When I was called back, I tried to focus on the walkthrough, but once I had seen the tank, I was so in awe that it was a bit distracting. Oh well, how hard could this floating thing really be?
Once in, I quickly realized I missed the super important thing I was told during my walkthrough: use the petroleum jelly to cover any cuts. I decided to tough it out and deal with a little bit of burning. I got resettled and reached up to turn the light off, but immediately had to turn it back on. The pitch black freaked me out a little bit, and I sat there wondering for a minute if I would even be able to do my float. I was determined to stay in however, so I sat for a few minutes with the light on, letting myself get used to the peculiar environment. I could not hear anything, I started to not feel the water, and slowly my mind began to calm. Finally, I felt comfortable, so off with the light.
I remember being amazed at just how quickly my body began to relax, almost as if I were melting into the water. All sensations ceased, and with that, my mind began slowing down. I floated there, relaxed to my core and let my mind drift. I was not asleep, but not
awake either. I was in a new state of consciousness that I had never experienced before; I was in a state of pure euphoria and relaxation. I had no concept of how much time had passed, which only made the float better, as I was never worried how much time was left, I was fully present in the moment.
Softly, the music started to play from under me, and I started to “wake up.” I stretched my body and opened the door to enter back into the real world. Something I had written in my journal after this float perfectly describes how I felt exiting the tank: “ I opened the door, admiring the sounds it made, as well as the sounds of the water dripping off my body. The textures and colors of the walls and furniture popped out at me. The light had a glow that I’d never seen. My senses were being flooded, and it only added to the euphoric feeling that filled me.”
Once I left my room, I was greeted with a smile and a “Welcome back” from the workers, which made me laugh. I sat and drank some tea in the lobby, trying to figure out what I had just experienced. Whatever this floating was, I knew I needed more of it. Before leaving, I purchased The Book of Floating by Michael Hutchinson, wanting to know all I could. I was hooked from the start.