Sensory Deprivation tank Have you heard of sensory deprivation tanks? This is a tank which is supposed to be soundproofed and dark, and which would hold a little water for a person to float in. The idea is for the conditions inside the tank to allow a person to enter a place where they can avoid all bodily sensation. Still not for creating aversion to the body/bodily sensations, is this type of experience valuable in the practice of meditation? Would you yourself consider trying this experience for yourself?
Sure. Meditation is a mental activity which means it can be done anywhere at anytime. It doesn't matter if you're on a bus, in your room, or in a deprivation tank. 

So is a deprivation tank valuable? Sure! People today and in ancient times have always used sensory deprivation techniques to further their mind. Today, people still use ancient forms of sensory deprivation techniques such as retreats into caves, living in dark rooms, living underground to avoid sound and light, sitting in one place for a pro-long length of time, etc... The only downfall for deprivation tanks is that you can't live inside them. Otherwise, I could see it being beneficial. Though long-term sensory deprivation techniques should NOT be used by beginner practitioners. Your mind will begin to hallucinate after 2 - 3 days of continues deprivation. If you're not trained to handle the mind under these conditions it can be scary, strange, and confusing if you're not prepared to face it. The only kind of teachers I would trust in doing such an extreme meditation practice (myself being a zen practitioner) would be the  Buddhist Lama's living in Tibet. They are very intelligent, hard-core, and specialize in matters concerning the subconscious mind.  

Here is a video of a group of men and women Hallucinating after a few days of visual sensory deprivation.