Sensoria Presents:

THE PSYCHONAUT PLAYGROUND

A private, science-backed psychedelic retreat with Sommelier-guided legal experiences, embedded research, and Human Performance Design led by Brandon Birchak.

Portugal | October 1st-6th, 2025 | Spaces Are Limited

Sensoria Presents:

THE PSYCHONAUT PLAYGROUND

A boundary-dissolving, mind-expanding arena for curious, courageous, and conscious explorers of altered states.

Portugal | October 1st-6th, 2025 | Spaces Are Limited

The Container

Not a retreat.
not a conference.
not a music festival.

For five days and five nights, Sensoria invites you to co-create a living laboratory of inner exploration—through immersive installations, somatic tech, shared rituals, and ethically-guided, legally-sanctioned psychedelic experiences.

Nestled in a stunning mountain resort with panoramic valley views, we've created the ultimate set and setting for exploration, connection, and discovery.

This is consciousness exploration reimagined – where rigorous science meets elevated experience in a container designed for individual and collective breakthrough.

The Experience

5 days of transformation across 6 dimensions

COMMUNITY

Connect with some of the most interesting humans you've ever met from all walks of life, and self-select adventures designed to explore inner worlds or build meaningful relationships with fellow psychonauts.

WELLNESS AMENITIES

Enjoy premium facilities and amenities, including traditional & infrared saunas, steam bath, Japanese hot tub, outdoor pool, cold plunges, a fitness center, massage therapies, and mountain trails.

HUMAN OPTIMIZATION

Enjoy daily yoga, meditation, sound baths, breath work, and ecstatic dance alongside human optimization protocols for enhanced vitality, longevity, energy, and mental clarity.

EXPERT CONVERSATIONS

Curated talks, workshops, and panels with world-renowned facilitators, frontier researchers, and thought leaders in Psychonautics, Biohacking, Neuroscience, Human Flourishing, and more.

CELEBRATION

Immersive art installations, virtual reality experiences, carefully-curated food, art, and music, and private performances by world-class artists in stunning mountain settings.

INDULGENCE

Explore Sensoria through a variety of journeys including blindfolded touch experiences, enhanced meals, cacao ceremonies, specialty teas, and carefully-designed compound-paired sensory experiences

Accommodations

Your ticket includes premium accommodations in the breathtaking landscapes of the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, a UNESCO Global Geopark.

Wake up to panoramic vistas, enjoy world-class, farm-to-table cuisine, and explore the natural beauty of Portugal's highest mountain range.

The Apothecary

One of Sensoria's core innovations is an unprecedented, curated collection of legal compounds for consciousness exploration, provided as a sommelier experience meant to guide guests through the depth and breadth of human consciousness.

Safe. Structured. Scientifically-monitored.

Tiered access specifically tailored to individual participants level of experience and comfort, based on medical and mental health screening.

Freedom to explore with rigorous safety protocols.

All within a framework designed to advance our understanding of the human mind.

Who This Is For

This is your invitation if:

  • You have a deep curiosity about altered states of consciousness.

  • You crave legitimacy and structure beyond underground ceremonies.

  • You're dedicated to leveling up your physical or mental health.

  • You want to contribute to mapping the next frontier – the human mind.

  • You're seeking a community of sophisticated psychonauts, biohackers, researchers, and visionaries.

  • You love the idea of blending research with play.

  • You're open to breakthrough experiences, whether individually or within a group.

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"Sensoria is a living translational neuroscience lab—blending frontier research, psychedelic insight, and transformative healing in the wild. It is a bold experiment designed to open new frontiers in consciousness science."

Ming Zhu Heseri, Cofounder, Conscious Tech Collective

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"This is a pivotal moment in human history, and Sensoria are the pioneers leading the shift in consciousness. It's a collective of consciousness researchers, human optimization specialists, and all around rad humans creating a mental map of consciousness."

Ryan Forrest, Psychonaut

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"Sensoria is a living translational neuroscience lab—blending frontier research, psychedelic insight, and transformative healing in the wild. It is a bold experiment designed to open new frontiers in consciousness science."

Ming Zhu Heseri, Cofounder, Conscious Tech Collective

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"This is a pivotal moment in human history, and Sensoria are the pioneers leading the shift in consciousness. It's a collective of consciousness researchers, human optimization specialists, and all around rad humans creating a mental map of consciousness."

