Sitting in the dark for 3 days might quiet your mind, pilot study suggests
NCT ID NCT07429617
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tests whether spending three days and nights in complete darkness can reduce worry and rumination in healthy adults. Thirty participants will stay in a dark cabin with no electronics, and researchers will monitor their well-being and psychological changes. The main goal is to see if the study protocol is safe and feasible, with a secondary look at potential mental health benefits.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- darkness retreat (3 days of seclusion in complete darkness)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a simple, drug-free way to ease worry and repetitive negative thinking in healthy people.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study (30 people) testing feasibility, not effectiveness. Results may not apply to people with clinical anxiety or depression.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Poznań Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience, Institute of Psychology, SWPS University, Warsaw, Poland
RECRUITINGPoznan, Wielkopolska, 61-719, Poland
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SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities
RECRUITINGPoznan, Poland