Today, I booked a 75 minute "float"; I lay in an enclosed tub that shuts out light and sound, and the water is heated and salted so that you can feel weightless and don't notice the water over time.Here's what can happen while the time goes by.
1: Hallucinations
I've never experienced this, but I've read that it can happen, so I thought I'd mention it and get it out of the way.
2: Itches
With nothing else to notice, I find itches to scratch. It's a problem for me when I meditate too.
3: You end up tasting the water.
Probably from touching your face It's disgusting.
4: Your Muscles Relax
...in a way you've never experienced. You don't have to support anything, or swim to keep your head above water, so your whole body (and thus your mind) can just be.
5: You Stretch
In spite of the relaxation, I still felt some pain and tension in my worst spots. Stretching in a float is entirely different, because you can maintain that weightlessness (up to a point) and adopt poses you couldn't on the ground.
6: You "Dance"
Similarly, it's fun to sway and feel your way through the water.
7: You Daydream
8: You Reminisce
I had some nostalgic thoughts
9: You Lose Track of Time
I really wasn't sure how long I had spent in there at various intervals. When the chime went off to let me know I was done, I could have thought I was only halfway done, or had been in there more than 2 hours.
10: You Can Practice Meditation and Breathing Exercises
You feel peaceful and patient, and there's not much else to do.