Ryan Forrest, Psychonaut

Art As A Portal

Throughout the event, you'll encounter a kaleidoscope of artistic expression spanning genres, disciplines, and dimensions:

  • Immersive Installations that transform space and time

  • Augmented and Virtual Reality experiences that stretch the boundaries of possibility

  • Live Performance Art, dance, and theatrical ritual that interlace embodiment, storytelling, and spontaneous co-creation

  • Sonic Explorations, from ancient healing modalities to experimental electronic sets

  • Compound-Paired Environments carefully curated to blend auditory, tactile, and visual input with altered states

From globally-recognized pioneers of immersive tech to local visionaries channeling raw emotion through movement and sound, every moment of The Psychonaut Playground is choreographed to surprise, delight, and awaken. These expressions aren't just performances—they are research containers, sacred rituals, and invitations to dance with the unknown.

Featured Performers

(More TBA)

Reggie Watts

Improvisational Multiverse Maestro

A boundary-demolishing performer who creates immersive sonic landscapes using only his voice, a loop machine, and his 4.5-octave range. Reggie seamlessly blends comedy, music, and philosophy with his signature "disinformationist" approach—spontaneously generating mind-bending performances that transport audiences into alternate dimensions of consciousness. Expect beatboxing, linguistic pattern-breaking, and profound absurdity—he is a one-man DMT trip with a mic.

Savej

Ancient Future Sound Shaman

A sonic alchemist weaving together a profound reflection of the primordial essence that binds all things, while delivering irresistibly danceable grooves and heavy-hitting BASS. Savej channels ancestral frequencies through futuristic production, creating transcendent journeys that activate both body and spirit. His music becomes a ceremonial container for consciousness exploration—expect deep basslines that rattle your bones while ethereal melodies transport you through dimensions of time and space.

Featured Speakers & Guests

(Subject to change)

Brandon Birchak

Multidisciplinary Artist & Performance Innovator

Artistic polymath who's mastered roles across Cirque du Soleil, high-diving, aerial arts, and underwater performance. World-record holder for Russian swing acrobatics who blends physical virtuosity with literary depth, pioneering immersive experiences that transcend conventional performance boundaries.

Jack Allocca, PhD

Neuroscientist, University of Melbourne, CEO, Somnivore

Boundary-pushing researcher bridging psychedelic pharmacology, AI, and the neuroscience of altered states. Combines laboratory science with global exploration of consciousness technologies to help high-impact individuals leverage non-ordinary states for creativity, meaning, and professional breakthrough.

Nicco Reggente, PhD

Principal Investigator, Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies

Neuroscientist and entrepreneur developing technology to democratize non-ordinary states of consciousness. Combines immersive tech, neuroimaging, and machine learning to create personalized experiences that enhance creativity, wellbeing, and cognitive breakthroughs.

Mike Crowley

Psychedelic Buddhism Scholar & Ordained Lama

Pioneering explorer of the intersection between entheogenic compounds and Buddhist traditions. Ordained lama with over 50 years of direct lineage study who has systematically uncovered the psychedelic foundations of Vajrayana practice through scholarly research and embodied experience. Author of "Secret Drugs of Buddhism"

Jeremy Skipper, PhD

Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London

Pioneering researcher at the intersection of language, consciousness, and psychedelics. Uses innovative approaches including movie-fMRI and DMT studies to explore the neurobiological foundations of inner speech and its relationship to mental health and human potential.

Eleana Baskouta

Strategic Philanthropy, Development, Center for MINDS

Cultural bridge-builder reclaiming Greece's psychedelic heritage through the lens of the Eleusinian Mysteries. Combines ethnographic research, philanthropy strategy, and ancient wisdom traditions to create ethical frameworks for consciousness exploration that honor both indigenous knowledge and modern science.

Chris Timmerman, PhD

Consciousness Researcher, UCL

Pioneer in DMT research expanding into the broader frontiers of consciousness science. Investigates how psychedelics, meditation, and flow states transform perception and cognition, now developing new paradigms for human development and wellbeing at UCL.

Andrés Gómez-Emilsson

Director of Research, Qualia Research Institute

Consciousness researcher pioneering the mathematical mapping of subjective experience. Studies the precise mechanisms of different mind states, developing frameworks to understand and optimize the full spectrum of possible conscious experiences.

Manesh Girn, PhD

Psychedelic Neuroscientist, UCSF | Scientific Director, Center for MINDS

Neuroscience innovator mapping how psychedelics reshape brain networks and consciousness. Investigates how altered states catalyze innovation and creativity. Creator of "The Psychedelic Scientist" platform making cutting-edge findings accessible to the public.

Your Hosts: Sensoria's Executive Leadership Team

Cody Gibbons

Co-Founder, Chief State Engineer

Biochemistry innovator working at the intersection of compounds and consciousness. Expert in psychopharmacology and plant biochemistry, Cody designs data-driven protocols for studying altered states safely and systematically.

