I stripped naked in a $160,000 wellness chamber. Was it worth it?

AUSTIN — I was a human in need of a recharge. So why not visit a "human recharging station?"

I know, I know. It sounds super sci-fi, woo-woo, all the adjectives imaginable. But when the people behind the Ammortal Chamber – a $159,500 wellness machine combining red light therapy, molecular hydrogen, vibro-acoustics and voice-guided mediation – offered conference attendees a chance to test it out, how could I refuse? I'd already spent a few days at the SXSW conference in March 2026, and sleep and proper nutrients eluded me. As a wellness reporter, skepticism runs in my veins. But when it comes to calming down my nervous system, I'll try almost anything.

"We're overstimulated as humans daily, by people and meetings and everything going on," Sue Rabin, head of customer experience at Ammortal, tells me. "The chamber allows you to reset your nervous system, so getting out of that fight-or-flight mode."

You don't need to spend six-figures for the experience, though you certainly can. Fitness clubs, hotels and spas have Ammortal Chambers of their own available for rented time slots. Prices vary by location and time spent (think around $150 per session, according a suggested price on Ammortal's website); session options range from 15 to 60 minutes. That said, one-third of the company's chambers sell to private individuals.

Rabin brings me to a small room on the spa floor of the Fairmont Austin hotel. A smooth carpet lays under our feet, and a bright light emanates from the chamber. It looks like a futuristic hospital bed placed in zero gravity, with a hovering "lid" on top. It's full of mini bulbs set up for red light and near-infrared light therapy, and a nasal cannula that will send molecular hydrogen through my nostrils and "flush out toxins." Multi-wave pulsed electromagnetic fields will also, well, pulse through the chamber and into my body during the 25-minute session. This will mimic the earth's core energy, apparently, and "when you feel it, it's going to feel kind of like air flow, but there's no air flow. It's the wildest thing. You're going to love it."

Later, I learn that there is some science behind these ideas. But the chamber itself wasn't worth it, given there are plenty of cheaper options for these therapies.

'The lights are about to turn on'

I strip down to my underwear, strap on the nasal cannula and lie down on the cool chamber, made up of special acrylic, lighting and acoustics. I follow the instructions on the chamber's screen and press start on my 25-minute "reconnect" session. An eloquent British man (at least, that's who I'm picturing) spouts soothing sentences. His name is Harry, I learn.

"Set your intention for today's session," he says. "Let's begin by taking a few deep, slow breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. With each breath, allow your diaphragm to relax and your stomach to rise." I listen, letting the swirl of story ideas percolating in my head melt away like ice cream on a hot summer day.

"Release any tension in your face, your neck, your chest and the rest of your body, letting your arms and legs settle comfortably into place," he continues. "You will now set an intention for the outcome of today's session. This intention will guide how your body and mind interact with this experience. So set an intention that matters and embrace it as truth. The lights are about to turn on. They are very bright, so please relax and breathe into it."

He wasn't kidding. The red lights sear my eyes as the lid hovers closer above the bed – I could've worn goggles, but Rabin told me it was optional – and I adjust after a few minutes. I keep breathing, and live my intention to stay grounded in the moment. To accept what will be, will be.

Different parts of my body tingle and vibrate. Am I moving? No, but I hallucinate the lid rise and lower above me. It's stayed in place since initially lowering.

'Your journey is nearly complete'

Was anything actually happening? Doctors unaffiliated didn't think so, though some research has supported benefits of molecular hydrogen therapy and pulsed electromagnetic fields in certain circumstances. "Red light therapy may modestly improve mitochondrial function locally, reduce local inflammation, enhance tissue repair," Dr. Eric Verdin, the president and chief executive officer of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, told me, "but it does not meaningfully engage most hallmarks of aging systemically: no strong effect on immune aging, minimal impact on metabolic regulation, no evidence for lifespan extension."

Dr. Eric Topol, physician-scientist and author of "Super Agers," agreed, saying what the chamber purports to do is "bogus." The chamber has not been medically studied.

Still, the relaxation flowed through me over the course of those 25 minutes. I almost dozed off, and then –

"Slowly and gently, start coming back to your body. Take a few deep breaths. Your journey is nearly complete."

Excuse me? I was just getting to the good part!

"Deeply sense into your body, your mind, your entire state of being. Notice what you are feeling. Notice how you are feeling."

I felt lighter, like the moments after a massage or a powerful session with my therapist. My worries lingered but co-existed with the calm. Maybe nothing tangible happened, and certainly nothing worth $159,500. But if my outlook for the day improved, wasn't that a win?

A gust of wind greeted me as I left the hotel. But it didn't alarm me. Some final words from the chamber echoed in my mind instead: "Take this feeling with you. Your experience is now complete."

Editor's note: The reporter on this story received access to these services from Ammortal. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.