Podcasts about zero gravity institute

We are going to dive deep into the human consciousness in this episode. My guest today is the founder of Zero Gravity Institute and is a thought leader in the sensory deprivation tank community. He has logged hundreds and hundreds of hours floating and runs an incredible float spa in Austin texas. Float tanks are being used to help treat PTSD, anxiety, depression, and physical ailments. This is a truly exciting technology for uncovering deeper layers of ourselves and experiencing altered states of consciousness without psychedelics.Kevin Johnson is also a wonderful musician and a trained shaman who facilitates ayahuasca medicine ceremonies. We discuss the immense benefits of floating on the human nervous system, Kevin's history with exploring states of consciousness and the float tank, psychedelics, and how holding a ceremony is similar to holding space for your podcast guest. We get into a lot of really fascinating territory here, including how the jungle is broadcasting its own message through ayahuasca and the shamans who share its medicine. Enjoy this last episode of 2020 and learn some ways to explore your inner world through the power of floating and music. You can watch this interview on YouTubeConnect with Kevin:Zero Gravity InstituteVida BrillanteWant to talk about your podcast? Connect with K.Lee and Podcast FarmBook a free strategy session to talk about your podcast:Join the podcast farmers FB group and grow your show!Timestamps[00:58] - Who's Kevin Johnson?[07:00] - The course of the floating industry existence.[11:19] - How the opening of the center affected Kevin's music career?[14:19] - What does it take to hold someone's experience?[18:12] - Kevin's thoughts on Ayahuasca.[23:47] - What's the future of floating?[27:53] - How to overcome the fear of floating?[30:22] - How to find out more about Kevin's work?[33:18] - Kevin performs an Icaro (medicine music).

Today I’m speaking with Kevin Johnson, a thought leader in the sensory deprivation field and the float tank industry, made popular about 10 years ago by high profile celebs like Joe Rogan and Duncan Trusse... He is the founder of Zero Gravity Institute in Austin and has arguably logged more hours in float tanks than just about anyone else in North America. The reason I think this interview is important to hear is because there are thousands of people right now who are using float tanks to reach altered states of consciousness that help them grow as people, handle unresolved issues, even treat PTSD, anxiety and depression. And for people curious about having transformative, altered state experiences but hesitant to try psychedelics, float tanks offer a potential safe alternative.In this interview he shared the history of float tanks (including experiments involving psychedelics in the 70’s), a process Kevin discovered that allows you to influence your brainwave frequency while floating, how floating resets neurotransmitter levels in the brain, advice if you want to try float tanks for yourself, and much more.---LINKS:Zero Gravity InstituteVida Brillante---I’d love to hear from you! Let me know your thoughts, feedback, or guests you’d like to hear on the show.Email: kevin@truthjunkiepodcast.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/truthjunkiepodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIma3aXx3l6UfjvTNM2Bg2A

Kevin Johnson is the founder and CEO of Zero Gravity Institute in Austin, TX. ZGI is a state of the art floatation center and private research facility. He is also the designer and manufacturer of the new, technologically advanced Zero Gravity Float Rooms. Kevin has been floating since 1986, when he went to work for one of the world's first commercial floatation centers. With a history of over 500 floats, including a recent research project titled “100 floats in 100 days”, Kevin brings a vast amount of knowledge, insight and experience to the world of floatation and the tank manufacturing industry. In addition to his work with Zero Gravity Institute and Zero Gravity Float Rooms, Kevin is also actively consulting on over a dozen new float centers opening around the world and has recently started working on a new book called “Floating – Evolution of the Next Consciousness”. He has been featured in several magazines and periodicals and has appeared on many popular podcasts including; “Tangentially Speaking” with Christopher Ryan Ph.D, “The Warrior Poet” with Aubrey Marcus, “Not Just Paleo” with Evan Brand, and “Fat Burning Man” with Abel James. Connect with Kevin Johnson: http://zerogravityinstitute.com/ https://twitter.com/ZeroGravityInst Connect with Nick Holderbaum: Website and Coaching: https://www.primalosophy.com/ (T): @primalosophy (IG): @primalosophy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBn7jiHxx2jzXydzDqrJT2A iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-primalosophy-podcast/id1462578947