Nick Synodis (Knux)

Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer

Experience designer merging technology, creativity, and human connection. Architect behind immersive consciousness explorations that fuse art, community, and cutting-edge research—all within values-driven containers that put humans first..

Ming Zhu Heseri

Chief Flourishing Officer

Consciousness scientist bridging traditional contemplative practices with cutting-edge neuroscience. Specializes in investigating how sustained meditation practice transforms brain function and enhances cognitive-emotional regulation, developing frameworks to optimize human wellbeing.

Leo Christov-Moore, Ph.D.

Head of Research

Neuroscientist investigating the biological foundations of transformative experiences. Uses advanced neuroimaging to map consciousness states, currently leading groundbreaking research on empathy enhancement through altered states.

The Research

At The Psychonaut Playground, your journeys and transformations will contribute to science.

For the first time, we're embedding cutting-edge neurophenomenology tools into the event itself, allowing us to do "research in the wild" that ensures data collected is ecologically valid and useful for driving real innovations in mental health and human flourishing.

Our previous event generated over 300 pages of groundbreaking data, helping us create the first-ever map of consciousness itself.

Let's build the future of inner space—together.

Glimpses From Our Prototype Event

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"I would describe Sensoria's events as surfing the tides of experience. It was a scientific experience in a natural setting that combined certain elements Burning Man with a very scientific experiment. They did a very good job in creating a sense of community."

Alice Christov, Director, Odisea Project

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"I would strongly urge anyone who's looking to literally expand their mind to come to the Psychonaut Playground. I had conversations with people of many backgrounds, people with very high IQ, about subjects I had never really talked about."

George Moore, Executive Producer, Odisea Project

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"I would describe Sensoria's events as surfing the tides of experience. It was a scientific experience in a natural setting that combined certain elements Burning Man with a very scientific experiment. They did a very good job in creating a sense of community."

Alice Christov, Director, Odisea Project

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"I would strongly urge anyone who's looking to literally expand their mind to come to the Psychonaut Playground. I had conversations with people of many backgrounds, people with very high IQ, about subjects I had never really talked about."

George Moore, Executive Producer, Odisea Project

What's Included

General Admission

  • All core programming, workshops, ceremonies, music, performances, and integration

  • Premium accommodations

  • Daily gourmet meals and elixirs (breakfast, lunch, dinner), including an enhanced banquet dinner

  • Daily wellness, yoga, and movement sessions

  • Daily access to wellness facilities

  • High speed Wi-Fi

  • Exclusive access to The Apothecary

  • Professional facilitation and medical supervision

Your Investment:

$10,000

Human Performance Optimization

Everything in General Admission, Plus:

  • Access to an exclusive menu of peptide therapies

  • Access to exosome treatment

  • Access to world class doctors and longevity professionals on-site to discuss personalized health, wellness, and longevity protocols

Designed for guests seeking biological upgrades and optimization with targeted support and recovery enhancements to complement the core amenities and experience.

Your Investment:

$15,000

VIP

Everything in Human Performance Optimization, Plus:

  • Full access to all menu items (including targeted compounds, pending medical evaluation) with priority access

  • Dedicated sommelier experience throughout the event

  • Option to begin custom protocol for Human Performance Design

  • First choice of accommodations

  • Early briefing on Sensoria ecosystem for patronage and investment

  • Ongoing updates and integration into the partner network

  • Prioritized access to peptide therapies, supplements, 1:1 private coaching, and more

Your Investment:

$30,000

Your Journey Begins Here

By Invitation Only:

The Psychonaut Playground is a carefully curated experience.

Each applicant is thoughtfully considered to ensure the optimal container for breakthrough research and profound experiences.

This exclusivity isn't about elitism—it's about creating the right conditions for consciousness exploration.

Next Steps:

1. Click the button below

2. Fill out the form that pops up on this page to complete your payment

3. You'll be directed to a confirmation page with all the important details

4. Prepare for an experience that will redefine your understanding of consciousness

1. Submit your $997 refundable deposit to secure your place in line

2. Complete our application (you'll receive this within a few minutes)

3. Upon acceptance, you'll be invited to complete your remaining investment

4. Prepare for an experience that will redefine your understanding of consciousness

*The exact location details will be revealed to accepted participants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this legal?

All Sensoria events and research protocols operate fully within legal frameworks. We work exclusively with methodologies that are legal in the jurisdictions where we facilitate events, while advocating for expanded research opportunities as laws evolve. Our focus is on using scientifically-validated approaches to understand and access beneficial mental states.

What experience level is required?

While we welcome varying levels of experience, the Psychonaut Playground is designed for people who've already dipped their toes in the waters of consciousness exploration. You don't need to be a veteran, but complete novices might want to gain some experience before joining us. We screen all applicants to ensure the right fit.

