Stepping Into Darkness: The Mystery, the Magic, and the Science of Darkroom Retreats
- Kyle Brooks (Facilitator)
- Sep 2
- 6 min read
I’ve had the chance to explore darkroom meditation in depth over many years. My first retreat was in 2013, and in 2020 I spent more than a month in total darkness. Now I have the honour of hosting people in dark retreats here at The Hridaya Family Meditation and Yoga Retreat Centre.
In this article I’ll share some of my experience and understanding of dark retreats, along with what the research can—and cannot yet—tell us. There are centuries of traditional use in Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, but modern clinical studies specifically on long-form darkroom retreats are very limited; where helpful, I’ll reference adjacent science on light/dark exposure, “dark therapy,” and reduced environmental stimulation (REST). Oxford University PressOxford Research Encyclopedia
What Is a Dark Room Retreat?
Have you ever experienced total darkness? Darkness so complete you can’t see your own hand in front of your face?
A dark retreat offers exactly that: a space sealed from light (and largely from sound) where external distractions fall away, leaving you with your inner world. It’s a journey into profound stillness—a way of loosening the grip of “ordinary” reality and opening to the vastness within.
Once the outside world disappears, what remains is you—and the contents of your subconscious. If you’re willing to meet yourself honestly, darkness reveals an often-hidden richness and beauty.
One time I was in a dark retreat, it struck me all of a sudden that my relationship to the external world is almost entirely based on sight and how I experience “myself” in relationship to the object I see. With sight completely removed and the other senses left with very little to grasp at, the sense of self as an object in relation to the things seen started to fall away, leaving an incredible freedom and sense of amusement.
Traditionally, extended dark retreats (sometimes 49 days) have been used in certain visionary yogas and Dzogchen practices to stabilize recognition of awareness and work skillfully with spontaneously arising lights and imagery. Oxford University PressGoogle Books
Practically Speaking…
In practical terms, a darkroom retreat is a period of days (for beginners, I often recommend three nights), weeks, or even months in a 100% light-proof room. Ideally, it’s also well insulated from outside noise.
We host a wide range of durations—from a few days to, in one case, 56 days of continuous darkness. During this time, retreatants meditate, rest, reflect, and sometimes engage in creative or contemplative practices.
At our center, food arrives twice daily through a light-proof hatch. (FYI, yes we do have a small, but fully functioning washroom with flushing toilet and 24hr hot water inside each of our darkrooms.)
When it’s time to come out, we’ll gently knock around sunrise. Some people step straight into the morning light; others open the door just a crack to adjust gradually. Afterwards, the same room becomes your integration space, with daylight returning as you transition back into the world.
Interested in a booking a darkroom retreat?
Why Would Anyone Do This?
It can sound strange—paying to be in darkness for days. Friends and family sometimes think you’ve lost the plot. If you’re reading this, you probably already sense the deeper invitation.
In Tibetan traditions, 49-day dark retreats were considered an advanced practice for very experienced meditators. Today, shorter retreats attract people from many walks of life. Some are seasoned practitioners, others are new but deeply curious. A few come for psychological healing, seeking a setting where inner work can unfold without distraction. Others arrive with creative intentions—musicians, artists, or writers exploring how silence and darkness can unlock inspiration. Oxford University Press
The Spiritual and Psychological Benefits
Stepping into darkness is stepping into yourself. Without phone, schedule, or daylight, the usual scaffolding of identity loosens.
Clarity of presence. In Dzogchen contexts, darkness helps stabilize direct recognition of awareness—the boundless space in which all experience appears. Oxford University Press
Meeting the unseen. With fewer distractions, old emotions and memories surface. This isn’t a bug—it’s the gift: meeting what was buried with compassion so it can integrate.
Vision & imagination. Many people report inner lights, imagery, and dreamlike visions. Psychology frames these as “visual phenomena” under sensory reduction; contemplative traditions treat them as energetic/mind expressions to meet with discernment. Controlled sensory-deprivation studies show brief light-and-sound isolation can reliably elicit psychotic-like experiences (in healthy volunteers) which subside when normal input returns—useful context for understanding what can arise and how to relate to it safely. Lippincott JournalsPMC
A new relationship with time. Without sunrises or clocks, time perception stretches and warps. Temporal isolation research shows our internal clocks “free-run” without external cues; rhythms persist but often drift from 24 hours, which aligns with retreatants’ reports of time distortion. PubMedPMC
The Medical Benefits: What Science Can Tell Us
Direct clinical trials on darkroom retreats are scarce, but we know a lot about darkness itself and reduced sensory stimulation.
