10/10 would come back to achieve enlightenment again.
I began practicing mindfulness meditation about a year ago - mostly using 20 minute Headspace guided meditation sessions that I may or may not have illegally acquired through the interwebs.
Last week, I finally decided to pull the trigger and take meditation to the next level by practicing in a sensory deprivation tank. I think I first heard about them from a Joe Rogan podcast, but it wasn't until I found out that superstar athletes (i.e. Steph Curry) use sensory deprivation tanks that I was finally sold.
"So what exactly is a sensory deprivation tank?" you might ask. They are essentially pods (~7ft x 5ft) filled with body temperature water with a high concentration of Epsom salts. Because the salt water is super dense, you float effortlessly. Additionally, the pod is shut close, so it's pitch black and you wear ear plugs to block out sound. And voila, all of your senses are deprived and you're left in isolation with your mind. Some people say it feels like you're floating in outer space.
Rest Nest provided a fairly good experience. They have 3 pods to book and it's all done online. Though you book a 90 minute time slot, apparently the float only lasts 60 minutes - the other 30 minutes are used to shower and cleanup. The attendant dude there was pretty chill and thorough in the walk-though.
One thing that I didn't like was how the water pump is used to signal the end of the session - it's too abrupt of an ending and startles you out of your meditative bliss. Instead, they should implement a light or sound to slowly fade-in.
At ~$70 for the 1st time 60 min float, it's fairly steep; however, successive floats almost drop by 50%, costing around $35-40.
I would only recommend sensory deprivation tanks to ppl who are keen on meditation, as I'm sure the vast majority of ppl would be bored out of their mind and wouldn't know what kinds of meditative exercises to do during their session. Personally, I felt like the sensory deprivation tank was beneficial and provided an enhanced meditation session. If all else fails and you really want to visit this establishment w/o meditation experience, you could come and take the world's most expensive nap.