Study Protocol FeasibilityNCT07429617
Effects of Darkness Retreat: a Pilot Study
A study testing Darkness Retreat - Several Days of Seclusion in Complete Darkness in people with Study Protocol Feasibility and Non Clinical Anxiety, run by University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw at 2 sites in Poland.
Trial summary
The primary goal of this pilot study is to test the feasibility and safety of a research protocol for a voluntary darkness retreat. The study will also allow for a preliminary examination of the psychological effects of the retreat. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 30 to 50 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Study Protocol Feasibility, Non Clinical Anxiety, Non Clinical Worry
- What is being tested?
- Darkness Retreat - Several Days of Seclusion in Complete Darkness
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesPoland
- Study dates
- 16 Oct 2025to 1 Nov 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 30 to 50 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Participants will be recruited from university/postgraduate students through a two-stage process.
Stage I. Individuals expressing interest in participation will be asked to confirm that they are not currently engaged in psychotherapy or coaching, are not taking psychotropic medication, and are in generally good physical health. The following individuals will be excluded from the study: those diagnosed with an acute or chronic somatic illness (e.g., cardiovascular disease); psychiatric or neurological disorders (e.g., depression, addiction, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, epilepsy, stroke, severe brain injury, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia); those exhibiting active suicidal tendencies with a plan or intent; those taking psychotropic medication; engaged in psychotherapy or coaching; and pregnant individuals.
Preliminary verification of these criteria will be carried out using a screening questionnaire containing demographic questions and items regarding psychotherapy/coaching, use of psychoactive medication, somatic health, suicidal tendencies, pregnancy, and confirmation of a history of diagnoses in the categories of psychotic disorders, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorders, bipolar disorder, along with the following questionnaires:
PSWQ: Inclusion criteria based on the PSWQ (Penn State Worry Questionnaire, range 16-80, higher scores indicating worse functioning):
Participants must obtain a total score between 40 and 80. (40-59 = moderate level of worry/anxiety) (60-80 = high level of worry/anxiety)
In cases where participants fall within the high range, if clinical levels of worry are identified during the clinical interview, they will be excluded from participation.
PAtient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9, range 0-27, higher scores indicating worse functioning): Individuals scoring above 10 will be considered at elevated risk for depression, and those scoring 20 or higher will not be invited to the clinical interview.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7, range 0-21, higher scores indicating worse functioning): Individuals scoring 7 or higher will be classified as having elevated generalized anxiety symptoms, and those scoring 15 or higher will be excluded from further participation.
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT, range 0-40, higher scores indicating worse functioning): Individuals scoring above 8 will be considered at elevated risk for problematic drinking, and those scoring 22 or higher will not be invited to the clinical interview.
Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT, range 0-44, higher scores indicating worse functioning): Individuals scoring above 4 will be classified as at elevated risk for substance use, and those scoring 7 or higher will be excluded.
The questionnaire will also include the following measures, which will not be used for automatic exclusion but will indicate the need for further evaluation during the clinical interview if the following thresholds are met:
DSM-5 - Panic Disorder (range 0-40, higher scores indicating worse functioning): score ≥ 26 DSM-5 - Social Anxiety Disorder (range 0-40, higher scores indicating worse functioning): score ≥ 26 DSM-5 - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (range 0-44, higher scores indicating worse functioning): score > 22
Only individuals who are not excluded based on the above criteria will be invited to the next stage.
Stage II. Candidates meeting the preliminary criteria will be invited to an online clinical interview with a psychologist. Approximately one week before the scheduled interview, participants will receive via email a link to the Personality Beliefs Questionnaire (PBQ; Zawadzki et al., 2017), that would help in a more in-depth assessment of psychological functioning during the actual meeting. In order to exclude clinical cases, the psychologist will use the structured clinical interview M.I.N.I. (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview)
Participants who complete the psychological interview-regardless of their final qualification for the study-will receive a compensation of approximately 200 ZŁ in shopping vouchers (50EUR).
