Although we might think of it as something passive, we can actually get better at hovering in and maintaining that in-between state of consciousness, whether you call it Theta, flow, or something even more simple like day-dreaming. When we’re floating, we can actively cultivate the theta state, essentially hacking into our own creative mind through ‘non-doing.’
Although some people go into a float with a clear intention of what they’d like to work on, others simply allow themselves to be surprised when the answer to a problem (that might not have even been front of mind) emerges from the subconscious. Somehow, allowing our bodies to get completely comfortable and melt away gives our minds the space they need to ruminate on our ideas, casually processing them and often leading (almost magically) to these spontaneous “Aha!” moments.
The tank is an amazing tool, which gives us easier access to these parts of ourselves that we so rarely give ourselves the space or time to achieve in our daily lives. Regularly allowing for these moments of time where we have no obligations, not even to fight gravity, can be truly life changing. To achieve better insight, it actually helps to focus your attention away from the outside world, literally spending more time looking inwards.
If you’re overworked, and underwhelmed with the progress on your goals, self-care in general (and floating specifically) could be the key to breaking out of the destructive cycle of modern life. Creativity and human insight will always be of the utmost importance to making progress in life, and we should all give ourselves the down-time that we need to let them thrive.