What do you know about sensory deprivation tanks? More commonly known as float tanks, these chambers have been used for decades to help our bodies relax and reset from the constant input and stress we receive on a daily basis. In today's episode, we spoke with long time float expert, and founder of the Zero Gravity Institute, Kevin Johnson about why it is that floating is so beneficial for us.  Zero Gravity Institute

Kevin Johnson is the founder of Zero Gravity Institute. We talk about the spiritual practice of floating, R.E.S.T therapy, manifesting reality, Ayahuasca, and living in a simulation.   Brought to you by Haberland Group (HaberlandGroup.com) and Hardy Haberland's Programs (HardyHaberland.com).   This podcast is brought to you by Haberland Group. Haberland Group is a global provider of marketing solutions. With multidisciplinary teams in major world markets, our holding companies specialize in advertising, branding, communications planning, digital marketing, media, podcasting, public relations, as well as specialty marketing. If you are looking for a world-class partner to work on marketing programs, go to HaberlandGroup.com and contact us.   This podcast is also brought to you by Hardy Haberland's Programs. Hardy provides educational programs for high performers who want world-class achievement, true fulfillment, and lasting transformation in their lives. He also provides consulting for established brands and businesses that have generated a minimum of $3 million in annual sales. If you need a catalyst for transformation and a strategist for success at the highest level, go to HardyHaberland.com and apply.   If you enjoyed this episode, please consider to rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. It takes less than 60 seconds and it really makes a difference. Rate, review, and subscribe at HardyHaberland.com/iTunes.

Kevin Johnson is the founder of Zero Gravity Institute. We talk about the spiritual practice of floating, R.E.S.T therapy, manifesting reality, Ayahuasca, and living in a simulation.   If you enjoyed this episode, please consider to rate, review, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. It takes less than 60 seconds and it really makes a difference. Rate, review, and subscribe at HardyHaberland.com/iTunes.

Kevin Johnson is the founder and CEO of Zero Gravity Institute in Austin, TX. Zero Gravity is a state of the art floatation center and private research facility. He is also the designer and manufacturer of Zero Gravity Float Rooms. Kevin brings a vast amount of knowledge, insight and experience to the world of floatation. He has been floating since 1986, when he went to work for one of the world's first commercial floatation centers. Kevin is a popular public speaker, giving presentations on floatation tanks, consciousness, shamanism, plant medicines and psychedelics. He has been featured in several magazines and periodicals, and has appeared on many popular podcasts including; “Tangentially Speaking” with Christopher Ryan, “The Duncan Trussell Family Hour”,  “The Warrior Poet” with Aubrey Marcus. Follow Zero Gravity on Instagram Music: Nate Maingaurd, This Cat's Got Time Connect with me on Instagram Buy me a coffee on Patreon Check out my favorite books on kyle.surf Get full access to Writing by Kyle Thiermann at thiermann.substack.com/subscribe

On the podcast this week Kevin Johnson, owner of Zero Gravity Institute in Austin, Texas. With over thirty years and thousands of hours in the floatation tank, Kevin is considered a pioneer of float tank technology and offers an unprecedented amount of experience and knowledge about the world of floatation tanks, altered states of consciousness and the exploration... The post #017: Floating with Kevin Johnson appeared first on Hacking The Self.

Kevin Johnson is the Owner/CEO at Zero Gravity Institute. Zero Gravity Institute is a floatation and relaxation center in Austin, Tx. We use ''sensory deprivation'' or ''floatation tanks'' to offer the public the many benefits of R.E.S.T. therapy. We also offer massage therapy and ''hemi-sync'' all in an upscale spa environment.Zero Gravity Institute is also the distributor of Zero Gravity Float Rooms. Zero Gravity Float Rooms are large, luxury scale, light-proof, sound-insulated enclosures 8' x 6' x 7' which contains a shallow 12 inch pool of 25% saturated Epsom Salts solution - five times denser than sea water. Lying back, you float effortlessly on the surface with all parts of your body perfectly supported. Your body is no longer effected by the constant downward pull of gravity, the single greatest cause of wear and tear to bones, joints and body tissue. As muscle tension melts away, you find yourself floating weightless and free, like an astronaut in zero gravity.

