As a gear editor who’s been working in the health and wellness space for nearly a decade, I’ve noticed one recurring trend: the endless additions to our self-care routine. It’s no longer enough to eat well and exercise. Instead, to be our “best selves,” we’re expected to meditate, walk 10,000 steps each day, follow a multi-step skincare routine, practice mobility, and keep a journal—every single day. I’m not immune to the pressure to follow this regime (I say this while wearing a posture-correcting sports bra and teeth-whitening strips), but to be honest, even I feel overwhelmed while attempting to keep up with the latest self-optimization trends.
So, when a new wellness experience promises several scientifically proven benefits in one 25-minute treatment, well, I’m listening. That’s how I was introduced to the Ammortal Chamber, a bio-energetic therapy that combines five non-invasive technologies into a single experience.
I tried the machine a few weeks ago, smack dab in the middle of a hectic work day during my busiest season, to see if the benefits lived up to the hype. Here’s what went down.
What Is the Ammortal Chamber?
When you use an Ammortal Chamber, you lie down on a reclined platform, while a Harry Styles-esque voice gently explains what is going on, and a red light shines on you from all angles.
This futuristic treatment claims to combine light, sound, vibration, and guided meditation into one treatment that’s designed to support several recovery-focused functions:
- Faster muscle and injury recovery
- Stress and burnout management
- Deeper sleep and nervous system regulation
- Improved mood, mental clarity, and energy
Ammortal delivers these benefits through red light therapy, pulsed electromagnetic fields, molecular hydrogen (aka extra oxygen delivered through a medical-grade tube), and vibrational frequencies.
My Experience Testing the Ammortal Chamber
To be totally transparent, I entered Eastend, a wellness club in Chicago, and the only Illinois location currently offering the Ammortal Chamber, with a scattered brain and a frenzied spirit. I was in dire need of some stress and burnout management and improved mood, mental clarity, and energy, among other things.
With my eyes closed and my body still, I tried to tune into every sensation: the warm light on my skin, the slight itchiness in my legs (likely from the vibrations, my guide later told me), the supple, contoured pillow under my neck.
After checking in at reception, I was escorted to the private room featuring the Ammortal Chamber. An Eastend employee helped me choose my “journey” for the day from a prix fixe menu of vibrational frequencies and soundscapes. After confessing that I was, in fact, a nervous wreck at the moment, we landed on “Relax,” which he called “the smoothest of them all” and perfect for first-timers. “You’re going to walk out feeling a little floaty, like everything’s cool,” my guide said.
From there, the experience got techy. Wearing bike shorts and a tank top to expose more skin to red light, I laid down on what appeared to be a souped-up lawn chaise. “The way the red light works, the frequency itself penetrates deeply into our skin, so it helps muscle soreness,” my guide told me. “It’s going to stimulate collagen growth and make your skin really shine—it’s super good for that.”
After I donned an oxygen cannula and protective goggles, I used the touchscreen to select my Relax journey, narrated by “Harry.” (I knew it was Harry Styles!)
Following a heads-up from Harry, the top of the Ammortal Chamber began to lower with a sudden whir. It stopped a foot or two above my body, hovering as it quietly pulsed red light. I’d expected to feel somewhat claustrophobic, but the open space around my body and to either side of me kept my nerves in check.
Harry led me through a short guided meditation before graciously dipping out so I could enjoy the remainder of my 25-minute session. With my eyes closed and my body still, I tried to tune into every sensation: the warm light on my skin, the slight itchiness in my legs (likely from the vibrations, my guide later told me), the supple, contoured pillow under my neck.
Did I feel like I was traveling through space, as my guide said he felt while on the Relax journey? No, I can’t say my brain was that loopy. But it was incredibly relaxing to know that this—stillness of both mind and body—was my only priority for this set amount of time. Meditation has traditionally been an exercise in failure for me, a fact I’m not proud to admit. I’m constantly distracted by my dog, or a to-do I just remembered, or a phone notification I forgot to silence. The blissful void of the Ammortal Chamber reminded me exactly why mindfulness has such a positive impact on my well-being—when I make the commitment to do it.
How I Felt After Using the Ammortal Chamber
My 25-minute session sped by. I fully expected to fall asleep briefly (plot twist: I didn’t!), but when the Chamber rose up, I had that same feeling of deep relaxation and contentment that follows an “I got a 100 sleep score” kind of night. My skin also had a subtle glow, which I was grateful for when I rushed off to dinner that night and felt totally confident skipping makeup.
According to the Eastend professionals, most of their Ammortal Chamber users come several times a week, scheduling sessions before work or during their lunch break for a midday reset. To which I say: we are not in the same tax bracket. A single 25-minute Ammortal Chamber session costs $95, while a 50-minute session costs $130 (packages and memberships are available as well). The machine itself costs $160,000, according to Athletech News.
Eastend also offers a suite of recovery treatments, including the sauna, cold plunge, salt therapy, compression therapy, and light therapy. My packed schedule didn’t allow me to enjoy these post-Ammortal, and I think this is why my relaxed state of mind wore off quicker than expected. Bouncing straight from the Ammortal session to a phone full of Slack messages and a traffic-laden drive home was jarring, to say the least. In the future, I’d try to take advantage of the full wellness stack to make the most out of my time and money.
Long-term, I can’t say that I noticed any benefits in the days to come, which is probably more a reflection on a particularly hectic time in my life than on the efficacy of the Ammortal Chamber. Eastend recommends it as part of a daily routine for longevity and vitality, or as a way to boost performance and recovery. Until I win the lottery, I won’t be able to partake in the Ammortal that often. In the meantime, I’ll just have to settle for trying meditation again.
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