I fought with my own head

Published 30.5.202610.10.2026

We’ve decided to share another unique story with you, one that might inspire you on your own journey into the depths of yourself. Everyone who comes to us experiences something completely different and brings their own life story with them. Today we look at the experience of a brave woman who immersed herself in absolute darkness for the second time. She came for peace, but in the end she had to fight a great inner battle. Read how her stay unfolded and everything this intense experience brought her.

My second time in the dark and the fear of five days

This was my second time in the dark. Last year I tried it for the first time and I was really thrilled with it. The euphoria stayed with me for a long time, I was calm and I just felt great. I remembered feeling wonderful the whole time I was there, and so I wanted to do it again. I told myself the right moment would come within a year. Seven days felt too long because of my mum, who I’ve been caring for long-term, so I tried five days and it worked out. But the closer it got, the more I started to feel respect and fear. At first I was showing off to myself about how I already knew what I was getting into. I knew what to pack, where to arrange my things under the bed so I wouldn’t kick them, and what to expect. Except in the end it wasn’t anywhere near that relaxed.

Fighting my own head amid the Prague rush

I live in Prague, almost in the centre, on Evropská street, so I get battered by work, by my phone and by everything around me. As a highly sensitive person I desperately needed to switch off, slow my head down and rest. When the light went out there was an enormous sense of relief, because my eyes and my mind really needed it, but somehow I’d forgotten that I’d have to fight myself. My head kept sending me scraps of thoughts and sketches of situations that might never happen, or things from the past. I kept asking myself why my head was playing up, when I have no trauma from those particular things. I was used to going along with everything my head threw at me, picking at it and analysing it. The first two nights were really hard, even though at moments my head emptied out and it was brilliant. I had to find some way of chasing those difficult moments away, and it settled down exactly halfway through, before the third night.

Meeting my demons and peace in my soul

By Saturday and Sunday the days were great, even though my demons appeared and everything was swaying along with me, which was almost magical. Interesting things came up that are hard to describe. Now and then I tried to communicate with them; I talked to my soul and to God. It was mostly me doing the talking, but it was nice. When day broke, it was full of colour. Before the sun came out, the darkness inside grew ever blacker and more black-and-white, but then everything lit up. Peace stayed in my soul and a great relief came. It was definitely worth it.

You can’t run away from yourself

This dark retreat was completely different from the previous one, when all I experienced was the wow effect and euphoria. This time I had to fight for that peace. I thought it would be easier, that the darkness would do all the work for me, that I’d just catch up on sleep and the calm would come. But I had to put in the work myself. That’s what darkness therapy is like: you have to go deep, you can’t just waffle, it has to come from within. I discovered that there’s no need to be afraid of the darkness itself. What people are mostly afraid of is themselves and what the darkness confronts them with, whether that’s regrets, memories or feelings of guilt. But we battle with those outside too. You can’t run away from yourself, in the light or in the dark. People aren’t afraid of the dark as such, but rather of the darkness inside them.

We have put together the most frequently asked questions clients ask before a dark retreat.

Follow our YouTube channel too, where you’ll find videos about dark retreats and people’s experiences of darkness therapy. 🔔

4 days in the dark

Published 23.5.202610.10.2026

Coming to a stop in today’s hurried world takes courage, but the reward is often beyond measure. People frequently arrive here in a state of utter exhaustion, when body and soul alike are crying out for a reset. The story we bring you today captures the transformation of a man who chose radical calm and silence. Although he spent only a few days with us, he left with an entirely different mindset and a sense of inner strength he had previously lacked. His experience shows how deeply darkness therapy can affect us when we manage to open up to it and let things flow freely.

The journey to calm began at the railway station

I arrived here a pretty devastated man, both mentally and physically. I’d been thinking about the fact that such a thing as a dark retreat exists for at least a year, but I still didn’t know exactly where you were. Then around Christmas I saw a podcast in which Petr Vachler talked about his film The Secret and the Meaning of Life and mentioned that he’d spent something like eleven days with you. The way he described it all gave me such a kick that I told myself it was definitely worth trying too. My journey began with an hour’s walk from the train at Bykáň. Even though the weather was dead against me that day, with rain and snow, I had a beautiful walk and prepared myself inwardly for what was to come.

