Sensory deprivation is straight up scary. What does it even mean to experience nothing? Especially when my screen time is 10 hours a day, which led my father to say this: I bet you can't last a few hours in one of these. Okay. He might be right, but I'm too insecure to accept that. So I bet him that I could. And whoever loses the bet has to paint themselves green and say in front of all of you, 'What are you doing in my swamp?' on camera. Next thing I know, I'm outside of a building that's probably on the cover of a Goosebumps book. It didn't take long to find the entrance and immediately be terrified by a cat waving at me, as well as a plethora of ducks. Why are there so many ducks here? That is a super duck. I nervously waited for a few minutes when I was greeted by a man named Tom, legally known as the master of senses. I was then guided to the world's largest sensory deprivation pool. I'm not scared, you're scared. I feel like I walked into another portal at some point back there. You're telling me this isn't the most ominous door you've ever seen? Bruh. I'm going to be doing the maximum legal time in this thing, three hours. One with no gravity, one with no gravity or light, and one with no gravity, light, or sound. Complete sensory deprivation, which apparently can have some side effects. I'm a little scared of hallucinating. Like in a Simpsons episode, they hallucinate, so it must be true. But first, I checked how deep the water is because I can barely swim, which Tom thought was hilarious. And now I'm ready. Yay! oh my goodness... whoa... see ya... so when you get into a floating pool, generally the progression is as follows: you get in, you sit down, you lay back, and as you lay back, you float up to the surface of the water. oh my gosh- I feel like a single-celled organism right now. I've got a timer on my phone that's going to go off at the three-hour mark. This pool is saltier than my ex-girlfriend- I don't have an ex-girlfriend. You guys know I can't swim really. Well, I can't float either. I am negative buoyant somehow. So these pools have tons of salt, like 2,500 pounds of salt. Even in Stranger Things, they show them filling up a pool with salt. And salt makes you float. I worked really hard on this visual. Please affirm me. But in conclusion, it's like, uh, dropping an ice cube into a glass. wooo! If it's a person's first time, it's going to take maybe 5 to 10 minutes for them to start to release their body in a way that trusts the water. I have never successfully floated before. and this is, well, this is crazy- I was only 18 minutes into this challenge when I had the actual scariest experience of my life. what the freak- a duck! of course. you know i'd say 10 minutes to 20 minutes is- ya know, "mind dump". i feel like a butterfly. it's fun to stay at the- y- m- c- a- bs bs bs. and then maybe around 25 to 30 minutes the mind just goes okay- i give up. i don't see how people fall asleep in here. You know, this is why you don't say stuff like that. I'm completely asleep here. totally vulnerable. But the duck woke me up and now it's time to turn off the lights. no light. here we go. Turning off the lights added a completely new element to this that I genuinely didn't expect to be that dramatic, but it was. i have lost all concept of time. but i still have my duck with me. so- ya know, being glued to a phone or glued to a screen i think increases, you know, your own personal suffering. So I haven't even gotten to the silence yet and I feel so weird because I've realized I have developed a habit of listening to something at all times or watching something at all times. Like this screenshot is my life. i feel like the dvd icon that's like bouncing around- just hoping to hit the corner perfectly. hah- not quite... We are the happiest, and this has been proven in study after study, when we are fully present in a moment, right here, right now. and the moment is not on the screen. it's so echoey. i feel like we're in the inside of my mind right now- and it's not a very familiar place. 60 to 90 minutes is enjoyable, relaxing, refreshing. floating longer, it could be visionary. you could see- either things that you have seen or things you have not. Around two hours and four minutes-ish is where something actually crazy happened. I really feel like my mind was the only thing working at this point. I suddenly felt like I infiltrated this memory that I haven't thought of in years because I felt so still. Please don't judge me when you watch this. i feel like this reminds me of- when i was little- in the summertimes when i didn't have to go to school. my grandma- she was like my... she like, raised me. my grandma would like take naps for the day. hgeheh- and i HATED taking naps. but i always took a nap with her. and i just remember feeling so