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Poland2 sites, 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
Poznań Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, SWPS University, Warsaw, Poland
Poznan, Wielkopolska, 61-719
Jarosław M. Michałowski, PhD, +48 692 981 911, jmichalowski@swps.edu.pl
- Recruiting
SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities
Poznan
Jarosław M Michałowski, Prof., jmichalowski@swps.edu.pl
About this study
Official title: Effect of Darkness Retreat on Worry and Rumination in a Non-clinical Population: a Pilot Study
The primary goal of this pilot study is to test the feasibility and safety of a research protocol for a voluntary darkness retreat.
The study will also allow for a preliminary examination of the psychological effects of the retreat. The investigators will investigate whether participants experience changes in their well-being and ruminative style, whether these changes persist over time, and if these effects are moderated by individual characteristics such as readiness for change or subjective evaluation of the experience as well as frequency of participants' monitoring.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups, both of which will spend 3 days and 3 nights in seclusion. These groups will differ only in the frequency of psychological monitoring during the retreat, allowing us to compare the effectiveness and safety of each protocol.
Read the detailed description
The aim of the pilot study is to test a research protocol designed to assess the psychological effects of several days of voluntary darkness retreat. The primary objective of the pilot is to examine whether the protocol is feasible, implementable, and safe under real-world conditions when working with a non-clinical population. Our sample will consist of 30 psychologically healthy students aged 30-50 with higher levels of trait anxiety and worry. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two conditions: (1) Low-frequency monitoring: one structured psychological consultation per day (one full psychological consultation per day) (2) High-frequency monitoring: three consultations per day (one full consultation + two shorter check-ins).
The trial will also provide preliminary data on whether participating in a darkness retreat is associated with any changes in well-being and ruminative thought style. The investigators will examine if changes are observed in the levels of anxiety, ruminative style, worry, mindfulness, and a sense of meaning in life, if those changes differentiate accordingly to the monitoring frequency (high monitoring vs. low monitoring), and if those changes persist over time (at the 6-month follow-up).
The study uses a 2 × 3 mixed factorial design with two intervention arms (low-frequency vs. high-frequency monitoring) and three measurement time points: T1 - just prior to the intervention, T2 - immediately after the intervention, and T3 - six-month follow-up. The primary intervention lasts three days and three nights. All primary and secondary outcomes are assessed using self-administered online questionnaires in Polish. Each primary outcome measure will be analyzed using 2 (arms) × 3 (time points) ANOVA models to test for the short- and long-term intervention effects. Additional analyses will use standard NHST procedures (e.g., t-tests and correlation coefficients) with a conventional significance level of α = .05.
During the study, participants will not be informed that its primary aim is to compare two variants of the psychological monitoring protocol. This information will be withheld to minimize the risk of expectancy effects. To ensure the highest ethical standards, a debriefing procedure will be carried out after the study has been completed.
- Conditions
- Study Protocol Feasibility, Non Clinical Anxiety, Non Clinical Worry, Non Clinical Rumination
- Being tested
- Darkness Retreat - Several Days of Seclusion in Complete Darkness
- Keywords
- sensory deprivation, darkness retreat, protocol feasibility, Anxiety, Mindfulness
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Darkness Retreat - Several Days of Seclusion in Complete DarknessOther
The intervention is a voluntary darkness retreat involving three days and three nights of continuous seclusion in a completely dark cabin, with no access to external light sources or electronic devices. During the retreat, participants are consulted about their well-being through a standardized interview protocol, with consultation frequency determined by their assigned group. Participants in both groups will be equipped with WHOOP wristbands - devices monitoring physiological activity. These wristbands will serve a dual purpose:
From a research perspective, they will provide access to biological data- circadian rhythm patterns and heart rate variability, offering deeper insights into the physiological processes accompanying the darkness retreat experience.
