The Silva Ultramind System: My Honest Review (2023)

(This review contains affiliate links which means we earn a commission if you sign up⁠ — at no extra cost to you. However, it’s an honest review about my personal experience with The Silva Ultramind System)

I’m going to level with you, the idea of accessing “altered states of mind” to transform my reality sounded a bit beyond me.

That’s the promise from Mindvalley’s The Silva Ultramind System.

A solution for when you face a tricky challenge. A way to reach your goal more quickly. Even a way to discover your life purpose and finally unleash your true potential.

Embarking on this course I was unsure what I would really make of its framework for “mind empowerment”.

It turns out I was surprised by what I would discover.

Read my honest review of The Silva Ultramind System to find out if it really delivers, along with everything you need to know if you’re considering buying this course.

Why should you trust this review?

I’m Brendan Brown, the founder of The Expert Editor.

I have what I like to think is a healthy skepticism in life. I’m open to new ideas, but I don’t take everything I’m told as gospel.

I want proof.

That was my attitude when starting The Silva Ultramind System. I’m a big fan of Mindvalley and have gotten a lot out of their other programs.

I’m also curious about various self-improvement methods and had heard good things about this course, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

At the same time, I wasn’t sure what to make of concepts like extrasensory perception or energy healing, which do feature in this program. (I’ll critique this in more detail later in the review, based on my personal experiences of it in the course).

But not so long ago even meditation was seen as a bit weird or mystical. It wasn’t accepted in the mainstream.

Now, according to the book ‘Altered Traits’, 44% of American Fortune 100 companies offer meditation training to their employees.

I guess my point is that what is scientifically and socially accepted is constantly evolving, and so I was happy to try out new methods and see what works.

What is The Silva Ultramind System?

In a nutshell, The Silva Ultramind System is a 4-week program from Mindvalley that uses meditation/visualization style techniques to improve your mind’s ability.

It’s based on The Silva Method, an incredibly popular formula from José Silva (I’ll talk more about him next) which has been around since the ’60s.

Millions of people have studied this method in over a hundred countries around the world — which suggests there’s got to be something in it.

When you read through the sales page on Mindvalley for this course, it’s quite clear this is slightly more unorthodox than some people will be used to.

The framework for the course takes you through what it refers to as the four states of consciousness (Beta level, alpha level, theta level, and delta level.)

It aims to show you how to use each one of these states so that you can perform and live at your very highest level of functioning.

Who teaches The Silva Ultramind System?

Mindvalley says that this program is with José Silva and Vishen Lakhiani (who is the founder of Mindvalley).

But it’s taught by Vishen Lakhiani. José Silva, the creator of the concepts you will learn, died in 1999. A former radio engineer, José Silva developed the method over decades of studies and research.

This led him to discover that Alpha and Theta levels of consciousness play the biggest roles in a person’s self-evolution. It’s a claim Mindvalley says is now backed by countless peer-reviewed studies.

In the introduction to the course, Vishen explains how learning this material himself many years ago changed his entire life and is responsible for all the success he now has. He’s certainly had a lot of success, so that’s quite high praise.

It’s also why he is the best choice to teach this course, as his passion for it is evident throughout.

What is Mindvalley?

It’s probably worth briefly touching on what Mindvalley is, in case you’re unfamiliar with the platform and are wondering if it’s credible.
Mindvalley offers an online collection of learning courses that center around personal development in many different forms.

I’ve taken (and reviewed) quite a few courses over the years and I’ve always found them to be very high quality.

(Check out my other reviews for Superbrain, Super Reading, Lifebook, Money EQ, Becoming Focused, WildFit and Duality).

You’ll find programs on everything from improving your mind and body to parenting skills, entrepreneurship, and spirituality. I’d say there’s something for everyone.

Most are taught over several weeks with short daily lessons through video content and practical exercises.

You can either buy individual courses, which usually cost around a few hundred dollars each, or get a yearly membership, which often works out cheaper.

How much does it cost?

As I’ve just mentioned pricing, let’s talk about the cost of The Silva Ultramind System before diving deeper into the course content and my own results from taking it.

To buy this program on its own costs $499 for lifetime access to it, but I wouldn’t recommend that.

