How Float Therapy Affects the Brain
A Deep Dive Into the Neuroscience of Floating
In a world filled with constant notifications, background noise, and mental overload, float therapy offers something rare: complete stillness.
But what actually happens inside the brain when you step into a sensory-reduced float tank?
Surprisingly, quite a lot - and much of it is deeply therapeutic.
Let’s explore how float therapy supports the brain and nervous system on a neurological level.
1. A Break for the Brain: Sensory Reduction and Neural Calm
Float therapy removes most external stimulation: no bright lights, no loud sounds, no temperature changes, no gravity pulling on your body. This dramatic reduction in sensory input gives the brain a chance to downshift from constant processing into a state of calm.
Neuroscientists refer to this as a decrease in cortical activity, especially in areas connected to stress and vigilance. With fewer signals coming in, the brain can reset, restore, and rebalance.
What this feels like:
A quiet mind, deep relaxation, and a sense of mental spaciousness.
2. Floating Helps Regulate Stress Hormones
Research consistently shows that float therapy can reduce cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. At the same time, levels of serotonin and dopamine - neurotransmitters associated with happiness, wellbeing, and motivation - often rise.
This natural neurochemical shift explains why many people leave a float session feeling calm, grounded, and uplifted.
In simple terms:
Float therapy helps turn off stress and turn on wellbeing.
3. Accessing the Theta Brainwave State
While floating, many people enter a theta-dominant brainwave state - the same state experienced during deep meditation or just before falling asleep.
This unique brainwave pattern is associated with:
Creativity
Mental clarity
Emotional insight
Deep relaxation
Problem-solving
It’s one reason floating can feel both peaceful and surprisingly inspiring.
4. Calming the Anxiety Centres of the Brain
Float therapy can reduce activity in the Default Mode Network (DMN) - the brain network responsible for internal chatter, overthinking, and rumination. It also helps regulate the HPA axis, the body’s stress-response system.
For people who struggle with stress or anxiety, this can be a game changer.
Many floaters describe it as:
“The first time my mind has truly been quiet.”
5. Supporting Pain Relief Through Neurological Downregulation
By reducing sensory input and easing tension in the muscles and spine, float therapy can help decrease the brain’s perception of pain. Endorphins increase, muscles relax, and the nervous system shifts into a restorative mode.
This is especially supportive for people dealing with:
Chronic pain
Fibromyalgia
Tension headaches
Muscle strain or tightness
6. Magnesium to Soothe the Nervous System
The Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) in the float tank not only keeps you buoyant — it may also contribute to relaxation. Magnesium plays a role in calming the nervous system and supporting muscle release, which adds another layer to the restorative experience.
Float Therapy: A Reset for the Modern Nervous System
In a world where the brain is constantly bombarded with information, float therapy offers something profoundly healing: space.
Space to rest, to breathe, to release tension, and to reconnect with yourself.
Whether you’re looking to reduce stress, soothe anxiety, improve mental clarity, or simply find an hour of peace, float therapy offers a powerful way to support your nervous system from the inside out.