Kevin Johnson is the owner of the Zero Gravity Institute, a float center and float tank manufacturer in Austin, Texas. Kevin describes the place spirituality has in both our lives as humans, and in relation to the float tank. He talks about the importance of valuing this, and how to integrate the floating, empiricism, and […] The post 093: Kevin Johnson (Conference Talk) appeared first on Float Conference 2020.

Kevin Johnson runs a float center in Austin, Texas, called the Zero Gravity Institute, as well as a manufacturing company that makes the Zero Gravity Float Rooms. While his current center is a recent development, Kevin was also involved in the float industry back in the 80’s, and shares some of his insights from seeing […] The post 056: Kevin Johnson compares his perception of 80’s float industry to today appeared first on Float Conference 2020.

Kevin Johnson of Zero Gravity Institute shares his biohacking and mind enhancing insights from more than 30 years of floating, psychedelics, and consciousness exploration. DMT, Mushrooms and more...

In this episode of the Ascend Podcast, We talk with float master Kevin Johnson, owner and creator of the Zero Gravity Institute in Austin, We discuss everything from the early origins to the practical and ultimately spiritual potential of this unique method.

Kevin Johnson is the founder and CEO of Zero Gravity Institute in Austin, TX. ZGI is a state of the art floatation center and private research facility. He is also the designer and manufacturer of the new, technologically advanced Zero Gravity Float Rooms. Kevin has been floating since 1986, when he went to work for the world's first commercial floatation center. With a history of over 500 floats, including a recent research project titled “100 floats in 100 days”, Kevin brings a vast amount of knowledge, insight and experience to the world of floatation and the tank manufacturing industry. In addition to his work with Zero Gravity Institute and Zero Gravity Float Rooms, Kevin is also actively consulting on over a dozen new float centers opening around the world and has recently started working on a new book called “Floating – Evolution of the Next Consciousness”. He has been featured in several magazines and periodicals, and has appeared on many popular podcasts including; “Tangentially Speaking” with Christopher Ryan Ph.D, “The Warrior Poet” with Aubrey Marcus, “Not Just Paleo” with Evan Brand, and “Fat Burning Man” with Abel James.

This episode goes deep into all aspects of floating! We have co-founder of Float Toronto, Sean Lavery join us to discuss their journey of starting a commercial float centre in Toronto, ON. They are arguably the most successful float centre on the East Coast of the continent. Join as we take you behind the scenes of the float world! Vancouver Real is a podcast form of new media produced in collaboration by Float House and the Omega Point YouTube channel. We want to open up more meaningful conversation typically not permitted on mainstream media. If you live in or around Vancouver and you're doing something fascinating or inspiring shoot us an email to info@vancouverreal.tv and introduce yourself. www.Float-Toronto.com Vancouver Real - http://vancouverreal.tv/ Omega Point - https://www.youtube.com/user/TheOmega... Float House - http://www.floathouse.ca/

