In our conversation, he mentioned that the tank naturally creates a wonderful space to practice autogenic training,  a relaxation technique that involves visualization strategies in a form of self-hypnosis. A colleague of Tom’s mentioned  there was another researcher in their building who might be interested in his ideas about floating – John Turner. After  an introduction (and Tom sharing his Lilly books with John), the two hit it off – before long,  they were starting up their first collaborative research project.

Case Study and Research
At first, Fine and Turner did a small, three-person case study. It looked at how floating affected blood pressure,  and their results were positive,  showing that time in a float tank did indeed have the potential to lower participants’ blood pressure. Other early  studies they conducted revealed similar effects, showing that floatation REST can have a positive impact,  not just on blood pressure, but on a whole range of issues including pain management, muscle tension,  and stress-related conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Some of their most well-known research delved into how floating affects the stress response in our bodies. When we’re  stressed, our bodies release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline,  which can have detrimental effects on our health. Fine and Turner found that floating reduces stress hormones,  helping us to relax and feel better while combating that negative stress response.

They also discovered that the more you float,  the more significant the effects become. As your body gets used to the experience,  it seems to allow you to enter the “float state” earlier,  providing more recovery time for your system. In addition to showing this effect by measuring  cortisol,  they also demonstrated that floating can help balance neurotransmitters like endorphins and serotonin,  which play a role in mood regulation and pain relief.

Through their continued research,  Fine and Turner also began to explore brain activity in relation to floatation therapy. They found that floating affects  both the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, two critical brain regions involved in stress and anxiety. Once again,  their research showed that repeated float sessions seem to strengthen the result,  in this case by helping the prefrontal cortex in controlling the amygdala, leading to a reduction in stress and anxiety.