Circadian reset & cardiometabolic calm. Our circadian system depends on cycles of light and dark. Even one night of moderate light (≈100 lux) during sleep increases heart rate, shifts autonomic balance, and worsens insulin sensitivity the next morning versus very dim light (<3 lux). Conversely, sleeping in near-total darkness supports healthier autonomic and metabolic regulation. Expert consensus now recommends keeping melanopic EDI during sleep at or below ~1 lux—essentially as dark as possible. PubMedPMC
Mood stabilization via “virtual darkness.” In acute mania, dark therapy and “virtual darkness” (blue-blocking glasses) have shown promise. A randomized, placebo-controlled inpatient trial found that blue-blocking glasses accelerated reduction of manic symptoms; earlier pilot work with enforced darkness suggested rapid stabilization. Follow-up and practice-oriented reviews support the approach, and new trials are underway. (A retreat is not psychiatric treatment; this simply shows the nervous system responds powerfully to controlled darkness.) PMCPubMedWiley Online LibraryClinicalTrials.gov
Melatonin & neuroprotection. Darkness permits endogenous melatonin to rise at night. Beyond regulating sleep timing, melatonin acts as a potent antioxidant with neuroprotective effects reported across models; reviews summarize roles in brain health and aging. (This isn’t a claim that more is always better—just that nightly darkness supports the rhythm your brain expects.) NCBIOxford AcademicPMCPubMed
Sensory rest reduces stress. Floatation-REST (a gentler cousin to full darkness) consistently lowers state anxiety and induces deep relaxation. It’s been tested in clinical and healthy samples: open-label work in anxiety/depression; randomized trials with active controls and placebo-tank designs (short-term benefits are clear; long-term effects vary and depend on protocol). A 2024 crossover study also showed body-boundary dissolution and altered time perception—experiences many dark retreatants report. PLOS+1PMCNature
Bottom line: darkness is not “nothing.” It’s a biologically meaningful signal—one that soothes the nervous system, organizes rhythms, and creates conditions for deep rest and insight. PubMedPMC
Common Experiences: What You Might Expect
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Every retreat is unique, but certain patterns appear again and again:
A lot of sleep at first. Many people sleep heavily in the first 24–48 hours—like catching up on years of rest.
Inner imagery and lights. Gentle patterns, dreamlike visions, or a sense of light in the dark are common. Research shows brief sensory reduction can elicit perceptual phenomena even in healthy people; in retreat we meet these with curiosity, not fear. Lippincott JournalsPMC
Emotional waves. With no distractions, feelings arise more distinctly. This can be intense—good guidance and simple practices help you surf, not drown.
Time distortion. Hours feel like minutes, or vice versa. Temporal-isolation research supports this drift when external time cues vanish. PubMed
A deepening stillness. After any initial turbulence, many discover a quiet intimacy with life itself—a felt sense of being both everywhere and nowhere, at ease with whatever appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe?
For most healthy people, yes. If you have a history of psychosis, unstable medical issues, or severe trauma, this may not be the right practice. A reputable center will screen and provide daily check-ins.
Will I hallucinate?
You may see inner lights or imagery. Studies show that reduced sensory input can temporarily heighten such phenomena in healthy people; in retreat, we normalize and work skilfully with them. Lippincott JournalsPMC
Does darkness increase DMT?
There’s no scientific proof that dark retreats increase endogenous DMT in humans. Rats can synthesize and release DMT in the brain, and reviews document DMT’s presence in human fluids, but causation, function, and any link to darkness in humans remain unproven. NaturePubMed+1
However anecdotal evidence from hundreds of Darkroom practitioners makes it clear that darkness immersion can potentially produce wild visionary experiences.
How long should I stay?
For a first retreat, 3–5 days is usually ideal—deep enough without overwhelming the system.
What happens afterwards?
Integration matters. We emerge slowly into light, rest, journal, and (if you wish) debrief together to help weave the experience into daily life.
Closing Thoughts
A dark retreat is not an escape from life. It’s a way of meeting life more fully—stripped of performance, stripped of light itself. It can be challenging. It can also be tender, clarifying, and unforgettable.
If you feel called, step gently. Bring curiosity, courage, and a willingness to meet yourself. The darkness is not empty. It’s full of presence—and it’s waiting patiently for you.
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