  Kevin Johnson is the owner of Zero Gravity Institute, the float spa in Austin, Texas where I go for my weekly one-hour floats.  We get a chance to chat outside of the spa in this week's show. You may be scratching your head thinking, “What in the heck is a float?”  Well, unlike what might come to mind for many of you-- ice cream scooped into root beer, this kind of float is incredibly good for your body, mind, and spirit.  Maybe you've seen the float references plastered all over the blogosphere lately.  If not, here's the basic idea: It's total sensory deprivation.  You slip into a chamber that's about the size of a large walk-in closet or a small room where you float in about twelve inches of highly salt-saturated water in complete silence and darkness. The water has been filled with 1,200 pounds of Epsom salt, so you become incredibly buoyant, to the point that gravity is nonexistent.  The water is warmed to skin receptor neutral, 93.5˚F.  You register neither warm nor cold.  Without gravity, temperature, light, or sound, you fall into a state of complete relaxation. Sound good?  Let me tell you, when you walk out of the float spa you feel like you've had the best massage of your life… but even better!  In this show, Kevin and I talk about: How a good float gets creative juices flowing. The past, present, and future of floating… from the deprivation tank to float spa! The major benefits of floating for athletes. 100 floats in 100 days:  Kevin's exploration of the mind. Tapping into other states of consciousness. Why our overstimulated brains need time to reboot. SHOW NOTES When I first walked into the float spa, I have to admit, I was skeptical.  How could something so ridiculously simple actually help?  I was completely blown away. In 1954, a neuroscientist, physician, and psychoanalyst at the National Institute of Mental Health, John C. Lilly created the sensory deprivation tank to explore human consciousness.  Without stimuli, would I cease to exist?  Would I shut off?  He set out to answer some of these questions. Why would this process be beneficial for the average Jane or Joe? The float tank removes 90% of the brain and body's workload.  At any given moment of your regular life, you are operating in sympathetic response mode.  That means you're sensitive to all the flashing lights, beeping sounds, bodies around you, air conditioning, hot stove, etc. etc.  This is good for survival.  It helps you navigate the world without walking out into traffic or putting the food in the wrong orifice. As society gets more and more filled with sensory stimulation (think smartphones, microwaves, car horns, music, flashing screens, barking dogs, TV newscasters), we spend less and less time in a parasympathetic environment.  Our brains are so overwhelmed that we can't shut off. Your body and brain need time to do the background work, to heal and rejuvenate.  The floating tank gives you that time.  Once your body switches into that healing mode, it starts to reallocate its resources.  You get extra digestion, enzyme production, endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Even in a really good massage, you're still responding to stimuli.  With floating, you come out feeling completely rejuvenated.  Your endorphin load is boosted up and your brain chemistry is in balance.  It's like “fasting for the brain.” What do you DO for sixty minutes in total darkness and silence?  First off, all concept of time disappears.  It's like you've been in a dream state.  When you “wake up,” you recall moments of clarity but have no real sense of time.  When the light comes on slowly and gently, it's the closest thing you'll ever experience to heaven on earth. People might have images of the cult sci-fi film “Altered States!” What is it actually like when you walk into the spa?  At first, it's very much a spa-like experience. You sit in some of the most deluxe massage chairs you've ever seen and get a fifteen minute, very relaxing massage. Moving into your private room, you shower and wash your hair.  Then you climb into the float tank and lay down on your back in the satiated salt-water.  Don't worry, it would take serious core strength to flip yourself over… so no need to fear drowning.  This water is five times denser than the salt water of the Dead Sea! You close your eyes and the camber closes.  The lights dim and finally, you are in complete sensory deprivation.  A parasympathetic environment. When the lights come gently back on, you step out of the tank and shower again.  Dressed and ready to meet the world, everything outside the room will seem sharper.  Your senses will be heightened, but not in a tense fight-or-flight kind of way.  Your creative juices might be flowing, and your body will feel rejuvenated. Instead of taking a pill to attack specific symptoms, the deprivation tank removes all of the body's extra work so it can focus on healing. Some of the reasons people seek out the float spas are: Relaxation Recovery (especially athletes) Cognitive function Boost creativity Increase intuitive mind Increase problem solving skills Become a super-learner Help with attention deficit/ learning ability Healing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Mind expansion Altered states of reality Exploration Meditation Even though the positive effects of sensory deprivation are well documented, the practice is just now reemerging.  