First steps in absolute silence

On Saturday, before I turned the light off for good, I had to pace out the whole space carefully. I wanted to know exactly where everything was so I could find my way around later without my sight. For the first hour or two my eyes watered as they got used to seeing nothing. In the end my darkness therapy lasted four days, from Saturday to Wednesday. I’d definitely have liked more, at least seven days, but I only started sorting it out on the Monday and was arriving on the Saturday, so a longer stay wasn’t possible. Even so, I’m very glad of those four days, because I know that what opened up in me still needs to be finished.

Food as a completely different experience

I was fascinated by how my approach to food changed over those few days. When you can’t see it, you perceive it mainly with your tongue and perhaps your nose. It’s a completely different relationship and a deeper experience. I even had foods there that I probably wouldn’t normally bother eating. I remember the moment I put a gooseberry in my mouth. The flavour simply took over and was incredibly intense. Now I’m thinking that, as long as it isn’t embarrassing, I’ll occasionally close my eyes while eating in everyday life. Without sight involved, the sensation is simply incomparable.

When body and mind begin to regenerate

At the start I had just one worry: whether I’d be able to stand my own company and how I’d cope with my negative thoughts. But gradually I learnt that when a really negative thought comes along, I simply let it go and don’t dwell on it any further. I’m learning that when I can’t influence something, I let it flow. I was also surprised at how quickly the body can regenerate when it has the time. I went into the dark with back pain, and on top of that I burnt the roof of my mouth on the very first hot soup. The body’s effort to heal itself perhaps works faster here than in ordinary life. From Monday on I had no more trouble with my back, and in the morning I couldn’t even feel the burnt palate.

Back to reality with new energy

Today, when I stepped outside and heard the birds singing, it completely charged me with energy. I feel reborn. Now my head is running through how to bring it all together, and whether to give myself some distance or dive in head first over the next few weeks. My dark retreat met my expectations. If it had been longer, I’d probably have dealt with more of my old baggage, but even so I’m definitely satisfied. To anyone planning to come here, I’d also recommend that opening walk through the countryside, because it puts you in a wonderful frame of mind for the whole process.

Want to find out more about the guides through the dark?

Follow our YouTube channel too, where you’ll find videos about dark retreats and people’s experiences of darkness therapy. 🔔

I like overcoming challenges

Published 16.5.202610.10.2026

With every passing day in our hurried world, more and more people are looking for a way back to themselves. One of the most interesting ways to do that, and to pause for a while, is a dark retreat. Today we bring you the personal experience of a couple who each stayed in their own cabin, so they could explore silence and stillness in complete privacy. For one person it may be a challenge, for another a welcome rest. Read on to find out what it is like when, for a few days, all the stimuli around you disappear and only you and the darkness remain.

A journey towards calm and being alone with myself

What brought me into the dark was the feeling of calm, knowing I would be able to be alone with myself there, with nothing to distract me from just being with myself. My job means I am always somewhere with people, sorting something out, lots of phone calls and emails. And here none of that was happening at all, and that was beautiful. It could be just me and the darkness, and the darkness didn’t bother me in the slightest. It was simply a companion to my being alone with myself.

When I was little I used to have night terrors and would wake up in the dark, so I was a bit worried about how I would cope. So for me this was a kind of preparation for a longer stay. I didn’t want to go straight in for seven days, because I didn’t know how I would handle it. I wanted to be kind to myself and not too strict. My darkness therapy was mainly about rest.

Three days as a good taster, and curiosity

I don’t think three days give you room to heal anything major, but it’s good to try it, at least if someone feels they might not manage the full seven days. Three days are a good taster, showing that it can be done and that you can feel comfortable in there. I’ve been thinking about a retreat for a long time and I was actually looking for a partner to go away somewhere with. I wanted to explore introspection, what it does to me and how I would react.

