Tech Titans And Celebrities Try Dark Retreats For Spiritual Enlightenment

Silicon Valley execs, celebrities, and athletes are trying out a new form of extreme meditation called “dark retreats,” which literally puts people alone in a dark room with no technology and only minimal supplies and amenities. 

Why It Hits: High-rolling tech elites and celebrity names going to extreme lengths for a spiritual awakening isn’t anything new. But while some are looking to cutting-edge technology for nirvana, others have come to the conclusion that the only way to have breakthroughs is to disconnect and deprive themselves of all stimuli in an always-on world.

Between the Daylight: Dark retreats want to give people a break from their eyes, so they can see some truly wild stuff.

• Where it is: There are roughly 100 dark retreats around the world, including five in the US, with the experience costing visitors a couple of thousand dollars to participate.
• What it is: A person spends three or four days alone in a pitch-black room, cabin, or cave that has a bed, a bath, and a toilet. They receive three meals a day through a slot and can choose to speak with facilitators at two specific times a day.
• Why people do it: The first couple of days reportedly provide a deep rest that feels like sedation. That’s followed by a feeling of relentlessness and introspection. After that, attendees report having psychedelic visions or exploring altered states. Trippy.
• Who’s done it: NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish, and NBA stars Rudy Gobert and Dwight Howard. Sky Cave in Oregon says that a big tech founder is on their two-year-long waiting list.

Last Looks: While sensory deprivation has been around for thousands of years, that doesn’t mean it comes without major risks. While Dwight Howard declared it “the best thing I ever did,” Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano (the 10th-biggest crypto), only lasted 12 hours in a dark cabin before running out scared. He posted on X that he felt “terrifying shadows gnawing at my soul, sleep paralysis demons, and [an] inability to breathe.”

So, your mileage may vary.

Prediction: While not everybody will have the means or desire to attend a dark retreat, it could point to a larger trend of people dedicating regular time to fast from all modern technology.