The Book of Floating: Exploring the Private Sea [Paperback]

Michael Hutchison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1985

This is the quintessential book on floating and the uses of the floatation tank. Hutchison has done extensive research, and he summarises the information on floating as an aid to health and relaxation, as used for visualisation in various professions including law, the arts, and professional sports, as used to break addictions, and so on. A new chapter for this edition tells the author's own story of a miraculous recovery from complete paralysis through his own application of the principles of floating, meditation, and concentration of will.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A comprehensive, practical guide to a powerful technology of change. -- Marilyn Ferguson, author of The Aquarian Conspiracy

A superb book for initiates into the tank. -- Dr. John C. Lilly, author of The Deep Self, The Scientist

If everyone... floated everyday there would be no war, no poverty, no crime, no hunger... a must-read book! -- E.J. Gold, author of
Tanks for the Memories, The American Book of the Dead --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Michael Hutchison is the author of The Book of Floating, MegaBrain, and many journal articles and reviews. He was severely injured in an accident a few years ago, and by applying the knowledge he gleaned from researching The Book of Floating, he has come back from complete paralysis to a life of increasing functionality. His book is widely known as the best researched work on the floatation tank, and he plans to do extensive radio interviews and publicity for this new Gateways edition. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co (April 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688048269
• ISBN-13: 978-0688048266
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,890,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Attention fans of the film 'Altered States'!, August 30, 2001

By 

"aepplett" (British Columbia, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Floating: Exploring the Private Sea (Paperback)

This is a book on the practice of floating in what are commonly referred to as sensory deprivation tanks. Hutchison, as a journalist, set out to basically debunk floating, and inadvertently wrote the definitive book on why floating is such a rare experience with so many transformative possibilities. In a nutshell, Hutchison tells us that not only is floating the ultimate way to relax, meditate, heal and learn, it would seem that it is the ultimate path away from addiction and fear. Powerful stuff. He writes about Dr. John Lilly's initial experiments, and the subsequent history of the development of the floating tank using epsom salts to create an ideal floating environment. The bulk of the book is a discussion of the wide range of applications, research and experiments that have been taken into the tank. The claims Hutchison makes of the potential use of the tank are quite astounding. He discusses the impact of frequent floating on learning, stress relief, visualisation techniques, behaviour modification, improving mental and athletic performance, and releasing latent creativity. This book is easy to read, end-noted, cross-referenced and anecdoted with results from studies done at universities all over North America. Floating, it is credibly argued by Hutchison and the researchers and floaters he spoke with, frees the body from gravity, allowing for accelerated healing. It also relaxes the body and the mind allowing for deep meditative states, and provides the perfect environment for self-hypnosis and accelerated learning. Unfortunately, this book is out of print, I consider myself lucky to have found it in a used book store. I whole-heartedly recommend this book for anyone who has thought about exploring the profundities of their own private sea. Floating can be transformative but, as Hutchison argues, best if you can do it for a long period of time, at least six months to realize the potential. If you are curious about the possibilities of this unique inner journey, this book will convince you that doing so is worth the effort and money.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining and informative read by an expert researcher, February 11, 2004

By 

Frank Rodriguez (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Floating: Exploring the Private Sea (Consciousness Classics) (Paperback)

As someone whose health and sense of well-being has been improved by using float tanks, I'm grateful for such an informative and enjoyable-to-read book as this.
Most people are missing out on a myriad of benefits simply because they don't know what float tanks are and/or what they can offer.
Mr. Hutchison bridges this information gap beautifully while elevating the level of appreciation on the part of the many people who have been benefitting from the float tank.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect introduction to a life-changing tool, August 31, 2006

By 

Tere Torre - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Floating: Exploring the Private Sea (Consciousness Classics) (Paperback)

Who wouldn't want a relaxing and drug-free alternative to pain and stress? That's what floatation therapy offers, but thanks to the American mindset of "newer is better", floatation therapy went out of vogue in the 80s, despite an unparalleled success rate.

So how do you learn about floatation therapy when none of your friends and family know about it, the libraries don't carry any books about it, they don't teach it in school, and your doctor's never heard of it? That's easy, just read The Book of Floating. Every friend I loan my copy to is amazed that they could go their whole life without knowing about float tanks.

At a time when back surgery and anti-anxiety medication is common, The Book of Floating is an important reminder of a side effect-free solution that has been widely available to Americans since the 70s. Do a Google search for "float tanks across the US" and you'll find a list of 61 businesses that currently offer floating.