Scientist Spends Five Days in Dark Cave for Life-Changing Insights

By Rhiannon Stevens

Topic: Wellness

Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 4:30 am

Kiana Aran wore a mask when she came out of the dark room. She had a sensor on her forehead to track her brain signals.

Some wellness centers offer a unique experience: complete silence and darkness.

People spend several days in a dark room with no light, sound, or entertainment. They get food through a special box. One center says this experience will make you ask, 'Who am I?'

US bioengineer Kiana Aran tried this. Experts warned her, but she was excited. She wanted to see how her body would react without external stimuli.

Aran entered a cabin in Poland with sensors to track her sleep, glucose levels, heart rate, and blood pressure. She also took swabs to measure her microbiome.

After leaving the darkness, Aran wanted to swim in a frozen lake. She said, 'I wanted to feel alive again.'

At first, being alone was nice. Aran slept well and felt calm without her phone. But by day two, she was struggling. She didn't know if it was day or night, and her body's clock was confused.

Aran started seeing things in the dark.

This is an old practice.

Some people go to darkness retreats to find themselves. NFL player Aaron Rodgers and crypto founder Charles Hoskinson tried it. Writer Chris Colin wrote about his scary experience.

Spending time in darkness is an old spiritual practice. It's used for prayer and to find inner peace.

Buddhist monk Kevin Berryman isn't surprised people are trying darkness retreats. He says it's an extreme thing to do and can be challenging.

There's not much scientific research on the benefits or risks of darkness retreats.

Neuroscientist Susannah Tye agrees. She says our bodies need light and dark to work properly. Darkness retreats might be bad for people with certain health issues.

Tye says there could be benefits, but more research is needed. She thinks it's essential to live in harmony with nature and take care of our basic needs.

Kiana Aran is a professor of bioengineering and medicine.

Time stood still for Aran.

Before entering the cave, Aran was told what to do if she had scary hallucinations.

A neuropsychologist warned Aran that her brain might create its own scary scenes without stimuli.

Aran saw visions of her family. She said they looked real. The hardest part was that time seemed to stop.

Aran endured the last two days to finish her experiment. She got insights into how to improve sensors for health studies.

When Aran came out, she felt more compassionate. She realized that science and daily activities aren't important without human connection.

Aran thinks she's still more compassionate now.

In the cave, Aran realized that human connection is essential.

Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 4:30 am

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