I remember it like it was yesterday. Captivated by the idea of unparalleled relaxation, my wife and I had no idea what to expect before our date inside the mysterious dark tanks.
We tried doing some research, but most of the videos out there were riddled with 20 something year old men claiming to have had out of body experiences and hallucinations. Weird right? However, after a mutual friend expressed how amazing he felt during his journey into nothingness, we simply couldn't resist. He said to us, “Imagine feeling nothing. Like all the stress in your life is being lifted from your body and your mind is free to explore, endlessly.” The concept sounded too good to be true. In a world riddled with deadline after deadline, was there really a way to let it all go, and float our worries away? We were on a mission to find out.
At last, our double date was moments away. A sense of nervousness mixed with excitement overcame us. Like the feeling you get right before riding on a thrilling roller coaster. A friendly woman explained what we needed to do to get ready, but honestly we barely paid any attention. How could we? The two of us were fixated on the floatation tank like two impatient kids waiting to open up their presents on Christmas morning. All I remembered was to shower off and try to relax. Before entering into her separate room, my wife and I said our goodbyes. We gave each other one final kiss, locked eyes, and smiled as she walked away. Now that the formalities were out of the way, I could not wait to strip naked and see what this floating thing was all about.
Could I really be this alone with myself for an entire hour? My few seconds of hesitation were quickly trumped by the desire to experience something completely new and mysterious. When I first entered the tank, and touched the warm silky water, it felt so right. Like I was instantly transported, into the womb again. After having that revelation, I proceeded to lay on my back and immediately started floating like a cork in water. It was freakin' awesome! Then as I settled into the darkness I remember asking myself random questions. Like, "What am I supposed to be doing here? Have I ever felt anything like this? What is my wife thinking about inside the tank next door?” But after a while those thoughts slowly began to drift away. Then a sense of uninhibited calmness took over my body. It was as if every single bit of tension had been released and all that remained was my core. Absent of any outside distraction, an unfiltered realization for who I really was became apparent. Almost enlightening. I started thinking about all the people that I love in my life and how grateful I was to know them. All of this only lasted for a few minutes, but those 180 seconds seemed like an a eternity. As I slowly drifted in and out of thought I remember pondering to myself, “Wow, this is uncharted territory.” I was immersed in a whole new world of introspectiveness that I would have never imagined in a million years. And then it was over.
After emerged from my dark chamber, I felt reborn. Full of life and ready to take on the world. As I left the room and looked down the short hallway I saw my wife who was just standing there with a certain glow on her face that could only be described as zen-like. I could not wait to hear what she had to say. How did she like it? Was her experience similar to mine? Needless to say that was all we talked about over dinner, and for days on end. However one thing was certain, that this was the coolest date we had ever been on. Needless to say, we've been completely hooked ever since.