Variant: Flotation-REST
A review of 63 flotation studies — and why it is not evidence for WZMOCNIA
- Original title
- A systematic review of flotation-restricted environmental stimulation therapy (REST)
- Citation
- Lashgari E., Chen E., Gregory J., Maoz U. (2025). BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 25, 230. doi:10.1186/s12906-025-04973-0
- Licence of the original
- CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · © BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2025
WZMOCNIA summary based on the article; not a translation.
In one sentence
The most extensive overview of REST research to date concerns flotation — floating in salt water — and explicitly excludes Chamber-REST, the variant closest to the conditions of the WZMOCNIA Room.
What the authors did
They searched Google Scholar and PubMed (May 2024) following PRISMA guidelines, from the earliest papers of 1960. They included original English-language flotation studies and excluded papers solely on other REST variants, including Chamber-REST.
The review also recalls the history: Chamber-REST — "dry REST" in a soundproof, lightproof room — was already studied by Donald Hebb, and the name REST was coined by Peter Suedfeld. Early room sessions could be very long, up to 24 hours, with participants encouraged to limit movement.
What they found
63 flotation studies by application
Number of studies in the categories defined by the review's authors. Chamber-REST was excluded from the review.
Pain
11Athletic performance
8Physiology
8Psychology
7Stress
6States of consciousness
6Creativity
5Anxiety — clinical samples
4Other
4Sleep
2Smoking cessation
2
Data as a table
| Variable | Value |
|---|---|
| Pain | 11 |
| Athletic performance | 8 |
| Physiology | 8 |
| Psychology | 7 |
| Stress | 6 |
| States of consciousness | 6 |
| Creativity | 5 |
| Anxiety — clinical samples | 4 |
| Other | 4 |
| Sleep | 2 |
| Smoking cessation | 2 |
Own chart based on Figure 2: Lashgari et al. (2025), BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 25, 230.
- 63 studies, 1,838 participants; about 32 people per study on average (from 1 to 99).
- 76% of the studies come from the USA (27) and Sweden (21).
- 42 studies used a randomised design, 11 a before–after design, 7 interviews.
- A typical session lasted 35 to 90 minutes, usually in a series.
The authors' conclusions by area
- Stress (6 studies): all indicated lower stress levels, in clinical and non-clinical samples.
- Psychology (7): better mood, lower anxiety scores and, in some studies, lower depression scores.
- Physiology (8): changes indicating lower sympathetic arousal — blood pressure, breathing; mixed findings for cortisol.
- Creativity (5): higher originality and divergent thinking; in one study, poorer problem-solving.
- States of consciousness (6): altered time perception, visual and auditory experiences, deep relaxation.
- Pain (11): the largest category; the only comparison with placebo gave results comparable to flotation.
- Sleep (2): limited potential for sleep disorders.
- Smoking cessation (2): flotation was no more effective than other methods — in both studies other interventions, including Chamber-REST, did better.
Limitations
- Few studies in many categories — in some, statistical analysis was not possible.
- Small samples and varied protocols; the authors call for more research on mechanisms and optimal protocols.
- English-language publications from two databases only.
- Our note: this is not a meta-analysis — the review does not pool effect sizes, and its quantitative conclusions rest on counting studies with significant results.
What this means for WZMOCNIA
- The best-studied REST variant is flotation — not the WZMOCNIA Room. We do not transfer flotation results to our unit.
- The review shows the direction of the whole line of research: stimulus reduction has been studied for over 60 years, and results for stress and well-being are consistent.
- Early Chamber-REST was often long and with restricted movement; the 2025 studies show a three-hour format with freedom of movement — close to what the WZMOCNIA Room offers.
The authors' figures and tables — in the original
Because of the licence, the figures are not reproduced on this site. Each is available in the full text:
- Fig. 2 ↗ — Share of flotation application categories — the source of our chart.
- Fig. 3 ↗ — Development of flotation research topics, 1960–2022.
- Figs. 6 and 7 ↗ — Average number and length of sessions by category.
- Fig. 9 ↗ — Changes in flotation tank design over time.