I was driven by curiosity; I like exploring things, including on myself. You have to try everything to find out whether it’s your path, and I feel this is my path. Darkness helps with self-awareness; you try to sense what is sharpening inside you. The first day I slept, I wasn’t able to make sense of it all, but seven days could be an interesting experience. Although this time we each went separately, to have time for ourselves, next time we would happily try going in together.

Solitude, silence and finding your way around

I have no problem being alone with myself; I’m quite a loner and I spend a lot of time in silence. When I’m on my own, I’m in silence; I don’t put on the radio or music. I’m an only child, so solitude and silence don’t bother me. The darkness was the thing – I didn’t know how it would go with the night terrors, otherwise I would have gone straight for seven days. But it felt important to me to choose the right place.

We looked at various other places, but it seemed to me that here it is all really well thought out. I found my way around the cabin easily, even in the dark. Before I switched off the lights, I put everything in places where I knew I would find it again, and after that there was no problem. Sometimes you do find yourself searching for the water bottle and thinking you have no water, but in the end you find it. The cabin isn’t so big that things can roll away somewhere.

A world without demands and a feeling of safety

I see no reason why anyone should be afraid of it, as long as they are at ease with themselves and have no issues with themselves. It is healthy to take a break like this from the devices that are constantly flashing at us and making demands on us. Here there were no demands for two days, just a knock to say you’re all right, and a knock back. These days we live in a world of demands, and the kind of calm where you don’t have to do anything is something you rarely experience anywhere else.

There is a lovely feeling of safety here, and it’s a labour of love. For anyone considering a dark retreat, this place is wonderful, because you feel safe, and that is important for people who are afraid. We watched a few videos from various places, but here we felt that it was all right and that this was the one. The approach was beautiful, and from the start we knew that everything was fine. If darkness therapy speaks to you, you should overcome your fear and give it a try, because life is about overcoming fears.

We have put together the most frequently asked questions that clients ask before a dark retreat.

Follow our YouTube channel too, where you will find videos about the retreats and people’s experiences of darkness therapy. 🔔

Nobody is standing at the door with a Kalashnikov

Published 9.5.202610.10.2026

We often wonder what goes on in the mind of someone who decides to cut themselves off completely from the outside world for a few days. So here is an honest first-hand account from one of our participants, who chose to share how she felt when she swapped the everyday rush for complete silence and stillness. Maybe you carry a similar longing to stop, and you’re looking for answers to questions that get lost in the noise of ordinary life. Read her story about how her dark retreat went, what the experience gave her and why, in the end, there was nothing to be afraid of.

A long-postponed wish under the Christmas tree

I’d known this method existed for a few years. It always felt like something I really needed. I just wanted to shut myself away somewhere, be completely alone, without people and without any distractions. I talked about it a lot, until in the end my husband gave me darkness therapy as a Christmas present. The people around me sort of know that I meditate, so they didn’t find it all that strange. If anything, people asked me whether I’d actually be able to stick it out. Some advised me to take various things to keep myself entertained, but I told them I wasn’t going there to be entertained, I was simply going into the dark.

When fear gives way to a velvety nothing

Before I went in, I had a certain fear inside me. I hadn’t looked into any details beforehand, how much it costs or where exactly it’s done, I just knew it existed. I didn’t read any websites and I wasn’t sure what might jump out at me in there. But the moment I shut myself in, all my worries were gone. Quite the opposite: the darkness started to feel like one big hug. It was incredibly pleasant and safe. The things your mind conjures up in half-light are far wilder than in total darkness. Here it’s just a kind of velvety nothing. The cabin even felt much bigger in that pitch-black darkness than it did with the lights on.

What zen tastes like, and eating everything with a spoon

Everything was perfectly manageable. After walking round the room a few times I’d measured out the space, and after that I knew pretty well what to do. I moved very carefully and covered my head with my hand so I wouldn’t bang it on anything. Sometimes I left the door to the hallway open to let air flow through, so I preferred to feel my way around to be safe. Eating wasn’t a problem either, because I ate everything with a spoon. It was interesting to watch my appetite. On the first evening I ate loads out of boredom, including the food I’d brought myself. But gradually that left me completely. A kind of zen set in, when I no longer even needed to finish whole portions and being half full was enough.