From a safety perspective, they will enable real-time monitoring of participants' condition, supporting one of the main goals of the pilot study: ensuring participant safety while assessing the feasibility of the procedure.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Low-frequency monitoring | Experimental | Participants assigned to the low-frequency monitoring arm will receive one structured (full) psychological consultation per day throughout the three-day darkness retreat. Consultations will follow a standardized interview protocol focusing on emotional state, safety assessment, and participant well-being. Each session will be conducted without direct visual or physical contact, taking place through a wall separating the participant's cabin from the adjacent monitoring room. Consultations will coincide with meal delivery to minimize disruption of the retreat experience. Receives: Other: Darkness Retreat - Several Days of Seclusion in Complete Darkness |
| High-frequency monitoring | Experimental | Participants assigned to the high-frequency monitoring arm will receive three psychological consultations per day during the three-day darkness retreat: one full structured interview and two shorter check-ins. All consultations will follow a predefined protocol to ensure consistency, with the full interview assessing emotional state, safety, and well-being, and the shorter check-ins focusing on brief status updates and safety screening. As in the low-frequency condition, there will be no direct visual or physical contact; all interactions will take place through a wall separating the participant's cabin from the monitoring room. Consultations will be scheduled approximately every three hours during waking hours to allow for more detailed and time-sensitive data collection Receives: Other: Darkness Retreat - Several Days of Seclusion in Complete Darkness |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Study Protocol Feasibility
Feasibility will be assessed based on participant recruitment and retention rates, adherence to the intervention schedule, completeness of data collection at all time points, and occurrence of any adverse events during the darkness retreat.
Measured: From recruitment start until completion of the six-month follow-up.
Penn State Worry Questionnaire Score Change
The total sum score of the Polish version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire.
Measured: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Secondary outcomes (8)
CESD-R Score Change
The total sum score of the Polish version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised.
Measured: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Score Change
The total sum score of the Polish version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
Measured: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Abbreviated Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Score Change
The total sum score of the Polish version of the Abbreviated Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire.
Measured: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Ruminative Thoughts Questionnaire Score Change
The total sum score of the Polish version of the Ruminative Thoughts Questionnaire.
Measured: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after f the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Meaning in Life Questionnaire Score Change
The total sum scores of the Polish version of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire.
Measured: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form Score Change
The total sum scores of the Polish version of the Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form.
Measured: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Post-Traumatic Growth Score Change
The total sum score of the Polish version of the Post-Traumatic Growth.
Measured: Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Go / no - go Test Change
The total change of the completion time of the test.
Measured: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Feb 2026
- Study start16 Oct 2025
- Primary completion1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Nov 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (4)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Study Protocol FeasibilityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two parallel intervention arms: (1) low-frequency monitoring (one structured psychological consultation (full consultation) per day) or (2) high-frequency monitoring (three consultations per day: one full and two shorter check-ins). Participants remain in their assigned arm for the full duration of the retreat (three days and three nights). Both groups undergo the intervention during the same study period, and no crossover between conditions occurs.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Within Properties
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jaroslaw Michalowski, University SWPS
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07429617
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SWPS_Retreat_RCT_1
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 24 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Anonymized data from all enrolled participants will be publicly available in the project's OSF repository.
Publications
Solarikova P, Bartolen I. Effects of chamber restricted environmental stimulation therapy on state mindfulness, physiological regulation and emotional experience in young adults: Exploring variations by resting heart rate variability. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2025 Mar;253:104697. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104697. Epub 2025 Jan 10.
PubMed 39798490Hruby H, Schmidt S, Feinstein JS, Wittmann M. Induction of altered states of consciousness during Floatation-REST is associated with the dissolution of body boundaries and the distortion of subjective time. Sci Rep. 2024 Apr 23;14(1):9316. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-59642-y.
PubMed 38654027Flux MC, Fine TH, Poplin T, Al Zoubi O, Schoenhals WA, Schettler J, Refai HH, Naegele J, Wohlrab C, Yeh HW, Lowry CA, Levine JC, Smith R, Khalsa SS, Feinstein JS. Exploring the acute cardiovascular effects of Floatation-REST. Front Neurosci. 2022 Dec 9;16:995594. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.995594. eCollection 2022.
PubMed 36570829Feinstein JS, Khalsa SS, Yeh H, Al Zoubi O, Arevian AC, Wohlrab C, Pantino MK, Cartmell LJ, Simmons WK, Stein MB, Paulus MP. The Elicitation of Relaxation and Interoceptive Awareness Using Floatation Therapy in Individuals With High Anxiety Sensitivity. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2018 Jun;3(6):555-562. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.02.005. Epub 2018 Mar 9.
