Overstimulated elites have a new obsession. They pay up to $1,800 for darkness retreats

While LED light accompanies us from waking up to the last glance at our phone at night, the latest wellness trend does the opposite – it turns everything off. Top athletes, founders of tech empires and self-aware celebrities are voluntarily locking themselves in complete darkness for weeks, and sometimes – like Spanish athlete Beatriz Flamini – as long as 500 days.

"It was like a spiritual cleaning of my mind's 'office,'" says Jason Halbert, a former Snap executive who spent four days in a dark cabin in Oregon.

The ascetic ritual known as a darkness retreat is becoming the latest form of luxurious escapism – a spiritual detox for those who have seen it all and need… absolute darkness to hear themselves again.

Darkness Retreat – A Spiritual Reset in Complete Silence

What is it exactly? A Darkness retreat is a few days (and sometimes weeks) of isolation in absolute darkness – without light, without screens, without external stimuli. The participant locks himself in a specially prepared, quiet and completely darkened room – alone with himself and his thoughts.

Darkness doesn’t just shut down your senses—it resets them. When your brain stops receiving visual stimuli, a cascade of reactions begins: increased melatonin secretion, deep sleep, and after a few days—some say—even natural production of DMT , an endogenous psychedelic . The experience? From blissful peace to near-mystical visions. As far as I’m concerned, madness.

As Wired reports, Aubrey Marcus , an entrepreneur and author, spent six nights in total darkness, experiencing visions of geometric fractals and conversations with aliens. Yes, literally.

Exclusive Escape into the Dark: Sky Cave and Home Retreat Versions

Dark retreats have a "deluxe" version. The flagship Sky Cave Retreats in Oregon , home to Aaron Rodgers (four-time NFL MVP), offers multi-day stays in specially designed "caves"—no lights, but quiet luxury, a bathroom, and three meals a day. The price? About $1,800 for four nights . The waiting list: two years.

Minnie Lan e, a personal development coach, created her own retreat in her own home by covering the windows with garbage bags and tape.

Meditation 2.0 or mental rollercoaster?

Solitary confinement in the dark isn’t just a fashionable practice—it’s also risky. While there’s no official research on its harmfulness, psychologists warn of possible side effects: hallucinations , or increased trauma . Charles Hoskinson, the creator of the cryptocurrency Cardano, left his cave after just 12 hours, reporting “shadows that gnaw at your soul.”

- This isn't a practice for everyone. It's not an Instagram detox, it's a raw confrontation with who you really are - says Scott Berman, creator of Sky Cave, quoted by Wired.

Darkness as a Spiritual Tradition – from Buddha to Big Tech

While the trend of darkness retreats may seem like a modern fad, its roots actually lie in ancient traditions. Buddha meditated in a dark cave. Muhammad received the first verses of the Quran in isolation. Today, in the age of AI watches and TikTok meditations, the practice is making a comeback—in a new guise.