Each of our participants brings their own story into the darkness, along with their expectations and the courage to go beyond everyday limits. Today we share the genuine experience of someone who decided to try something out of the ordinary and give himself a deep pause in today’s fast-paced world.
Looking for unusual challenges and deciding fast
I like things that are out of the ordinary. I enjoy seeking out unusual challenges. For example, a month before this experience I ran a marathon without ever having done anything like it before. In August I’ve got another race on Ještěd, the special Red Bull 400, where you run up a ski jump. I thought about that event for about two days and then decided straight away. It was just as quick with this experience. The very same day I looked into it, I signed up and I was ready. Life today feels incredibly fast to me, so I needed to stop for a bit. Darkness therapy struck me as a great idea and a way to do a dopamine detox.
Getting past boredom and thinking in complete stillness
There was boredom, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. That’s exactly what I expected – that there would be boredom. It was just a matter of getting past it. I assumed that with darkness for such a long time I’d be rather tired, or that I’d spend the other part of the time thinking. That’s how it turned out. A few times I thought I felt a bit dizzy, but it was more likely the heat. I switched on the air conditioning three times a day, because it’s warmer now and it was needed. It wasn’t that I wanted to leave. The dark retreat gave me exactly the space to calm down that I’d been looking for.
Great food and the joy of a knock on the door
The food was excellent. I’m not exactly a vegetarian, but this was really good, and the soups were excellent too. Since I didn’t know what time the meals were brought, I did start to wonder whether you’d forgotten about me. But in the end I heard a knock and I was happy. For me these three days were quite enough, but I’d happily try a week as well. I think a week would be fine too.
The bogeymen aren’t under the bed but in your head
Who is this experience suitable for? It depends on what people are afraid of. If they’re afraid of some kind of bogeymen, I think this is the right opportunity. Bogeymen or monsters aren’t under the bed, they’re in your head. If people want to face them, this is the ideal thing. If it’s purely about the darkness, a few days of preparation is enough and it’ll be a good challenge for them. There’s nothing to be afraid of. For anyone who wants to try it, it’s ideal. Even someone who doesn’t yet know they want it might benefit.
We have put together the most frequently asked questions that people ask before a dark retreat.
You can also follow our YouTube channel, where you will find videos about dark retreats and people’s experiences of darkness therapy. 🔔