still. Well, that's embarrassing. but it was real. Anyways... alright we got 2 earplugs. maxed out sensory deprivation. when you cut off sensory input to the body, it's pretty amazing, right? no gravity- no light- no sound. you're reducing the workload that your brain and centeral nervous system has to process pretty dramatically. byee :) hey!!! all i can hear is the noises inside my ear that are like... *mouth noises* I fell asleep immediately. Hour three, let me tell you about hour three. It hits different, okay? it's like everything in the world, it's a wave. it starts at a certain level, ya know, and then you sink down into a deep relaxation and then the mind comes back and asserts itself. AH- you could tell me i've been in here for- 30 minutes- or 10 hours- seriously- i'm not just saying that. And now you're about to watch me reach the threshold of hallucinations, confusion, constipation, I don't remember the full list, but this is it. If I had to explain what I was feeling in this moment, or what I was seeing is basically on screen. I feel like my mind just started creating content because what even is nothing? Like the absence of every sense, every thought, my identity on this planet, everything. It was just gone for a bit. The last 20 minutes was a spiritual experience. And it took me another 10 minutes to even realize my timer was going off. But what I did next is the real story here. oh shoot. i did it! I immediately started checking my notifications. And if you heard this sound throughout this video, that's because there were 62 of them. One for every notification I missed while in this tank. And so I guess the question is, were they worth missing? is this thang on? what am i supposed to say? what are you doing in my swamp? So that's basically just gonna pop up and it's gonna... Give me do it one more time.
A quick-cut montage shows a person in a water-filled helmet (from Stranger Things) and another person floating in darkness wearing goggles.
"Sensory deprivation is straight up scary. What does it even mean to experience nothing?"
Setting: sensory deprivation tank — dim, internal, blueish
People (1):
• submerged in water, not visible hair — distressed, mouth open
Text: "SENSORY DEPRIVATION IS STRAIGHT UP SCARY"
A man holds up a smartphone to show a picture of a sensory deprivation tank to a younger man, challenging him.
"which led my father to say this: I bet you can't last a few hours in one of these."
Setting: modern kitchen — soft, ambient indoor lighting
People (2):
• standing, leaning in, wearing light green hoodie, curly, light brown/blonde hair — smiling, looking at the phone
• standing, wearing grey t-shirt, short, brown and grey hair — looking at the younger man with a challenging expression
A young man signs a printed contract on a wooden table. Then, an older man signs below his signature.
"So I bet him that I could. And whoever loses the bet has to paint themselves green"
Setting: indoor dining area — bright, natural light
People (1):
• leaning over a table, wearing light green hoodie, not visible hair — not visible
Text: "CONTRACT"
A young man stands with his hands in his pockets in front of a large, old-looking brick building.
"Next thing I know I'm outside of a building that's probably on the cover of a Goosebumps book."
Setting: outside a building — overcast, daylight
People (1):
• standing still, wearing black sweatshirt with a small white logo and light grey sweatpants, curly, light brown/blonde hair — neutral expression
A quick montage of quirky objects inside the wellness center, including a golden Maneki-neko (waving cat) and many different themed rubber ducks on shelves.
"a cat waving at me, as well as a plethora of ducks. Why are there so many ducks here?"
Setting: wellness center waiting room — warm, soft indoor lighting
A man with long hair and a beard smiles warmly.
"I was greeted by a man named Tom, legally known as the master of senses."
Setting: wellness center waiting room — dim, warm, atmospheric
People (1):
• standing, wearing dark green cardigan over a grey shirt, long, straight, reddish-blonde with a receding hairline hair — smiling gently, looking to the side
Text: "tom :)", "(master of senses)"
Following a young man as he walks down a long, narrow hallway illuminated by vibrant purple and pink neon lights.
"I was then guided to the world's largest sensory deprivation pool. I'm not scared, you're scared."
Setting: hallway in wellness center — saturated purple and pink neon lighting from above
People (1):
• walking down a hallway, wearing black sweatshirt, curly, light brown/blonde hair — partially visible in profile, looking around
The young man stands in a tiled room bathed in red light, looking at a large, textured door with a metal handle.
"you're telling me this isn't the most ominous door you've ever seen?"
