Participate in a
study on
dark retreats,
in partnership
with IACS.
Last updated: July 15, 2026
Acraya has partnered with the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies (IACS), a non-profit research institute studying consciousness and wellbeing, in a study to gather data on the effects of dark-room retreats. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Nicco Reggente of IACS. Dr. Matthew Sacchet of the Harvard Meditation Research Program at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital is the Co-Investigator and Consultant.
Booking is open. If you choose to take part, you’ll be one of roughly forty participants.
Where, when,
and what to expect.
Holos — Diamante Valley
The study will be completed at the site of Acraya’s first two dark rooms, located at the Holos retreat center in the Diamante Valley, Costa Rica, and will feature our unique, patent-pending dark-room technology.
Please note: bookings for the study must be made through this site — not through Holos directly.
October 2026 – January 2027
The study will run from October 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027. There are two dark rooms, with five participants per month per room. Exact dates depend on availability.
Who can take part
- Adults approximately 21 to 65 years of age.
- Joining the study far enough ahead of your retreat for the pre-retreat comparison stage.
- Cleared through the study's screening process — a brief health and mental-health questionnaire and an interview with a qualified mental health professional.
- Certain conditions (some mental health conditions, certain heart conditions, seizure disorders, pregnancy, or breastfeeding) may make the study unsafe — screening helps protect you.
What we'll ask of you
To take part, you’ll provide:
- Biological samples at several points before, immediately around (entry/exit), and after your retreat. This includes saliva samples (a small amount of spit collected in a tube or swab) and blood draws performed by a qualified phlebotomist. Samples are analyzed for natural stress-related and neurochemical markers such as cortisol.
- Questionnaires at several points across the study — before your retreat (Stage 1, the comparison stage), immediately before entering the dark room, immediately after exiting, and via two remote follow-ups. No questionnaires are administered while you are in the dark — the time inside is yours.
- Consent to non-contact room sensors during your dark retreat — a radar-based presence/breathing/heart-rate sensor, a thermal camera (no visible-light photos or video; the room stays completely dark), and a microphone/speaker system for safety and communication. You wear no devices.
In addition, you’ll be required to work one-on-one with one of our qualified facilitators — see Required Facilitation below.
What your journey
will look like.
You’ll spend a total of 6 nights at Holos. The dark retreat portion of the study is 4 nights / 3 full days in darkness, identical for every participant, so that results are consistent across the group.
The comparison stage
In the weeks before your retreat, you'll complete two sets of questionnaires and provide saliva and blood samples. You don't enter the dark room during this stage. This gives the study team a fair baseline to compare your retreat experience against — which is why joining early enough matters.
Two remote check-ins
About 7 days and again about 30 days after you come out, the team will check in with you remotely — a secure form or a call — to ask how you're feeling.
5 – 6 weeks
Your overall involvement in the study lasts about 5 to 6 weeks, from screening through to the final follow-up.
Your study information is labeled with a code, not your name. Only the study investigators will have access to your personal contact information; all data analysis and study records remain anonymized. Published results describe groups of people, not individuals — you will not be identified in any publication.
Participation is voluntary and you may stop at any time without penalty. Full details are provided in the Informed Consent Form, which you’ll review and sign before joining the study.
Facilitation is part
of the study design.
To ensure your safety, your comfort, and consistency across the study, all participants are required to receive facilitation before, during, and after their retreat. This protects both you and the integrity of the data.
Facilitation includes
- 1× 1-hour one-on-one preparation session before your dark retreat.
- 1× 1-hour one-on-one session during your dark retreat — or, if you prefer, shifted to an additional post-retreat integration session.
- 1× 1-hour one-on-one integration session after your dark retreat.
- 2× 15-minute check-in sessions during your dark retreat.
You’ll work with your facilitator to focus on the areas that matter most to you and your growth, and you’ll also cover the basic skills and tools you need to navigate your dark retreat.
Soft-launch rates,
before they rise.
We’re keeping rates as accessible as possible during this initial study period, and Acraya is covering all lab work, sensors, and data-collection costs. After this soft-launch window closes, rates will be going up.
If you’re ready
to participate.
Booking is open. Participation is limited to roughly forty places across October 2026 – January 2027. Fill in your details on the reservation sheet on the date window you’d like to participate.
Once you’ve reserved a slot, we’ll contact you directly to ensure you meet all necessary requirements and finalize booking details and payment with you.
Questions, answered.
Can I do a longer or shorter dark retreat?
Can I withdraw or get a refund if my plans change?
Can I leave the dark room early?
I have dietary restrictions. Can you accommodate them?
Can I use my own facilitator? Who will be facilitating?
Will there be bloodwork?
What about devices or wearables during the retreat?
More general questions about dark retreats are answered on our FAQ page.
Further questions?
We’d love to hear from you. Complete the form below and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.