The Thorn Institute

About The Thorn Institute

The Thorn Institute is run by Daniel Spina, in Melbourne, Australia. It exists because Daniel kept having experiences — and reading work — that didn't fit the standard map of what reality is supposed to be, and couldn't find a single place that took those experiences seriously while staying grounded, analytical, and honest about what's actually known and what isn't.

The Thorn Institute is the attempt to build that place: a small, continuous-journey project for the structured exploration of consciousness — through discussion, reading, writing, in-person retreats, and the thoughtful and safe use of technology.

Our mission is to help expand global consciousness. We mean something by those words. We integrate contemplative practice, sound-science technologies and immersive methods to help you access and integrate altered states in a safe, grounded way.

We do not sell enlightenment. We do not do dogma. We do share frameworks, evidence, ideas, and the repeated observations of experiencers, scientists, researchers, cultures and recorded histories. We are trying to piece together the puzzle.

We're small, and we welcome the help — volunteers, collaborators and partners. There's a Work With Us form on the About page.

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