Setting: room with float tank — saturated, deep red light
People (1):
• standing, facing the door, wearing black sweatshirt with a small white logo and light grey sweatpants, curly, light brown/blonde hair — serious, apprehensive
Text: "you're telling me", "ominous door you've ever seen?"
The man opens the large door, revealing a cubical tank filled with water that is glowing with a vibrant green light.
Setting: room with float tank — contrast between the red room and the green tank
People (1):
• standing, opening the door, wearing black sweatshirt, curly, light brown/blonde hair — partially visible, looking into the tank
Text: "*scary science noises*"
A screenshot of a fake Google search result is shown, with the text '3 hours' highlighted.
"I'm going to be doing the maximum legal time in this thing, three hours."
Setting: digital screen — bright, screen-emitted light
Text: "Sensory Deprivation Concerns", "The maximum time allowed in a sensory deprivation pool is currently 3 hours..."
A grainy, black and white shot shows a person's face barely visible, floating in darkness.
"and one with no gravity, light, or sound. Complete sensory deprivation,"
Setting: sensory deprivation tank (total darkness) — extremely dim, almost none
People (1):
• floating, wet hair — indistinct, eyes closed
Text: "HOUR 3", "no gravity, light or sound", "(100% sensory deprivation)"
A clip from 'The Simpsons' shows the character Lisa Simpson floating in a sensory deprivation tank with a look of shock and wide eyes.
"I'm a little scared of hallucinating. Like in a Simpsons episode they hallucinate, so it must be true."
Setting: cartoon sensory deprivation tank — animated, ambient blue light
Text: "“the simpsons”", "sensory deprivation episode"
The man named Tom throws his head back and laughs hysterically.
Setting: Tom's office — soft, ambient indoor light
People (1):
• leaning back while laughing, wearing dark green cardigan over a grey shirt, long, reddish-blonde hair — laughing heartily, mouth wide open, eyes closed
Text: "tom when he found out i checked the depth"
The young man steps into the green-glowing tank, splashes his foot, and begins to close the heavy door from the inside.
"oh my goodness... whoa... see ya-"
Setting: room with float tank — contrast of red and green light
People (1):
• stepping into the tank, wearing grey t-shirt and patterned shorts, curly, light brown/blonde hair — back to camera
Text: "*foot splash*"
A silhouette of the man lays back in the water and effortlessly floats to the surface, arms outstretched.
"and as you lay back, you float up to the surface of the water."
Setting: inside the float tank — strong green backlight from above
People (1):
• floating on back, silhouette hair — silhouette
A close-up shot of the man's silhouetted face as he floats in the green-lit water.
"I feel like a single-celled organism right now."
Setting: inside the float tank — bright green ambient light
People (1):
• floating, wet, curly hair — in silhouette, profile view
An animated graphic shows a cartoon version of the man sinking in blue water.
"You guys know I can't swim really. Well, I can't float either."
Setting: animated water — digital
Text: "I CAN'T FLOAT EITHER"
The animated graphic now shows the cartoon man floating effortlessly on the surface of the water.
"I worked really hard on this visual. Please affirm me."
Setting: animated water — digital
Text: "i spent 3 hours making this salt explanation :(", "plz spam comments with "WOW RYAN NICE JOB" :("
The man floats completely still in the tank, which is now lit with a deep blue light. A digital timer is visible at the top of the screen.
"I have never successfully floated before, and this is, well, this is crazy-"
Setting: inside the float tank — strong blue backlight from above
People (1):
• floating perfectly still on his back, silhouette hair — silhouette
Text: "00:17:52"
The man is suddenly startled by a small rubber duck floating past his head. He sits up quickly, pointing at it.
"what the freak- a duck!"
Setting: inside the float tank — dim, ambient green light from above
People (1):
• sitting up abruptly in the water, wearing grey t-shirt, wet, curly hair — shocked, then amused
The man is floating peacefully on his back in the tank, which is lit with a soft, dim green light.
"i feel like a butterfly"
Setting: inside the float tank — dim backlight from above
People (1):
• floating on back, wearing dark t-shirt, silhouette hair — silhouette
Text: "00:22:13"
The man is shown floating completely motionless, clearly asleep. The water is still.
"You know, this is why you don't say stuff like that. I'm completely asleep here."