Lots of sleep and the wisdom of The Four Agreements

I spent most of the time either sleeping or meditating. Because I’m not very good at it sitting up, I meditated mostly lying down. That left me a bit stiff towards the end and I had to force myself to exercise, but inside I felt great. I did have a player in there, but I never figured out how to skip tracks on it. So I stayed with The Four Agreements, which I already know, but in that isolation they resonated with me far more than ever before. In the end I was actually glad about it; I really took a lot away from it.

Courage as a path to inner peace

Three days were plenty for me, but I could easily imagine staying longer. If you’re thinking about it, be brave and just try to get past the fear you have. People who’ve never been somewhere love talking about things they haven’t experienced. They might tell you you’ll be facing some kind of demons in there, but don’t believe it. Nobody is standing at the door with a Kalashnikov. At worst you can walk out of the cabin any time you like, it’s no big deal. So if you’re considering a dark retreat, just go for it.

Would you like to find out more about your guides in the dark?

Follow our YouTube channel too, where you’ll find videos about dark retreats and experiences of darkness therapy. 🔔

I saw a white cat

Published 2.5.202610.10.2026

Imagine that strange moment when, after several days in complete silence without a single ray of light, you open the door for the first time and step outside. That is exactly the experience we are sharing with you now, through the words of a young man who completed his first dark retreat with us. His account gives you a sense of what it is like when all your senses suddenly sharpen and you begin to perceive the world around you with incredible intensity and freshness, as if you were seeing it for the very first time in your life.

A world that looks brand new

After the dark I feel great, even though I’m still sort of getting my bearings. I feel like a new person, as if I had been born again. When I stepped outside, everything seemed incredibly vivid to me. I saw a white cat here, and right after waking up it seemed really, really white to me. Even the birds suddenly seem so plump to me. One of them sat down on the doorstep right next to me, barely a metre away. It looked me over for a while and only then flew off. Normally I notice things other people don’t notice, but now it’s simply different. I really liked the dawn, although after a while the light got too much for me, even though it was only half past six in the morning. I lasted outside for about forty minutes before hunger drove me back in.

Tastes I never knew before

I really enjoyed the food. The first thing I had was couscous with vegetables, and the tomato really hit the spot. But the biggest shock for me was the olives. Normally I don’t eat them at all, and even when I do try them now and then, I just don’t like them. But here in the dark I ate every single one and enjoyed them. They didn’t have such a strong taste as when I eat them normally, which was strange. In the dark I could recognise the taste, but it didn’t bother me at all and it suited me. I also really loved the milk; that made me happy. For breakfast I then had some fruit and a dessert as well.

Time, and why I want to come back

Originally I wanted to go for seven days, but in the end I chose the three-day dark retreat. I have to admit that in the end those three days were short for me. I didn’t have enough time to get a proper feel for how time actually passes in the dark. I definitely want to come back for the seven days. I’m twenty-six and I kept wondering whether I would come back in a year or maybe in two or three years. But perhaps in the end it will be just a year. I had been quite worried about what I would do when I woke up in the morning, but in the dark you have no idea when morning actually is.

A diary and analysing life in silence

I wasn’t bored at all; I always had something to do. I hardly exercised at all, I just stretched for about a minute the whole time. My shoulders ached quite a bit in the morning because of that, from sleeping on my side all the time, which I only noticed today. I spent a lot of time writing. I filled about ten pages of a small A5 notebook. When I read it back in the morning after waking up, I found it was all perfectly legible. Darkness therapy allowed me to analyse my life in a completely different way. In everyday life you look at things in a certain way, but in the dark you see them completely differently.

Love, and unexpected anger

I felt a lot of love in that darkness. I recalled the love I had received throughout my whole life, right up until I found myself here. But things that annoy me came up too. I was surprised that at times I was even angry, or cross about something I had messed up in my life. I hadn’t expected that at all beforehand. Now I need to let it all settle in my head. I will think more about what specifically from all this I will apply to my life. But it was definitely a powerful experience that gave me a lot to think about.

