The powerful benefits of floating. Dr. Justin Feinstein

Dr. Feinstein is a clinical neuropsychologist. In 2021, Dr. Feinstein became President and Director of the Float Research Collective, a nonprofit organization that is playing a pivotal role in establishing Floatation-REST as an accepted medical treatment. He discusses the benefits of float therapy, for meditation, calming the nervous system, He shares his personal experience with floating and how it changed his life. Dr. Feinstein talks about his journey into studying float therapy and the establishment of his lab, as well as the clinical results. He emphasizes the safety and efficacy of float therapy. He also highlights the potential of float therapy in treating PTSD, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. Float therapy has profound benefits for mental and physical health and well-being. The effects of floating are long lasting, providing significant anti-anxiety effects. Float therapy can be a powerful tool for first responders, firefighters, and individuals with PTSD and trauma. It can also enhance athletic performance and help individuals stay calm in high-stress situations. Dr. Feinstein created “The Maui Calm Project” which aims to provide free float therapy to the community of Maui, offering healing and support to those affected by the recent wildfires. The Float Research Collective is working towards getting float therapy approved as an accepted medical treatment, accessible to all.

Dr. Feinstein is an expert in the neuroscience of fear who is trailblazing a new path forward for the treatment of anxiety. Utilizing both the lesion method and functional neuroimaging, his research has revealed important clues about the role of the human amygdala and insula in the conscious experience of fear and anxiety. He has over 50 peer-reviewed publications in some of the top scientific journals and his research has been featured in the popular press including the New York Times, NPR, TIME magazine, and CBS National News.

Dr. Feinstein received his Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology from the University of Iowa and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the California Institute of Technology. He earned his undergraduate degree in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of California San Diego, where he later returned to complete his clinical internship at the San Diego VA hospital with a focus on the treatment of veterans with PTSD using prolonged exposure therapy. Dr. Feinstein is an adjunct professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Iowa.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Personal Experience with Float Therapy

01:16 Dr. Feinstein's Journey into Studying Float Therapy

08:44 The Safety and Efficacy of Float Therapy

14:07 Float Therapy as a Potential Treatment for PTSD and Anxiety

17:48 Float Therapy: A Non-Pharmacological Alternative

25:41 The Positive Effects of Float Therapy on Stress and Anxiety

35:31 The Profound Benefits of Float Therapy

37:09 Long-lasting Anti-Anxiety Effects

40:06 Float Therapy for Stress Management

46:54 Float Therapy for First Responders and PTSD

50:23 The Maui Calm Project