#United States #Los Angeles #Unlikely Collaborators #IACS #Sky Cave Retreats

Unlikely Collaborators Grant Fuels Innovative Research on Consciousness

On December 18, 2024, Unlikely Collaborators made a significant move in the realm of consciousness studies by awarding a Spark grant aimed at funding a visionary research collaboration. This project unites The Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies (IACS), Andrew Holecek, and Sky Cave Retreats to explore how profound changes in consciousness might be facilitated by unique retreat experiences.

Understanding Dark Retreats

The grant aims to delve into the profound potential of dark retreats—an ancient practice that promotes deep introspection through prolonged time spent in complete darkness. This technique aims to disrupt usual sensory perceptions, allowing participants to experience shifts in consciousness that challenge everyday norms. As described by NBA star Rudy Gobert, dark retreats can feel like "meditation times a thousand."

At the heart of the research is the concept of the Perception Box™, a term introduced by Unlikely Collaborators’ founder, Elizabeth R. Koch. This concept reflects the internal beliefs and biases that shape individuals' worldviews. By analyzing the impact of dark retreats on participants' perception, the research hopes to facilitate a deeper understanding of mental well-being and personal transformation.

The Spark Grant Initiative

Initiated in 2024, the Spark grants were created to bolster collaborative projects that strive for impactful change by employing the perceptual lens of the Perception Box. This unique initiative emphasizes allyships between organizations and new partners, fostering innovative approaches to tackling societal challenges.

Andrew Holecek, an expert in lucid dreaming and meditation, emphasized that such retreats allow participants to confront the narratives that limit their potential. He notes, “Deep retreat experiences like those at Sky Cave offer a rare opportunity to dismantle the stories within our Perception Box that keep us stuck.”

An Expansive Research Approach

Sky Cave Retreats provides an ideal environment for this research, thanks to its immersive and isolated settings designed to encourage deep reflection. Combining the insights from IACS, the expertise of Andrew Holecek, and the retreat's unique atmosphere promises to pave the way for groundbreaking discoveries in understanding altered states of consciousness.

The research will incorporate advanced scientific methods, including EEG and peripheral measurements, to gather a thorough characterization of the psychospiritual changes experienced during these dark retreats. This rigorous approach seeks to document the subjective experiences of participants and the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms at play.

Nicco Reggente, the founder and Research Director at IACS, remarked on the initiative's potential to explore non-pharmacological routes to transformative states. He noted, “At a time when psychedelic research is often in the spotlight, the Spark grant provides a distinctive path for investigating alternative avenues for profound experiences.”

The Promise of Transformative States

These dark retreats propose to return individuals to their “reduction base of innate wholeness” — a raw, unaltered form of consciousness free from societal constructs and distractions. Despite the wealth of research on mindfulness and other meditative practices, the scientific examination of dark retreats remains limited.

Elizabeth R. Koch illustrates this potential beautifully: “By removing all stimuli, all distractions, and all of our habitual ways of checking out, Dark Retreats allow us to connect with the Seed Story of our Perception Box—helping us learn who we truly are. We're ecstatic that one of our first Spark grants will enhance this incredible collaboration.”

As this exploratory journey into consciousness unfolds, the collaboration aims to democratize transformative experiences and pave new pathways for understanding the depths of human perception and potential. To learn more about this innovative project and its key collaborators, please visit the websites for The Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Andrew Holecek's initiatives, and Sky Cave Retreats. Additionally, more information about the Perception Box concept and Unlikely Collaborators can be found at www.unlikelycollaborators.com.