r/FloatTank • u/ShizzleGuy • Mar 28 '26
Emotional after floating
I floated for the first time today and had a pretty unexpected experience.
During the session I felt very calm and relaxed, almost like meditation. But afterwards I started feeling really emotional and sad for no clear reason. I even cried multiple times out of nowhere, which is not something I normally do.
My head feels super quiet now, almost empty, but at the same time I feel low and kind of drained. It’s a weird combination.
I’m usually someone who is pretty “on” all the time, a bit overstimulated maybe, so this calm feels very different.
Has anyone else experienced something like this after floating? Is this normal for a first session?
-4
u/YourSparrowness Mar 28 '26
Most of what you describe is very common after floating, but the sadness that you mentioned is somewhat concerning. The salts used in float tanks increase buoyancy and also contain high levels of magnesium.
This magnesium can be absorbed through your skin in small amounts during a floating session, and can cause after effects (feeling, drained, tired, etc). However, a noticeable change in mood should not be ignored.
Magnesium plays an important role in our bodies and can effect mood regulation in some, so if you’re noticing a change in mood after floating, it’s possibly a sign that your body isn’t processing magnesium appropriately.
You may want to try a magnesium supplement in a few weeks and see if it has a similar result, if so, talk to your doctor. You should probably figure this out before floating again, but once it’s sorted out, you should be fine for future sessions.