{"id":274491,"date":"2026-05-01T14:40:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T12:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/?p=274491"},"modified":"2026-05-01T14:40:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T12:40:52","slug":"take-a-seat-bioengineer-claims-this-chair-can-make-you-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/pl\/blog\/take-a-seat-bioengineer-claims-this-chair-can-make-you-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Take a Seat! Bioengineer Claims This Chair Can Make You Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Shortcut to Enlightenment?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stillness has never been easy. Whether it\u2019s meditation retreats, breathwork, or silent sitting, learning to quiet your mind usually takes time \u2014 and patience. But what if you could skip the practice and go straight to the state?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the promise behind a new device making waves: a high-end chair designed to induce altered states of consciousness simply by sitting in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounds trippy huh? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Aiora Chair: Floating Without Water<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Developed by Cambridge-based company DavidHugh, the Aiora chair<\/strong> is designed to \u201cmake meditation effortless.\u201d <\/em>At first glance, it looks like a sleek, mid-century lounge chair. But according to its creator, it\u2019s doing something far more ambitious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designer and co-founder David Wickett (who holds a PhD in biomedical engineering) <\/em>says the chair creates a sensation of weightlessness. It does this by distributing pressure evenly across the body and shifting your center of mass horizontally rather than vertically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea is simple: remove physical stress and external sensory input, and the mind follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Users reportedly describe a floating feeling, similar to being suspended in space, or more realistically, floating in a sensory deprivation tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Altered States\u2026 or Clever Design?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The company claims that sitting in the chair can lead to meditative or even altered states of consciousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a bia\u0142a ksi\u0119ga<\/a> published by the creators, users show a specific pattern of brain activity while using the chair. This includes decreased slow-wave activity and increased fast-frequency activity \u2014 an EEG signature that, the paper states, \u201cmirrors EEG patterns found in long-term Buddhist meditators.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a bold claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially when you consider the price: between \u00a35,000 and \u00a39,000 (roughly \u20ac6,000 to \u20ac10,000).<\/em> For that kind of investment, you\u2019d hope for more than just a comfortable nap!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
przez Unsplash<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
What the Experts Say<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Not everyone is convinced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willoughby Britton, a professor of psychiatry and clinical psychologist at Brown University, is cautious about the claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOverall, I think the chair is a cool idea, and it deserves some real science behind it. But so far, this is not real science,\u201d <\/em>she told Popular Mechanics. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her main concern is the lack of rigorous testing. The white paper hasn\u2019t gone through peer review, and there\u2019s no randomized controlled trial comparing the chair to a placebo or similar device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Britton also points out a deeper issue: brain waves alone don\u2019t tell the full story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar EEG patterns can show up in very different mental states. So even if the chair changes brain activity, that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s producing a genuine meditative or transformative experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wickett acknowledges these limitations. He says more detailed research is underway, but for now, the chair remains an experimental tool. One that may feel good, yes, but hasn\u2019t yet proven its deeper claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Long History of Sensory Reduction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The idea behind the chair isn\u2019t new. Humans have been trying to reach altered states by reducing sensory input for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most well-known methods? Sensory deprivation tanks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also known as flotation tanks or isolation tanks, these were developed in the 1950s by neuroscientist John C. Lilly<\/a>. The setup is simple: you float in a dark, soundproof tank filled with body-temperature salt water. The high salt content makes you buoyant, so you float effortlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With no light, no sound, and minimal physical sensation, your brain has very little external information to process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So it turns inward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A sensory deprivation tank (via Wikimedia Commons)<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Happens in a Float Tank?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Research into sensory deprivation tanks shows they can produce a range of effects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n