The FLOAT industry continues to grow and develop, especially over the past handful of years. Here at FLOAT STL, we have been in operation since February of 2015 and have had the privilege to facilitate over 11,000 floats for the individuals in our community. Along the way we have learned a lot, and this learning has been supported by advancements in our understanding of what takes place before, during, and after the float process.
One of the elements that has provided us with the greatest increase in our understanding is the research being done by Dr. Justin Feinstein and his associates at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR) located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Dr. Feinstein and his team have focused their efforts to bring greater clarity in “understanding the intimate connection between the body and the brain, and developing new technologies to help bring this connection to the forefront of awareness.”
What Dr. Feinstein and his team are discovering, is what many of us in the float industry have known anecdotally for years. In a recent Time magazine article on floating Feinstein is quoted as saying, ““Essentially what we found in the preliminary data is that the amygdala is shutting off post-float,” Feinstein says. “It’s nice to see that that can be done in a way that doesn’t require medication.”
The amygdala is specifically important because Hyperactivity of the amygdala has been associated with fear and anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders that are associated with the amygdala include Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), and social anxiety disorder.
So what we are becoming to know is that floating may have potential in treatment of anxiety disorders in a way which could reduce or remove the future need for medication.
Interested to know more, come have a float yourself!