We have put together the most frequently asked questions that clients ask before a dark retreat.

Follow our YouTube channel too, where you will find videos about the retreats and people’s experiences of darkness therapy. 🔔

I could lock the door at night

Published 25.4.202610.10.2026

Perhaps you’ve been thinking for a while now that you need to switch off completely, but you’re still waiting for the right impulse. Sometimes it takes years before a person finds the courage to take that step into the unknown and try something as intense as coming to a standstill in silence. Read the story of one of our participants, who decided to jump into the process of self-discovery at the moment she felt that the usual ways of calming down were no longer enough. Her journey shows that darkness therapy may be exactly what you’re looking for when you feel the pressure of the world around you and need to find your way back to yourself.

From admiration to my own decision

I first heard about this option a good few years ago. Back then I loved the idea and admired the people who went for it, but at the time it made no sense for me, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it. The change only came a few weeks ago, maybe three weeks back, when I heard a woman on a podcast talking about a dark retreat she’d been on. In that instant it all just clicked, and I told myself this was exactly what I needed right now. I found you, and off I went straight away.

The need to stop merely surviving each day

The thing is, I was actually completely overwhelmed. All in all, a lot was coming at me from every direction, and I felt I needed somewhere to quieten my head and be with myself. In everyday life, with so much going on, I was just surviving from one day to the next. I’d been trying meditation on and off, I do yoga, I make an effort with all these things, but it wasn’t enough. I needed to calm down and pull my thoughts together a little. Five or ten minutes of peace hadn’t been nearly enough lately; it was simply too little.

Fear of my own dreams, and a sense of safety

I did have certain worries and fears beforehand. Firstly, I have very vivid dreams and I know I get nightmares too. It’s better at some times than others these days, but even so I wondered whether I’d cope at all. But in the cabin it’s completely different; suddenly your head works in a totally different way. I did have vivid dreams, but they were pleasant ones. I wasn’t afraid of anything at all in there. I simply knew that here, right now, I’m safe, I have my peace and I can focus on that. That sense of safety is definitely a plus point that adds a lot to the experience.

Three nights for freedom in my head

Originally I wanted to go for a week, but at the same time I felt I needed the earliest possible date. I’m the kind of person who, once I’ve decided on something, needs it straight away, ideally the next day. The nearest free dates were for a few days, so I chose three nights. Actually, I’m glad now that it was this short. Maybe I’m not at a stage where I could last a week, but it’s hard to say. In any case, it definitely did what I needed: I managed to calm down and sort out my thoughts. I was even able to be completely without thoughts, which was hugely important for me. Now I feel freer and I’m not so tied to my own thoughts.

A message for anyone thinking about it

If I had a message for people, it would be: definitely don’t be afraid of it. If someone is used to spending time twenty-four seven among people and isn’t used to being alone with themselves, it’s good to practise a bit first and not go straight to the extreme. On the other hand, if someone needs that extreme in order to learn it, then why not. It’s still voluntary; you can leave whenever you want, or you can turn the light on. But if you know how to spend time with yourself and can sit down and be still even for a moment, then darkness therapy is an absolutely brilliant way for you to calm down. It’s a great experience.

Want to find out more about the guides through the dark?

Follow our YouTube channel too, where you’ll find videos about dark retreats and people’s experiences of darkness therapy. 🔔

You won’t lose your mind in the dark

Published 18.4.202610.10.2026

Ever wondered what happens to your mind when you cut it off from all outside stimuli for a week? Every story that unfolds in our cabins carries its own unique mark of courage and self-discovery. Read the account of a man who set out to explore his inner world and found that the biggest challenge wasn’t the darkness itself, but himself. His journey to cleanse both body and soul shows that darkness therapy isn’t just about the absence of light – it’s about a deep calm we have all but forgotten in the everyday rush.