That’s because at the time of writing this, for the exact same price ($499) you can buy the Mindvalley Membership. This gives you unlimited access to pretty much all of their other programs too, for a whole year.

As someone who is into learning and trying out new things, I’ve found this the best option for me and way better value.

Either way, when you buy the individual course or opt for the membership, it’s good to know that you can get a refund.

You have a 15-day money-back guarantee from the date of purchase with both.

Click here to get the Mindvalley Membership at the best price.

My results from The Silva Ultramind System

I always like to cut to the chase and give my results before going more in-depth into what to expect from the course material.

Because what we all really want to know is whether this works before we spend our hard-earned cash on it, right?

Well, I did get some tangible and practical results from taking The Silva Ultramind System.

After doing the meditation exercises I felt instantly more relaxed.

They seemed like a combination of guided meditation and hypnosis to me. Although we were told that we weren’t being hypnotized, as you are fully conscious.

But you are given “new programming” with positive thoughts and statements — all of which made me feel more positive and optimistic.

In general, I also felt less stressed in my daily life. I felt like I was coping better with pressure and less affected by things that used to wind me up.

My mind is fairly active and always chattering, and I did feel like I was gained better control over it, and managing to quiet that more.

That might not seem like a big deal but the knock-on effects meant being more centered, in control, focused, productive and calmer.

Whilst I wouldn’t say this program has changed my life in any dramatic way, it has given me practical tools to strengthen my mind (which is surely an important component in creating success).

What is ESP in The Silva Ultramind System?

I want to talk about ESP, or extrasensory perception, as it is something that comes up in the program.

If like me, this is totally new to you and you’re unsure what it means or how credible is it, you’ll probably want to know more before committing to buying this program.

It’s fair to say that ESP is still viewed as “pseudo-science” to many.

Does that mean it’s not real? No.

History has shown us time again that there are always things beyond our current capabilities to understand or explain. But there is certainly no conclusive scientific evidence for it.

Some studies have reported support for the existence of ESP, but they didn’t find anything to explain its mechanisms. And other studies (like this one cited in the Harvard Gazette) claim to have found no evidence whatsoever.

So it’s worth pointing out that even within the academic field there is an ongoing debate around it. Some psychologists believe it deserves consideration, whilst others are very dismissive.

But it’s also significant to stress the definition of what The Silva Ultramind System even views as ESP.

Vishen Lakhiani makes it clear that it isn’t “roadside psychics” they are talking about. He is talking about the ability to get ideas and knowledge from somewhere other than our own physical body and mind.

He also backs this up by giving the statistics that 16% of scientists believe ESP to be an established fact, whilst 45% believe it is a likely possibility — although I’m not sure the source of that information.

Ultimately it’s something to be aware of and a personal choice over what you believe.

Even if you’re unsure about what you think about it all— like I am—you do need to consider whether you can come to this course with an open mind to new possibilities.

For me, it wasn’t a problem at all. I found the information interesting and the audio exercises far from mystical.

They were simple, easy to follow, and didn’t present anything odd that I haven’t already done before in hypnosis, meditation, or visualization exercises.

What’s it like taking this course?

This is a 4-week program, with every week focusing on a different level of the four states of consciousness.

Week 1 teaches you the foundation techniques you’ll need.

Week 2 is centered around accessing your subconscious mind’s intuitive abilities.

Week 3 looks at your desires in life and creating a path towards them. It also goes into mind-body healing and extending this healing to others too.

Week 4 will leave you with a practical framework to help you incorporate everything you’ve learned into your daily life.

Before you get started with the program, there are also a few introduction videos to prepare you before taking the course. You’ll learn more about José Silva, and what to expect.

It’s a total of 12 hours of lessons which are broken down across 28 days. You can expect the daily lessons to last between 15-30 minutes.

One of the things I really liked is how easy it was to follow, thanks to the fairly straightforward formula.

You start with a video lesson where Vishen talks you through the techniques. Then you work your way through the audio exercises that are provided afterward.

These are the tracks that stimulate different parts of your brain’s waves during meditation.

If you have any experience with meditation, it might not be what you were expecting.

We’re not talking about passive quiet sitting whilst you try and silence thoughts.

Instead, it’s closer to guided meditation, with positive affirmations and visualizations thrown in too.

You will also hear a lot about improving your intuition.

