TEMPLE HQ
THIS DREAM AGAIN, DEJA VU!
SENSORY DEPRIVATION
It's so well documented as to be trite to even list out the various peoples who have practiced sensory deprivation, or the research which has confirmed its validity. From the oracles of the Hellenic world, the sages, priests, and philosophers of ancient Greece & Egypt, to the Tibetan dark retreat, to Ganzfeld's observations, to John C. Lilly's extensive work with float tanks - the list goes endlessly across the whole of the world. As such, my procedure for sensory deprivation, with modern technology used to ensure utmost darkness but without the high fees or intensive upkeep of a float tank:
The only essential bits of kit are a blindfold and headphones. The former is simple, any sleeping blindfold will work. The latter however, is best served by so-called "ear defenders", the type normally used at firearm ranges or for operating heavy machinery. And, absolutely essential, you must get a version of these headphones with an aux-input. These can be found rather cheaply online, and due to their intention to be used in high-stress environments, tend to be quite durable for rather long periods of time.
The next concern is the noise to be played. Here, another piece of equipment is vital. It is absolutely imperative to have a high-quality aux cable. This is because a low-quality cable will have noise penetrating the signal, giving the listener random pops and buzzes during their sensory deprivation. While not a huge deal when you just want to listen to music while operating a jackhammer, this is life or death when your goal is to enter absolute darkness. These random pops become like water torture, with their unpredictable duration defocusing to an incredible degree. With all of this said, the practice follows theory: the purpose of noise is to create a smooth texture which will cancel out all exterior noise, but not have any information for the mind to latch onto and become distracted by. I personally use a simple noise generation app played from my phone in airplane mode. In order to achieve the desired effects, I normally use brown-pink noise with a high-cut filter to keep the noise at a nice middle-range of the audio spectrum where the human ear hears the most clearly.
Another reason I use this app however, is that it's a rather primitive app which doesn't compete with other apps. This means that the second part of the audio environment can come in - binaural beats. Whatever these do (specifically of interest is the use of theta waves), the research ranges from mildly positive to glowingly fantastical. The goal ultimately, is to improve the ability of the mind to access the realms of dreams & fantasies more vividly in the blank-canvas environment of sensory deprivation. I cannot speak confidently to the full depth of why or how this functions, but I can speak from experience and research that this is quite a vital step. Likewise to my choice of noise generator app, I use an equally minimalist app for frequency generation. Neither this nor the app linked above will compete, and so can be played simultaneously without difficulty.
Finally, the concern is posture. While the ideal is the float tank, we have already accepted that's out of the question, and so, we must create a setup which allows for the same sort of stillness as the saline suspension. The goal then, is to create an absolutely neutral environment where the body will be completely forgotten. My technique is to either make the bed very neatly or strip it of all blankets excepting a single pillow. Then, fully clothed, lay upon your back with your arms neutral at your side. Double check your phone is in airplane mode, set up the noise generation apps, put on the blindfold & headphones (in that order), and lay down. Finally, work out the stored nervous tension in your muscles. From your feet upwards, clench and then totally relax every muscle in your body. This will eliminate twitches.
It's normal to fall asleep for a brief period of time and then awaken. This usually lasts about 20 minutes, but that is of no concern for you. When this happens, do not worry. Simple treat it as a sort of undulation in the wave pattern of this experience. At this stage, there is nothing left to say. Enormous benefits will come to you by simple, consistent application of these practices.