Setting: inside the float tank — dim backlight from above
People (1):
• floating motionless, asleep, wearing dark t-shirt, silhouette hair — silhouette, still
Text: "i fell asleep lol"
The man, now shirtless, leans forward and turns off the light inside the tank, plunging the scene into darkness.
"No light."
Setting: inside the float tank — a single green light from above, which is then extinguished
People (1):
• sitting up in the water, wet, curly, blonde hair — looking up at the light, nervous smile
Text: "no light"
A night-vision camera shows the man floating in the pitch-black tank. The water ripples around him.
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• floating on back, wet hair — visible, neutral expression
Text: "01:12:16"
The man floats in the dark, speaking to himself. He seems disoriented but calm.
"I have lost all concept of time. but I still have my duck with me. so-"
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• floating on back, wet hair — looking up, speaking
The classic 'DVD Video' logo bounces around the black screen, changing colors, narrowly missing the corners.
"I feel like the DVD icon that's like bouncing around- just hoping to hit the corner perfectly."
Setting: digital screen space — self-illuminated logo
Text: "DVD VIDEO"
The man floats in the dark, his eyes wide, looking around as if exploring an unfamiliar space.
"it's so echoey. i feel like we're in the inside of my mind right now- and it's not a very familiar place."
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• floating, wet hair — eyes open, looking around
Text: "01:44:45"
The man is floating in the dark, speaking softly as he recalls a childhood memory.
"i feel like this reminds me of- when i was little- in the summertimes when i didn't have to go to school."
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• floating, wet hair — calm, eyes closed
The man's face, seen in grainy night vision, crumples as he begins to cry. Tears well up in his eyes.
"and i just remember feeling so still."
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• floating, wet hair — crying, emotional
The man continues to cry, eventually submerging his face in the water and then rubbing his eyes.
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• floating, then curling up, wet hair — crying
The man holds up two small, white earplugs to the night-vision camera.
"Anyways, alright we got 2 earplugs. maxed out sensory deprivation."
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• sitting up, wet hair — focused
The man inserts the earplugs into his ears and then lays back into the water, preparing for total sensory deprivation.
"byee :)"
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• sitting up, then laying back, wet hair — calm, looking at camera
As the man floats in total darkness and silence, a small, bright light appears on his chest, and he shouts in surprise.
"hey!!!"
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• floating, wet hair — shocked
The man is shown floating asleep again.
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• floating, wet hair — asleep
Text: "20 minutes later"
A distorted, ghostly face with a smile flashes on the screen for a split second over the image of the floating man.
"AH-"
Setting: inside the float tank (hallucination) — infrared/night vision
The man wakes up with a start, looking completely disoriented and confused about how much time has passed.
"you could tell me i've been in here for- 30 minutes- or 10 hours- seriously-"
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• floating, wet hair — wide-eyed, confused
The man is shown floating asleep yet again in the dark tank.
"If I had to explain what I was feeling in this moment..."
Setting: inside the float tank — infrared/night vision
People (1):
• floating, wet hair — asleep
Text: "i fell asleep again lmao"
The timer on the smartphone hits zero, and the alarm screen appears.
"Every thought, my identity on this planet, everything. It was just gone for a bit."
Setting: outside the tank — light from the phone screen
Text: "00:01"
The man emerges from the tank, holding his phone up triumphantly to show that the timer has finished.
"oh shoot. i did it!"
Setting: inside the float tank — bright, warm light from above
People (1):
• leaning out of the tank, wearing dark t-shirt, wet, curly hair — excited, smiling
A close-up of the top of the smartphone shows a counter of missed notifications rapidly increasing, accompanied by a sound wave graphic.
"that's because there were 62 of them. One for every notification I missed while in this tank."
Setting: digital screen space — digital
Text: "missed notifications: 62"
The man's father, his face and hair painted bright green, looks into the camera and delivers the line from the movie Shrek.
"what am i supposed to say? what are you doing in my swamp?"
Setting: bedroom — bright, soft indoor lighting
People (1):
• standing, facing camera, wearing light-colored robe over a t-shirt, short, brown and grey, partially painted green hair — painted completely green, looking resigned but amused