A week-long journey, Friday to Friday

Now that I’m out, I feel strange, really strange. But at the same time I feel an incredible calm – I’m relaxed and completely at ease. My dark retreat lasted exactly seven days, from Friday to Friday. I’d wanted to do this for a long time, but my wife was really scared of it. She kept refusing to let me go, because she was afraid I’d simply snap in there. She was sure I’d go mad or end up in a psychiatric ward. But I believed that an ordinary, healthy person could handle it without any lasting effects. It’s a challenge where you put yourself to the test, and on top of that you can leave whenever you want. In the end I made it, and found there’s nothing about it that can’t be overcome.

A cleanse, alongside a fast

To make the experience even more intense, I added a fast to it. I wanted to cleanse my body and soul at the same time, and I believed it would help me get closer to myself. I think it’s important to be honest with yourself. I didn’t do any complicated rituals or processes during those days. I just prepared for the fast and let everything flow freely. Darkness therapy let me cleanse myself from the inside and simply be, which you can’t really do in everyday life.

Endless time between Wednesday and Thursday

The most critical moment for me was the stretch from Wednesday to Thursday, which felt like the longest day of my entire life. In that total solitude I felt as if time had stopped and real infinity had begun. That was when I understood what the word actually means. But I got through it and held on. Then suddenly something shifted. I’d been waiting for Thursday like a gift from heaven, yet paradoxically it turned out to be the shortest day here. As soon as I knew I’d finish on Friday at six in the morning and get my alarm clock, my brain reset itself and the rest of the time flew by incredibly fast.

Thoughts and breath as a cure for boredom

You might wonder whether you’d go out of your mind with boredom in there, but the thoughts start coming on their own. All you have to do is quietly ask for the right things to come to you, and they do. When time started dragging too much, I simply did some exercise or some breathing work. Thanks to that, it wasn’t nearly as bad as people on the outside imagine. Darkness therapy gives you the space to stop like this and focus only on what’s happening inside you.

Back to a world full of colour

Today, when I stepped out into the fog, it wasn’t quite as perfect as I’d dreamed, but even so I see colours completely differently. It’s a strange feeling, and it takes a while for your eyes to adjust and start seeing the world the way they used to. For me it was a new and really interesting experience. I didn’t have any specific expectations that I had to reach some depth of consciousness or achieve anything. Maybe that’s why I’m happy now – it just suited me exactly the way it was. I let life flow and don’t plan anything ahead. If you’re thinking about it, don’t be afraid, because the only thing you can be afraid of is yourself

We’ve put together the most frequently asked questions that people ask before a dark retreat.

Follow our YouTube channel too, where you’ll find videos about dark retreats and experiences with darkness therapy. 🔔

A flood of love

Published 11.4.202610.10.2026

Imagine a moment when time stops completely and all you perceive is the depth of your own thoughts and the beating of your heart. Today we bring you an account of a journey that began as a long-held dream and ended in an unexpected flood of inner light. Read an honest story of what happens when a person decides to switch off the outside world for seven days and simply be. This experience shows that darkness therapy opens the door to themes we so often overlook in the everyday rush.

Why I chose a whole week in seclusion

I’m so glad I did the whole thing. Not just three days, but a full week, because it was only after those three days that the real ride actually began. It was simply wonderful and I hope the feeling I found in myself here lasts at least for a while. I’d wished for this experience for several years, but I kept telling myself it wasn’t the right time yet. I wanted to calm down a little first and get things in my life in order, so that I wouldn’t bring something with me that would pass straight away. Then my friends and family gave me a dark retreat for my birthday at exactly the right time. It was a very good decision, because the strongest grace and love only came in the second half of the week.

A flood of love and inner freedom

In that deep darkness I found absolute love for everything – for myself, for people and for nature. It was a complete flood of love and a feeling I can hardly put into words. Of course, at times it was also very hard, but actually it was quite manageable. When I expect in advance that an experience like this will bring some harder moments too, I cope with them better. As soon as something came up that annoyed or troubled me, all I had to do was say it out loud. I just spoke it, and suddenly it vanished. In place of the trouble, love, forgiveness, grace and light appeared. The greatest intensity only came after those opening days, when I was finally able to relax completely.

