Psychological Benefits of Sensory Deprivation Tanks

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Introduction The concept of sensory deprivation is a rather foreign concept in present day households. Defined by the Oxford University Press (2013) Sensory Deprivation is "a process by which someone is deprived of normal external stimuli such as sight and sound for an extended period of time”. Studies performed by Kjellgren (2008) and Forgays (1992) have provided evidence supporting an increase in creativity and enhanced learning skills of subjects regularly experiencing sensory deprived environments. Hutchinson (1984) states that deprivation environments mimic the stimulation of deep mediation, allowing anindividual's brain to focus solely on internal stimuli, while ignoring the entirety of their externalsurroundings. The environment permits the brain to function in an extremely rare setting, which is never experienced naturally. The brain reacts to an individual's thoughts and instincts, spreading the processes over numerous sections and receptors of the brain. Understanding audio and visual stimulation that makes up our surroundings consumes a large amount of mental focus and energy. By removing the need to comprehend colors, shapes, sounds, and even muscle awareness, the brain is "freed up" to use this additional energy towards alternative tasks. An individual in a sensory deprived environment will tend to experiment psychologically inward with this mental freedom, usually experiencing levels of vivid imagery. These mental exercises stimulate the location of the brain associated with creativity, and learning skills. Medical practitioners consider the brain to be a muscle, and like any muscle the brain will increase functionality when exposed to new environments and exercises. Research Question Studies indicate that, individuals who partake in sensory deprivation exercises experience a long term increase in creativity, knowledge and learning skills. A

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