My Journey Inward.

Since I don't have enough on my plate in preparation for my birthday, I am also doing a session in a  sensory deprivation tank on my birthday. I am at the moment only signed up for an hour in the tank. I may change it to an hour and a half appointment, depending on how the preparation goes. Thus far on the internet I have not found much information about how to prepare yourself for the tank. The only thing people seem to say is not to shave before hand cause the salt will irritate the skin. I am, therefore, developing some of my own preparation methods. I am doing three things.
Everyday I am doing a "sensory deprivation meditation" I put on a sleep mask and ear plugs and lay on my bed and try to "let go." Yesterday and today, I got about 30 minutes in before I started feeling anxious and stopped. It's very weird doing this, I seem to go somewhere, but I can't say where. I don't try to go "no mind" or anything. I do sometimes try and visualize something, like walking in nature. For the most part my mind just wanders. Time seems to become non-existent, when I stop and come out of the darkness, I have no idea how much time has passed until I check the clock. It's a very interesting space to enter.
I am also trying to become more familiar with the sensation of floating. I try to take cold baths as often as possible. Yesterday in the bath, I spent most of the time trying to feel normal with earplugs in and my head floating around the level it will be in the tank. I also try and float my arms or legs. I have to do one or the other at a time cause my bath tub is so small.
Finally, I am working on lucid dreaming. There are noortropics out there that are said to enhance lucid dreaming, I am trying to explore everything I can in this realm with out drugs before I venture into the world of noortropics. I am writing before bed (all long hand) preparing my mind for remembering dreams in the night. Then as I lay down to fall asleep I try to focus on remembering my dreams. Then when I wake up I grab the same notebook and as fast as I can write down all that I can remember from my dreams.
I hope that these practices will help me in my adventure inward in the sensory deprivation tank. I will keep you updated.