What compounds will be available?

Our research apothecary features a carefully curated collection of unregulated compounds with ideal safety profiles optimized for the container. Many of which you've likely never even heard of. The exact menu will be shared with confirmed participants, but expect a thoughtfully designed range that allows for both scientific exploration and profound personal experiences. Everything is lab-tested, properly dosed, and administered within our research protocols.

How is this different from other retreats?

We're not just offering experiences—we're conducting research that's advancing our collective understanding of consciousness. You're not a customer; you're a pioneer contributing to the map of the mind. Our rigorous protocols, data collection methods, and professional research team create something far beyond typical "journeys" or "ceremonies."

When you leave, you'll have contributed to the first-ever scientific mapping of conscious states.

How does the research component work?

During your explorations, our team uses cutting-edge neurophenomenology tools—including agentic micro-phenomenology interview systems, brain monitoring technology, and structured reporting protocols—to capture both the objective AND subjective dimensions of your experience.

This creates multi-dimensional data that helps us understand how different mental states arise and how to access them reliably. Your participation directly contributes to building the first map of conscious states.

Who will be there?

A carefully selected group of 100 consciousness pioneers including:

-Successful professionals tired of hiding their interest in consciousness exploration

-Leading researchers pushing the boundaries of conventional science

-Visionary patrons funding the next frontier of human potential

-Experienced facilitators creating optimal containers for exploration

-Artists and performers who translate conscious insights into expression

This isn't a random crowd. This is your tribe.

What's included in the $10,000 investment?

-6 days/5 nights premium accommodations

-All meals and beverages (specialized for optimal experience)

-Full access to the research apothecary

-All workshops, ceremonies, and performances

-Contribution to groundbreaking consciousness research

-Professional facilitation and medical supervision

-Integration support

-Transportation from Lisbon or Porto airport (specific times TBD)

-Lifetime membership in the Sensoria community

What's the application process?

Our application process ensures the right fit for this pioneering community:

1. Submit your $997 deposit to secure your place in the application queue

2. Complete our in-depth application (you'll receive this within a few minutes)

3. Applications are reviewed in the order deposits are received

4. Upon acceptance, you'll receive an invitation to complete your remaining investment

If your application isn't accepted for any reason, your deposit will be fully refunded.

How do you ensure safety?

Safety isn't an afterthought—it's built into every aspect of the experience:

-Comprehensive medical screening before approval

-On-site medical professionals

-Lab-tested compounds with precise dosing

-Controlled setting designed for optimal experiences

-Expert facilitation team with extensive experience

-Proper preparation and integration support

-Ongoing monitoring throughout experiences

Our prototype event demonstrated flawless safety protocols, and we've expanded those measures for the Psychonaut Playground.

What should I expect after applying?

After joining the waitlist, you'll receive an application within a few minutes. Our team reviews all applications carefully to ensure the right fit. If selected, you'll receive a detailed welcome package with preparation guidelines, travel information, and next steps for your journey. If it isn't a good fit, we'll refund your initial deposit.

Can I come with a partner/friend?

Yes, though each person must apply individually. We carefully curate the group dynamic and can't guarantee acceptance for everyone. If exploring with someone specific is important to you, please note this in your application.

What's the cancellation policy?

Your spot is confirmed with a 10% refundable deposit. Cancellations made 90+ days in advance are eligible for a full refund minus the deposit. Cancellations between 60–89 days receive a 50% refund, and 30–59 days a 25% refund or credit toward a future event. Cancellations within 30 days are non-refundable. You’re welcome to transfer your ticket to someone else with our approval. For peace of mind, we recommend travel insurance.

Is this a one-time event or will there be more?

While the Psychonaut Playground will likely become a recurring gathering, each event is unique and limited in size. Future events may focus on different aspects of consciousness research or be held in different locations. Being part of this first official gathering puts you at the forefront of this movement.

How do I prepare for this experience?

Once confirmed, participants will receive detailed preparation guidelines

What happens to the research data?

Your contributions help create the world's first open-source map of consciousness states—the neurophenomenological state space. This groundbreaking work will advance mental health treatments, enhance human potential, and deepen our understanding of the mind itself. Your privacy is always protected in published research.

HQ: 3330 Brighton Blvd

Alameda California, 94501

Phone: +1 415-338-9092

HQ: Frontier Tower

95 Market Street 14th floor

San Francisco, CA 94103

Phone: +1 (415) 338-9092

HQ: 3330 Brighton Blvd

Alameda California, 94501

Phone: +1 415-338-9092

HQ: 3330 Brighton Blvd

Alameda California, 94501

Phone: +1 415-338-9092

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