An unexpected order in my daily silence

I did sleep through the whole of the first day, but then I was surprised to find I’d created my own routine. Normally I’m quite chaotic and have no fixed system for when to get up or go to sleep. Here, though, I was in complete order and did every activity at the same moment. I knew exactly where I’d put my mug, when I’d go for a wee, when I’d exercise or when I’d play the guitar. I had no idea at all whether I was sleeping little or a lot, or whether I was staying up at night. My only point of reference was the food, which sometimes came earlier and sometimes later. This dark retreat showed me that even in complete isolation a person can find their own inner rhythm.

Food as a gift from heaven

I always looked forward to the food enormously and kept wondering what good things there’d be this time and what dessert I’d get. One day I had to laugh out loud at how incredibly good it tasted. Soured cream with sponge biscuits was, at that moment, an absolute miracle and a gift from heaven. Overall the food simply tasted great and I savoured every mouthful with huge gratitude. That feeling of joy from an ordinary meal in complete silence is simply priceless, and you start to appreciate even the little things you take for granted outside. Every plate was an unexpected adventure of flavours for me.

My kindly bogeymen and the search for light

I did have some bogeymen, and in one spot I sometimes saw a darker patch, but they were quite kind. They weren’t evil bogeymen I’d need to be terrified of. When you really want an experience like this, you don’t need to be afraid of it beforehand. My darkness therapy wasn’t about having to overcome myself or a fear of the dark. I wanted to find the light, and I succeeded. It occurred to me that it would be good to give myself, say, an hour a day in the dark at home too, and just say what I feel or what problem I have. I believe the trouble would then disappear straight away, just as it did here. This rule of stopping in every day is something I’d definitely like to take away with me, and to hold on to that feeling of love for as long as possible.

As you can see, this journey can bring the answers you’ve been looking for for years. All it takes is the first step. What do you think, would you dare to meet yourself like this too?

Want to find out more about the guides through the dark?

Follow our YouTube channel too, where you’ll find videos about the retreats and people’s experiences with darkness therapy. 🔔

I stepped into the unknown

Published 4.4.202610.10.2026

We’d like to invite you to look inside one of our guests, who decided to explore the depths of his soul through silence and stillness. Every journey that darkness therapy offers is completely unique, and it brings answers to questions we often don’t even get round to asking in the everyday rush. This story takes you from his initial uncertainty all the way to profound visions that transform how he sees the world around him and bring colour back into everyday life.

First steps and finding my way in the unknown

My dark retreat began on Saturday afternoon. First I had to take in the whole cabin properly and feel my way around it, so I’d get my bearings and know where everything was. Once I felt sure, I switched off the light and started meditating. On Saturday I still ate some of my own food, then I fell asleep and let everything flow. At the beginning boredom set in too. You’re disoriented, you don’t know whether it’s day or night, but I simply accepted it as it was. In the end the time went by fine, because a lot depends on how you set it up in your mind.

Sunday’s dive into the depths of the subconscious

Sunday became a real period of darkness for me. My subconscious started rising to the surface, mainly my deep-rooted patterns and emotions. I have to say it was sort of unpleasantly pleasant. Everything surfaced gradually, so I could process it calmly, even though the day as a whole felt pretty unpleasant. But I believe you have to go through that to be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I went there intending to step into the unknown and out of my comfort zone, to clear my head so that I could shape my life in my own image. That came true.

A golden gate and unexpected encounters

I managed to glimpse the real light on Monday after lunch. While I was meditating in a kind of half-sleep, I saw various patterns and energies running around. Suddenly, above my left eyebrow, I clearly saw a shining gate, a beautiful golden tunnel. I turned my head slightly so I could see that splendour with both eyes. The colour was amazing. At that moment a tiny, sweet little creature flew in, something between a bird and an angel. It settled on my right-hand side, and suddenly a shadow appeared which for a moment reminded me of Jesus Christ. Then the shadow vanished, the little bird flew away and the gate disappeared. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was absolutely mind-blowing. I just stared, barely breathing, in a pleasant state of shock.