Why?  It seems like it would be all over the schools, hospitals, retreat centers…  From the 1950's to the 1970's, sensory deprivation tanks were mainly tucked away in the basements of University psychology departments to be used for drug and teaching methodology research.  But in the late 70's, sensory deprivation became a commercial venture. Kevin:  I started working for Samadhi in L.A. in the mid 1980's.  I went in and did my first float… and whoa.  I never would have believed I could reach that state of consciousness.  I made another appointment, and the owners offered me a job.  I learned a lot from talking to people when they finished their sessions.  You'd have fifty people and fifty different stories. It's amazing when you suddenly realize, “Oh, I'm driving!”  You are totally in charge of where your consciousness goes. What are the benefits of floating for athletes? First off, the Epsom salt is a muscle relaxer.  When you achieve zero gravity in that Epsom bath, your muscular system lets go, allowing your skeletal system to readjust. When you remove gravity, you experience a vasodilatory effect.  Your veins, muscles, and blood vessels expand leading to a drop in blood pressure and heart rate and increased circulation. Everything is suddenly working.  Fresh blood cells are moving through tissues and muscles, and the system is moving oxygen around the body to feed the muscles. When you're in a flight-or-flight stress mode (as many of us usually are), your blood rushes to your extremities.  In sensory deprivation, your blood seeks the core, which promotes rapid healing. The reason floating is recently regaining popularity is because we are all so technologically overstimulated.  We love our smart phones and laptops, our navigation systems and coffee makers.  But such things are constantly shouting at us… we are nailed by a steady stream of beeps!  What we will see over the next few years is a return to simplicity.  We will get back to the core, back to nature.  We NEED to come back.  Until then, we need a time to reboot, even if it's just for an hour a week. The technological age takes place in an evolutionary blink of the eye.  We used to spend hours every day sitting at the edge of a grassland waiting for dinner to walk by.  We had time to contemplate, to think, to daydream.  It's really remarkable that we can even survive in today's stress-filled world. I've been able to get to the parasympathetic state a few other times in life, through music and meditation.  But it's not quite as deep, and it's not as quick.  As a musician, or any kind of artist, coming out of a float gets you straight into a creative mode. The goal of floating is long-term:  It allows you to eventually put yourself into a deep meditative state whenever and wherever you need it.  This is the reprogramming of the brain that is clearly illustrated in John Lilly's book “Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer.” For people who don't or can't meditate, the float tank is like the “easy button.” Kevin tells the story of floating healing symptoms of PTSD:  There was a veteran whom had been suffering from PTSD for six years, and was heavily medicated.  He found floating, and after just four sessions was taken off all of his meds by his doctor.  The doctor called Kevin to learn everything she could about the practice.  Now she sends patients to Zero Gravity Institute for treatment.  There is also a group of vets that come by van every month from Ft. Hood, and a group from Wounded Warriors in San Antonio that use floating to treat post-traumatic stress. Soldiers, police, firefighters, and other emergency responders can't get into parasympathetic mode easily.  They are always “turned on,” hyperaware of their surroundings.  Floating helps them reboot and relax. Is there a best time of day to float?  Based on experience and feedback, when you float in the morning you have a focused energy and concentration throughout the rest of the day.  If you float at night, you experience a deep relaxation that helps you wind down and sleep. Also, your intention dictates your experience.  You can go into your float with certain tasks in mind and achieve an outcome congruous with your intent.  People go in wanting to work on some writing project, heal a relationship, process business issues, or explore other states of consciousness. Kevin did 100 floats in 100 days.  This experience goes into the book that he's currently working on, along with an amalgamation of different people's ideas regarding sensory deprivation. The idea of the 100 floats was to explore different states of consciousness.  In that space, he was able to image that life didn't exist, that there was an empty nothingness, and that he could touch this unified feeling of universal consciousness. In this space, you wonder, “Who is doing the creating?” To get started floating, go to flotationlocations.com.  There you can put in your zip code to find float spas near you.  Of course, if you're near Austin, TX, go to Zero Gravity Institute!    

