We've already landed in St. Louis, checked in to our AirBnb, and have been greeted by the warm embrace of our float family here for the Rise Float Gathering. The welcome party was wonderful. Drinks were had, stories were shared, and old friends greeted each other and new relationships formed across tables in excited conversations about salt damage, float tank research, and the wild stories we're all bringing in from our parts of the world. Already, it promises to be a fun, exciting, and invigorating weekend here at the Donald Danforth Center. Check back in for live updates to all the speakers, events, and goings on this weekend at the Rise Float Gathering. Sat May 04 9:00 am — 9:15 Opening Remarks - Jake and Kevin In between mic troubles, Jake and Kevin kicked off the event with a warm conversation around the stage, greeting Glenn and Lee Perry as they came in. They brought warmth to the otherwise sterile Dansforth Plant Science Research center. Jake led a guided meditation to bring everyone present this morning. Feeling the entire room exhale in unison while centering ourselves was the perfect sort of magic to open the weekend with. Not to be outdone, Kevin taught everyone some laughter yoga and had the entire audience playing with each other like schoolyard children. 9:15 am — 9:45 Stephen Johnson Our resident industry poet opened with "wild psychonauts are not typically welcome in polite society. This is why we gather." So often, his words create a synthesis between spirituality and logic. His piece this year explicated the parallel's between gathering with our floaty brethren and floating in our tanks. It's a helpful reminder in our interconnected nature and how sharing our experiences together make us stronger. Following his talk, Jake and Kevin sat him down on the couch on stage and just talked. About philosophy, playfulness, and perception. He shared his plans on making a documentary with his son to talk with the industry all across the country. He mentioned a release sometime around the beginning of next year and it will be fully available to the industry. 9:45 am — 10:25 Lee and Glenn Perry The spirit of playfulness continued as the parents of the industry came onto the stage. Glenn briefly played hide and seek while a mic'd Lee tried to quietly ask for a pen. Even while Glenn discussed his challenging personal growth found through floating, there was a conversational warmth that exuded from them. The couple announced their intention to release a book January 6th, 2020 about their experiences with John C. Lilly, building the float industry, and what they've learned about the world. Glenn talked about the dichotomy between Love and Fear. About how certain people may embody these traits, and each of us are somewhere on the spectrum, humorously saying "we are each somewhere between the Dalai Llama and Donald Trump." While sharing the story of his first float, he offered his insights on how we can remain present while living in a society that seems intent on preventing us from doing so. "It takes Herculean effort to remain present while in fear" and reminded us all that the act of floating is a defiant act and is one of the single greatest tools to mitigate fear and stay present every day. Lee spent her time on stage petitioning the entire industry to help them name their book, or if anyone has particular things that they would like to see in the book. To find more information about their book, go to samadhitank.com/book-buynow and if you have any suggestions, go to samadhitank.com/contact. 11:05 am — 11:40 Angela McAllister The owner of Lucidity Float in Chattanooga, Angela talked about the importance of dealing with stress and negativity. As float center owners, how can anyone authentically encourage customers to remove stress if the owners aren't living that experience. A theme in the discussions today. She started her professional life with a degree in environmental science and advocated for public ...