PubMed 29656950
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of Darkness Retreat on Worry and Rumination in a Non-clinical Population: a Pilot Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07429617
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SWPS_Retreat_RCT_1
- Conditions
- Study Protocol Feasibility, Non Clinical Anxiety, Non Clinical Worry, Non Clinical Rumination
- Keywords
- sensory deprivation, darkness retreat, protocol feasibility, Anxiety, Mindfulness
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Social Sciences and Humanities, WarsawUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Within Properties
- Study start
- 16 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The primary goal of this pilot study is to test the feasibility and safety of a research protocol for a voluntary darkness retreat.
The study will also allow for a preliminary examination of the psychological effects of the retreat. The investigators will investigate whether participants experience changes in their well-being and ruminative style, whether these changes persist over time, and if these effects are moderated by individual characteristics such as readiness for change or subjective evaluation of the experience as well as frequency of participants' monitoring.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups, both of which will spend 3 days and 3 nights in seclusion. These groups will differ only in the frequency of psychological monitoring during the retreat, allowing us to compare the effectiveness and safety of each protocol.
Detailed description
The aim of the pilot study is to test a research protocol designed to assess the psychological effects of several days of voluntary darkness retreat. The primary objective of the pilot is to examine whether the protocol is feasible, implementable, and safe under real-world conditions when working with a non-clinical population. Our sample will consist of 30 psychologically healthy students aged 30-50 with higher levels of trait anxiety and worry. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two conditions: (1) Low-frequency monitoring: one structured psychological consultation per day (one full psychological consultation per day) (2) High-frequency monitoring: three consultations per day (one full consultation + two shorter check-ins).
The trial will also provide preliminary data on whether participating in a darkness retreat is associated with any changes in well-being and ruminative thought style. The investigators will examine if changes are observed in the levels of anxiety, ruminative style, worry, mindfulness, and a sense of meaning in life, if those changes differentiate accordingly to the monitoring frequency (high monitoring vs. low monitoring), and if those changes persist over time (at the 6-month follow-up).
The study uses a 2 × 3 mixed factorial design with two intervention arms (low-frequency vs. high-frequency monitoring) and three measurement time points: T1 - just prior to the intervention, T2 - immediately after the intervention, and T3 - six-month follow-up. The primary intervention lasts three days and three nights. All primary and secondary outcomes are assessed using self-administered online questionnaires in Polish. Each primary outcome measure will be analyzed using 2 (arms) × 3 (time points) ANOVA models to test for the short- and long-term intervention effects. Additional analyses will use standard NHST procedures (e.g., t-tests and correlation coefficients) with a conventional significance level of α = .05.
During the study, participants will not be informed that its primary aim is to compare two variants of the psychological monitoring protocol. This information will be withheld to minimize the risk of expectancy effects. To ensure the highest ethical standards, a debriefing procedure will be carried out after the study has been completed.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two parallel intervention arms: (1) low-frequency monitoring (one structured psychological consultation (full consultation) per day) or (2) high-frequency monitoring (three consultations per day: one full and two shorter check-ins). Participants remain in their assigned arm for the full duration of the retreat (three days and three nights). Both groups undergo the intervention during the same study period, and no crossover between conditions occurs.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Low-frequency monitoring | Experimental | Other: Darkness Retreat - Several Days of Seclusion in Complete DarknessParticipants assigned to the low-frequency monitoring arm will receive one structured (full) psychological consultation per day throughout the three-day darkness retreat. Consultations will follow a standardized interview protocol focusing on emotional state, safety assessment, and participant well-being. Each session will be conducted without direct visual or physical contact, taking place through a wall separating the participant's cabin from the adjacent monitoring room. Consultations will coincide with meal delivery to minimize disruption of the retreat experience. |