  Kevin Johnson is the owner of Zero Gravity Institute, the float spa in Austin, Texas where I go for my weekly one-hour floats.  We get a chance to chat outside of the spa in this week's show. You may be scratching your head thinking, “What in the heck is a float?”  Well, unlike what might come to mind for many of you-- ice cream scooped into root beer, this kind of float is incredibly good for your body, mind, and spirit.  Maybe you've seen the float references plastered all over the blogosphere lately.  If not, here's the basic idea: It's total sensory deprivation.  You slip into a chamber that's about the size of a large walk-in closet or a small room where you float in about twelve inches of highly salt-saturated water in complete silence and darkness. The water has been filled with 1,200 pounds of Epsom salt, so you become incredibly buoyant, to the point that gravity is nonexistent.  The water is warmed to skin receptor neutral, 93.5˚F.  You register neither warm nor cold.  Without gravity, temperature, light, or sound, you fall into a state of complete relaxation. Sound good?  Let me tell you, when you walk out of the float spa you feel like you've had the best massage of your life… but even better!  In this show, Kevin and I talk about: How a good float gets creative juices flowing. The past, present, and future of floating… from the deprivation tank to float spa! The major benefits of floating for athletes. 100 floats in 100 days:  Kevin's exploration of the mind. Tapping into other states of consciousness. Why our overstimulated brains need time to reboot. SHOW NOTES When I first walked into the float spa, I have to admit, I was skeptical.  How could something so ridiculously simple actually help?  I was completely blown away. In 1954, a neuroscientist, physician, and psychoanalyst at the National Institute of Mental Health, John C. Lilly created the sensory deprivation tank to explore human consciousness.  Without stimuli, would I cease to exist?  Would I shut off?  He set out to answer some of these questions. Why would this process be beneficial for the average Jane or Joe? The float tank removes 90% of the brain and body's workload.  At any given moment of your regular life, you are operating in sympathetic response mode.  That means you're sensitive to all the flashing lights, beeping sounds, bodies around you, air conditioning, hot stove, etc. etc.  This is good for survival.  It helps you navigate the world without walking out into traffic or putting the food in the wrong orifice. As society gets more and more filled with sensory stimulation (think smartphones, microwaves, car horns, music, flashing screens, barking dogs, TV newscasters), we spend less and less time in a parasympathetic environment.  Our brains are so overwhelmed that we can't shut off. Your body and brain need time to do the background work, to heal and rejuvenate.  The floating tank gives you that time.  Once your body switches into that healing mode, it starts to reallocate its resources.  You get extra digestion, enzyme production, endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Even in a really good massage, you're still responding to stimuli.  With floating, you come out feeling completely rejuvenated.  Your endorphin load is boosted up and your brain chemistry is in balance.  It's like “fasting for the brain.” What do you DO for sixty minutes in total darkness and silence?  First off, all concept of time disappears.  It's like you've been in a dream state.  When you “wake up,” you recall moments of clarity but have no real sense of time.  When the light comes on slowly and gently, it's the closest thing you'll ever experience to heaven on earth. People might have images of the cult sci-fi film “Altered States!” What is it actually like when you walk into the spa?  At first, it's very much a spa-like experience. You sit in some of the most deluxe massage chairs you've ever seen and get a fifteen minute, very relaxing massage. Moving into your private room, you shower and wash your hair.  Then you climb into the float tank and lay down on your back in the satiated salt-water.  Don't worry, it would take serious core strength to flip yourself over… so no need to fear drowning.  This water is five times denser than the salt water of the Dead Sea! You close your eyes and the camber closes.  The lights dim and finally, you are in complete sensory deprivation.  A parasympathetic environment. When the lights come gently back on, you step out of the tank and shower again.  Dressed and ready to meet the world, everything outside the room will seem sharper.  Your senses will be heightened, but not in a tense fight-or-flight kind of way.  Your creative juices might be flowing, and your body will feel rejuvenated. Instead of taking a pill to attack specific symptoms, the deprivation tank removes all of the body's extra work so it can focus on healing. Some of the reasons people seek out the float spas are: Relaxation Recovery (especially athletes) Cognitive function Boost creativity Increase intuitive mind Increase problem solving skills Become a super-learner Help with attention deficit/ learning ability Healing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Mind expansion Altered states of reality Exploration Meditation Even though the positive effects of sensory deprivation are well documented, the practice is just now reemerging.  Why?  It seems like it would be all over the schools, hospitals, retreat centers…  From the 1950's to the 1970's, sensory deprivation tanks were mainly tucked away in the basements of University psychology departments to be used for drug and teaching methodology research.  But in the late 70's, sensory deprivation became a commercial venture. Kevin:  I started working for Samadhi in L.A. in the mid 1980's.  I went in and did my first float… and whoa.  I never would have believed I could reach that state of consciousness.  I made another appointment, and the owners offered me a job.  I learned a lot from talking to people when they finished their sessions.  You'd have fifty people and fifty different stories. It's amazing when you suddenly realize, “Oh, I'm driving!”  You are totally in charge of where your consciousness goes. What are the benefits of floating for athletes? First off, the Epsom salt is a muscle relaxer.  When you achieve zero gravity in that Epsom bath, your muscular system lets go, allowing your skeletal system to readjust. When you remove gravity, you experience a vasodilatory effect.  Your veins, muscles, and blood vessels expand leading to a drop in blood pressure and heart rate and increased circulation. Everything is suddenly working.  Fresh blood cells are moving through tissues and muscles, and the system is moving oxygen around the body to feed the muscles. When you're in a flight-or-flight stress mode (as many of us usually are), your blood rushes to your extremities.  In sensory deprivation, your blood seeks the core, which promotes rapid healing. The reason floating is recently regaining popularity is because we are all so technologically overstimulated.  We love our smart phones and laptops, our navigation systems and coffee makers.  But such things are constantly shouting at us… we are nailed by a steady stream of beeps!  What we will see over the next few years is a return to simplicity.  We will get back to the core, back to nature.  We NEED to come back.  Until then, we need a time to reboot, even if it's just for an hour a week. The technological age takes place in an evolutionary blink of the eye.  We used to spend hours every day sitting at the edge of a grassland waiting for dinner to walk by.  We had time to contemplate, to think, to daydream.  It's really remarkable that we can even survive in today's stress-filled world. I've been able to get to the parasympathetic state a few other times in life, through music and meditation.  But it's not quite as deep, and it's not as quick.  As a musician, or any kind of artist, coming out of a float gets you straight into a creative mode. The goal of floating is long-term:  It allows you to eventually put yourself into a deep meditative state whenever and wherever you need it.  This is the reprogramming of the brain that is clearly illustrated in John Lilly's book “Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer.” For people who don't or can't meditate, the float tank is like the “easy button.” Kevin tells the story of floating healing symptoms of PTSD:  There was a veteran whom had been suffering from PTSD for six years, and was heavily medicated.  He found floating, and after just four sessions was taken off all of his…

