Exploring the Positive Effects of Guided Meditation in Floatation Tanks: A Controlled Repeated Measures Study on Physiological and Psychological Wellbeing
FTA - Millikin Psychological Research Outcome
by Keely Watkins & Jeanne Mills
Overall, participants experienced positive effects like higher levels of perceived relaxation state when listening to a guided meditation track within a 60-minute session compared to relaxation levels seen after meditating in a room. Although floating with and without the meditation tracks similar relaxation levels.
However, participants as a whole experienced higher levels of heart rate coherence while floating with the guided meditation compared to when they floated without the meditation or meditated in a private room.
What does this mean?
Floating as a whole generated positive benefits for all participants for how they perceived relaxation after compared to meditating alone. However, body analysis (heart rate coherence) reveals that floating with the meditation provided higher bodily-evident stress relief and mental health benefits.