| High-frequency monitoring | Experimental | Other: Darkness Retreat - Several Days of Seclusion in Complete DarknessParticipants assigned to the high-frequency monitoring arm will receive three psychological consultations per day during the three-day darkness retreat: one full structured interview and two shorter check-ins. All consultations will follow a predefined protocol to ensure consistency, with the full interview assessing emotional state, safety, and well-being, and the shorter check-ins focusing on brief status updates and safety screening. As in the low-frequency condition, there will be no direct visual or physical contact; all interactions will take place through a wall separating the participant's cabin from the monitoring room. Consultations will be scheduled approximately every three hours during waking hours to allow for more detailed and time-sensitive data collection |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 30 to 50 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Darkness Retreat - Several Days of Seclusion in Complete DarknessThe intervention is a voluntary darkness retreat involving three days and three nights of continuous seclusion in a completely dark cabin, with no access to external light sources or electronic devices. During the retreat, participants are consulted about their well-being through a standardized interview protocol, with consultation frequency determined by their assigned group. Participants in both groups will be equipped with WHOOP wristbands - devices monitoring physiological activity. These wristbands will serve a dual purpose: From a research perspective, they will provide access to biological data- circadian rhythm patterns and heart rate variability, offering deeper insights into the physiological processes accompanying the darkness retreat experience. From a safety perspective, they will enable real-time monitoring of participants' condition, supporting one of the main goals of the pilot study: ensuring participant safety while assessing the feasibility of the procedure. | Other | High-frequency monitoring, Low-frequency monitoring |
Primary outcome
Study Protocol Feasibility
Time frame: From recruitment start until completion of the six-month follow-up.
Feasibility will be assessed based on participant recruitment and retention rates, adherence to the intervention schedule, completeness of data collection at all time points, and occurrence of any adverse events during the darkness retreat.
Penn State Worry Questionnaire Score Change
Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
The total sum score of the Polish version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire.
8 secondary outcomes
CESD-R Score Change
Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Score Change
Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Abbreviated Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Score Change
Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Ruminative Thoughts Questionnaire Score Change
Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after f the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Meaning in Life Questionnaire Score Change
Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form Score Change
Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Post-Traumatic Growth Score Change
Time frame: Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Go / no - go Test Change
Time frame: Time point 1: Just prior to the intervention. Time point 2: Immediately after the intervention. Time point 3: Six months after the previous measurement (time point 2).
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Feb 2026.
- Background: PubMed 39798490Solarikova P, Bartolen I. Effects of chamber restricted environmental stimulation therapy on state mindfulness, physiological regulation and emotional experience in young adults: Exploring variations by resting heart rate variability. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2025 Mar;253:104697. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104697. Epub 2025 Jan 10.
- Background: PubMed 38654027Hruby H, Schmidt S, Feinstein JS, Wittmann M. Induction of altered states of consciousness during Floatation-REST is associated with the dissolution of body boundaries and the distortion of subjective time. Sci Rep. 2024 Apr 23;14(1):9316. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-59642-y.
- Background: PubMed 36570829Flux MC, Fine TH, Poplin T, Al Zoubi O, Schoenhals WA, Schettler J, Refai HH, Naegele J, Wohlrab C, Yeh HW, Lowry CA, Levine JC, Smith R, Khalsa SS, Feinstein JS. Exploring the acute cardiovascular effects of Floatation-REST. Front Neurosci. 2022 Dec 9;16:995594. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.995594. eCollection 2022.
- Background: PubMed 29656950Feinstein JS, Khalsa SS, Yeh H, Al Zoubi O, Arevian AC, Wohlrab C, Pantino MK, Cartmell LJ, Simmons WK, Stein MB, Paulus MP. The Elicitation of Relaxation and Interoceptive Awareness Using Floatation Therapy in Individuals With High Anxiety Sensitivity. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2018 Jun;3(6):555-562. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.02.005. Epub 2018 Mar 9.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Anonymized data from all enrolled participants will be publicly available in the project's OSF repository.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Darkness Retreat - Several Days of Seclusion in Complete Darkness in people with Study Protocol Feasibility and Non Clinical Anxiety, run by University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw at 2 sites in Poland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in Poland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Jarosław M Michałowski, Professor (+48 694 441 722, jmichalowski@swps.edu.pl), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Study Protocol Feasibility (time frame: From recruitment start until completion of the six-month follow-up.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07429617, which also lists 4 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Feb 2026.