Curious about the claim that sensory deprivation will improve creativity (by the same logic, will fasting make you better at cooking?), our team set out to test this theory. Teaming up with the boys at Floatasian, Andreas and Theodor, we aimed to reach a new level of creativity with only water and salt – and a very expensive tub.

How did we go about this investigation? 

Well, for an experiment that adheres to scientific principles, you would need a control subject and a test that is repeatable…but being a creative agency, we of course, did not do this. Instead, we sent four of our creatives to each spend an hour drifting in a pitch-black saltwater tub.

The first to share their experience exploring the hidden layers of consciousness was Hoyen.

“I didn’t expect it to be so humid,” she recalled (although she should’ve). “For the first few minutes, I was distracted and uncomfortable.” She described her inability to rid herself of her thoughts. “The staff recommended that I position my arms above my head, but that only made me feel vulnerable.” She quickly lost all sense of time and physical orientation as she let herself blend into the water. “It’s almost impossible to tell which parts of your body are submerged and which aren’t!” she exclaimed. “I finally let go and experienced the calm state between sleep and wakefulness. It was at this point that I realized I didn’t want this meditation to end.”

Contrary to our first designer, it only took Rita a few minutes to feel her brain and body decelerate. “I already knew a great deal about sensory deprivation tanks; I knew what to expect, but I was still very enthusiastic to try one out for myself.” Eventually, she nodded off. “After I woke up, I could vaguely remember seeing a figure, it was an ambiguous red glow, but I could tell it was a person,” she insisted. Was it a hallucination? It’s possible, but we can’t know for sure. Rita believes that floating can help her unleash artistic abilities by taking her to her creative peak – the edge of sleep.

“As a seeker of transcendent experiences, this sounded fun to me,” Carmen said, “but it hadn’t occurred to me yet that being alone in isolation would be frightening.” Having never spent time without sight and sound, her brain responded to the bizarre condition with panic. Ben agreed, “I felt that I was supposed to relax, and that was a challenge – focusing on relaxing only did the opposite.”

Reaching a profound artistic journey isn’t as simple as it seems – it may take a few more sessions before floating can spark ingeniousness!

Contrary to what many first-floaters may believe – you are in complete control during the session. People worry about the darkness, drowning, or being claustrophobic. Relax! Guests can enter and exit the tank as they please, and keep the door open and lights on. Roughly 450 kilograms of Epsom salt is used in each float tank, making it possible for anyone to float effortlessly.

The results of the experiment were inconclusive; our designers didn’t reach a new level of creativity (it seems they work better with their eyes glued to a computer screen) – but the possibilities within the float tank are infinite. For those of you who want a drug-induced experience (without the drugs), visit Floatasian on the second floor of Building 5 in Unit A at 288 Dagu Road.