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Attention fans of the film 'Altered States'!

This is a book on the practice of floating in what are commonly referred to as sensory deprivation tanks. Hutchison, as a journalist, set out to basically debunk floating, and inadvertently wrote the definitive book on why floating is such a rare experience with so many transformative possibilities. In a nutshell, Hutchison tells us that not only is floating the ultimate way to relax, meditate, heal and learn, it would seem that it is the ultimate path away from addiction and fear. Powerful stuff. He writes about Dr. John Lilly's initial experiments, and the subsequent history of the development of the floating tank using epsom salts to create an ideal floating environment. The bulk of the book is a discussion of the wide range of applications, research and experiments that have been taken into the tank. The claims Hutchison makes of the potential use of the tank are quite astounding. He discusses the impact of frequent floating on learning, stress relief, visualisation techniques, behaviour modification, improving mental and athletic performance, and releasing latent creativity. This book is easy to read, end-noted, cross-referenced and anecdoted with results from studies done at universities all over North America. Floating, it is credibly argued by Hutchison and the researchers and floaters he spoke with, frees the body from gravity, allowing for accelerated healing. It also relaxes the body and the mind allowing for deep meditative states, and provides the perfect environment for self-hypnosis and accelerated learning. Unfortunately, this book is out of print, I consider myself lucky to have found it in a used book store. I whole-heartedly recommend this book for anyone who has thought about exploring the profundities of their own private sea. Floating can be transformative but, as Hutchison argues, best if you can do it for a long period of time, at least six months to realize the potential. If you are curious about the possibilities of this unique inner journey, this book will convince you that doing so is worth the effort and money.