Intuition is one of those things that sounds almost mystical, but I’m guessing most of us have also experienced this sense of “knowing” at some time or another.

This almost gut feeling is spoken about as “clairsentience” in the program. Essentially an impulse you get from your body.

Vishen explains that intuition is not magic. It’s just an internal voice that comes from somewhere which we can’t really explain yet with scientific language.

But you don’t really need to know where it comes from in order to tap into it.

I suspect that is going to be difficult for a lot of people to accept (which is why this course won’t suit everyone), but I was prepared to keep an open mind about it.

After all, there are plenty of things that we have come to understand as our scientific knowledge expands, which at some time seemed mystical before we had the means to explain it.

What a typical lesson is like

Here are some screenshots I’ve taken from day 14, ‘Projection to Plants’.

I’ve purposefully chosen one of the more “out there” sounding lessons in the hopes of demystifying it.

Despite how the title may sound, we were actually being asked to do some quite practical things.

Firstly during the video, you are told to observe two leaves with your full attention.

You are asked to notice how thick it is, the colors, how it reflects light, how it smells, how it feels, etc.

Then after the video finishes, you move on to the audios, where you are guided through a visualization exercise.

It’s explained that this will help you to apply your consciousness to healing life forms.

But also these “projection exercises” essentially strengthen your ability to visualize using all your senses. Which in turn improves your intuitive sense and disciplines your imagination.

You’ll have already seen in my results section, that I didn’t mention the healing aspects as something I experienced (although other people who have taken the course have reported personal accounts of this).

But what I will say is this level of sheer observation and focus did still benefit my mind and create better control.

In a world where distraction is everywhere, disciplining myself to focus intently was a useful habit to cultivate.

Who is The Silva Ultramind System a good fit for and who won’t like it?

I’d say this course has strong spiritual overtones, even though lots of the material is also practical.

It will talk about synchronicity, “luck” and higher guiding power. This is not language that will resonate with everyone.

It will really suit you if you already have a spiritual belief or interest in concepts like healing and ESP.

If you don’t, it is going to require at the very least an open mind approach to what you learn, otherwise, I think you will struggle to get the value from this program.

The pro’s and con’s

The pros

• I genuinely enjoyed taking this course. I found it interesting opening myself up to new experiences. And I felt an instant calming and positive effect from doing the exercises.
• If you’ve ever struggled with passive meditation (aka just sitting silently) then I think you will enjoy the more active meditation exercises presented here.
• You get a lot of material for your money. There are plenty of practical tools you have access to, rather than just information. I really felt like I was doing a lot and not just being told things.
• Vishen Lakhiani is a very skilled and engaging presenter which makes the video content easy and fun to watch. He is also clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about the Silva Method.
• Like with all the Mindvalley programs, you get access to a free online community of others taking the course. This was valuable to share experiences and see what other people were getting out of the exercises.

The cons

• Some of the information and tools you are presented with within this program are disputed in the scientific community. I’ve already mentioned concepts like ESP and how it’s controversial. You’ll also encounter things around healing and projecting your consciousness. I’d say it’s important to do your own research and figure out what you think.
• Mindvalley normally adopts a microlearning approach and tries to keep daily lessons under 20 minutes. They do this as it’s been shown to be an optimal way to learn. But because of the nature of some of the lessons in this course, you should expect them to run a little longer — up to 30 minutes a day. This is not necessarily a “con” unless you’re really short on time.

Is The Silva Ultramind System worth it?

I came in skeptical, but as soon as I scratched below the surface I found this was a way more practical and down-to-earth program than I’d imagined it would be.

Beyond talk about states of consciousness, ESP, intuition, and projecting consciousness, what I actually found were some really simple and easy-to-apply tools for mastering my mind.

Just like meditation has been proven to lower stress, reduce anxiety, improve your physical health, better your attention span and even give you a more positive outlook — I experienced something similar from taking The Silva Ultramind System.

I wouldn’t say I was completely sold on everything I encountered within the course — particularly some of the ideas around healing others with consciousness.

Neither would I say it’s a magic pill for creating success. Just like all personal development, results may take time and do require you to apply yourself.

But what I would definitely say is that, for me, The Silva Ultramind System was overall a positive experience and well worth it.