Kevin invited us to a free float at the Zero Gravity Institute. It blew my mind—so much that I asked him to sit down and tell me his story. How's a guy become a float-tank guru? This episode sponsored by HelloFresh. Use code HELLOSPEAKING for $20 off your first order. Also sponsored by MyPakage. Enter SEX at checkout for a chance at a free pair. And SquareSpace.com. Use SEX to get 10% off your web site. Subscribe at chrisryan.substack.com

Kevin invited us to a free float at the Zero Gravity Institute. It blew my mind—so much that I asked him to sit down and tell me his story. How's a guy become a float-tank guru? This episode sponsored by HelloFresh. Use code HELLOSPEAKING for $20 off your first order. Also sponsored by MyPakage. Enter SEX at checkout for a chance at a free pair. And SquareSpace.com. Use SEX to get 10% off your web site.

In this first podcast back from a long hiatus, I talk with float master Kevin Johnson, owner and creator of the Zero Gravity Institute in Austin, which very well might be the best sensory deprivation experience in existence. We discuss everything from the logistics, to the practical and ultimately spiritual potential of this most unique medicine.

Kevin Johnson is the owner and founder of the Zero Gravity Institute. Learn about sensory deprivation and why everyone should experience the relaxation and therapeutic benefits that float tanks offer!