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Since times unknown people retreat into darkness. What was once a space for hermits and monks has now spread as a practice all around the world.
With this podcast we want to shed light upon some of the misconceptions around darkness retreats, share best practices, talk about neurobiological correlates accompanying this practice, share quite a bit about our own experience, as well as take a deeper dive into the spiritual market as a whole.
Let’s start with our own experience with the darkness retreat. The background from different spiritual traditions. Common Misconceptions about Darkness Retreats Longer is better Visions & deep transformation is guaranteed Dark retreats are for everyone A dark retreat is not a trip The dark retreat is my first retreat Integration is more important than the dark retreat itself Psychological health & preparation Can I go crazy? Who will help me when things get difficult? After having hosted more than 600 darkness retreats at The Hermitage Severin is sharing some best practices around: Nutrition Fasting vs. not fasting Exercises, singing, breath, meditation, movement, dreams Trauma – the inner child Medication Anxiety & depression Let’s talk about the neurobiological correlates that are processed in the nervous system whilst spending extended periods in darkness: Melatonin Serotonin DMT 5-MEO-DMT Let’s disentangle the experience in darkness from a psychedelic experience. What are no-gos? Severin Geser
is a dedicated meditation practitioner and a passionate astrologer who loves to share his wisdom and hold space for those who are ready to begin their own journey. He spent fourteen months as an ordained monk in a monastery in Thailand, one year as an Ashtanga Yoga teacher at a center in Colombia, and two years in and out of extended silent meditation retreats and a three month Meditation Teacher Training Course at Hridaya Yoga before co-creating The Hermitage on Lake Atitlán, in Guatemala.
https://www.thehermitageretreats.com
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If this conversation sparked something — a question, a recognition, an edge you're sitting with — that's often where the real work begins.