Living with perspective and high vibrations

Since that experience I feel relaxed and calm. Now I see nature as much more colourful, vivid and alive. During the retreat I listened a lot to the audio recording of The Four Agreements, and now I want to live by them. I want to see things with perspective, not fret over things needlessly and not let anything weigh me down. My goal is to live consciously and have a life full of gratitude, love, humility and abundance. I enjoyed the food here too; it had interesting oriental flavours. Darkness therapy allowed me to get to know myself more deeply, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to find themselves and live a contented life. I’d certainly do it again after a while, because if you accept it consciously, you can handle it just fine without panic or depression.

Would you like to experience a similar transformation and find inner peace too?

We’ve put together the most frequently asked questions that people ask before a dark retreat.

Follow our YouTube channel too, where you’ll find videos about dark retreats and experiences of darkness therapy. 🔔

I love coming back to Czechoslovakia

Published 28.3.202610.10.2026

Here is the story of a couple who travelled more than seven hundred kilometres to see us. She had her doubts at first about whether she could handle the experience at all, while her partner was an important source of support for her. Together they decided to step off the merry-go-round of obligations and find out whether they could spend several days in complete silence and solitude. Their experience shows that even if restlessness is part of your nature, you can find an unexpected balance in seclusion. Read how their darkness therapy went and what it brought into their lives.

My worries about my own hyperactivity

I came here fully expecting that I wouldn’t cope, because everyone who knows me said that with my hyperactivity I’d take the little house apart down to the last nail, build it back up again and definitely run off after a few hours. I was really surprised myself at how calm I was during those three days and how much I enjoyed it. My own hyperactivity shocked me, because I was completely calm, and it’s an unbelievably amazing feeling to be closer to yourself, to get to know yourself and, above all, to be able to stand your own company. Darkness therapy showed me that I can do it.

Support and security in the background

I was worried about my hyperactivity, but one key anchor helped me in my head. My partner is such an easy-going, calm person, and I knew that if things got really hard he would support me and help me. It was much easier to go into it knowing I had some kind of backup in my head. Someone is here with me, and if the worst comes to the worst, I have someone to turn to. Even though we were each in our own space, that feeling of closeness gave me strength.

The joy of food and losing all sense of time

The most beautiful moments came when someone knocked on the door and amazing, delicious, fantastic food arrived. That was what I looked forward to most of all. At the start I actually thought they were going to starve me, because the food took ages to come. In the dark you have no sense of time, so it crossed my mind that maybe it was part of the therapy and they wouldn’t knock until eight in the evening. But they really did come on time – it was just that time somehow dragged for me. Even so, it was amazing.

Escaping the hamster wheel

The idea came to me on the spur of the moment about three weeks ago, when I asked my partner whether he could imagine doing it with me. He picked a specific date straight away and I booked it immediately without a second’s hesitation. Life is often like a hamster wheel where you keep going round and round, chasing after something. You then miss the depth, the point of things and of life itself, and other qualities too. You wake up in the morning and straight away start dealing with a thousand things, deadlines, phone calls and errands. Then you come home exhausted and ask yourself why. I simply needed to realise a few things.

Going home with a clear head

Even though we drove about seven hundred kilometres, the journey was worth it. I found this place and knew straight away that this was where we were going, and I didn’t even look for other options closer to home, because this was amazing. Now I feel truly refreshed. Before, I’d been suffering from lack of sleep, but in the cabin, with no sense of time or rhythm of day and night, you just sleep whenever you drop off. Fear holds every one of us back; it’s a completely made-up feeling in your head. Life is too short to be afraid, sit at home and not take that step. Overcoming yourself gives you an amazing feeling – I did it. The dark retreat gave me more than I expected.

Would you also like to stop time for a while and try to overcome your own fears? Feel free to give us a call. I can help you choose a date or explain more about how darkness therapy works.

Would you like to find out more about your guides through the dark?

Follow our YouTube channel too, where you’ll find videos about dark retreats and experiences with darkness therapy. 🔔