Dark Retreats

taiyaki

http://www.soundstrue.com/weeklywisdom/?source=podcast&p=1126&category=IATE&version=full

Has anyone ever done or heard of dark retreats? This is a great link to learn about them.

Cinorjer

The link takes me to an interesting new age-spiritual bookstore type website, but I don't see anything about dark retreats.

taiyaki

http://soundstrue-ha.s3.amazonaws.com/subscriptions/media/IATE_015.Reggie_Ray.mp3

Talk given by reggie ray and his experience. Hope this link works better.

possibilities

The link in the OP worked just fine and the audio is very interesting - I will listen to parts of it again. "Dark retreat" - sounds like a huge challenge even for a guy like this accomplished teacher.

I think @Dakini will be interested in what he says about teachers.

Thanks, @taiyaki !

taiyaki

Glad you could enjoy. I'd like to try dark meditation in my closet but idk if i am mentally ready for it.

One day i will do a dark retreat. Until then i'll do baby steps in the closet.

weighted

Thanks for posting this, @taiyaki. I think this sounds wonderful, but I'm also unsure I can handle it right now. Baby stepping it myself.

ThailandTom

For most of us I would assume that would like being chucked in the deep end of a swimming pool before we can even swim. Interesting though, maybe one for the future

SpinyNorman2

Glad you could enjoy. I'd like to try dark meditation in my closet but idk if i am mentally ready for it.

One day i will do a dark retreat. Until then i'll do baby steps in the closet.

I couldn't get the link to work, could you say briefly what a dark retreat is?
Thanks

taiyaki

Well its a meditation retreat where there is no light. The tibetians do it at advance stages in their practice.

As far as it seems there is no true objective other than to do it.

Less variables for distraction.

SpinyNorman2

Well its a meditation retreat where there is no light.

So how does this work in practice? Do you spend all your time in darkened rooms?

taiyaki

Well its a meditation retreat where there is no light.

So how does this work in practice? Do you spend all your time in darkened rooms?

No idea. I've been trying it just in my closet. I haven't noticed any sifference between normal meditation and doing it in the dark. A dark retreat would be for a lot longer in the dark.

Cinorjer

Well its a meditation retreat where there is no light. The tibetians do it at advance stages in their practice.

As far as it seems there is no true objective other than to do it.

Less variables for distraction.

Uh...my immediate thought is, wouldn't closing your eyes do the same thing? Must be something more to it.

Lack of stimulus such as isolation chambers can cause interesting effects in the human mind.

possibilities

Well its a meditation retreat where there is no light.

So how does this work in practice? Do you spend all your time in darkened rooms?

He spent 28 days in complete darkness, alone. He says that you need to be a very stable person to attempt this, as personal issues will arise that can be very difficult. This from a man who's been meditating for 30, 40 years .... it's not your everyday sitting-in-the-dark kind of exercise....

Cinorjer

(sigh) And what is this supposed to accomplish, besides proving that the human mind isn't built for sensory deprivation but can do amazing things with the right training?

possibilities

@Cinorjer -- not sure if this is tongue-in-cheek .... but it leads to the question what is the point of any of this, meditation in any form, extreme or casual, and the answer is typically "self-improvement", which in turn can lead to a self absorbed life style, or to the ability to see/think with clarity and put that to general good use.

In short, depends....

Ada_B

I suspect this is a case of trying not run before you can walk. You seem relatively new in your practice and this 'dark retreat' seems to be an extremely advanced practice. I'd imagine if most of us tried it, we'd fall asleep and possibly not even be aware that we'd done so. Or we'd simply sit there getting bored and allowing our imaginations to take over.

This is the reason, after all, that many teachers teach their students to meditate with their eyes open, and often with a focus such as a candle, to keep the mind from wandering off.

If you want to find out how you'd be, just try meditating with your eyes closed. That's difficult enough!

Cinorjer

@Cinorjer -- not sure if this is tongue-in-cheek .... but it leads to the question what is the point of any of this, meditation in any form, extreme or casual, and the answer is typically "self-improvement", which in turn can lead to a self absorbed life style, or to the ability to see/think with clarity and put that to general good use.

In short, depends....

A lot of what we do in meditation is just trying something a bit different because we're so doggon freakin bored with sitting there doing nothing. It's natural and I'm not criticizing, because it's just our human nature. We all do it to some extent. Good meditation retreats break up the monotony by having people do some walking meditation and such. When you can't take another moment of quiet meditation, try some chanting. When you can't face another hour on that cushion, try walking meditation.

I've meditated outside, inside, day or night. Night time outside meditation gets buggy, so put on repellant or burn some incense. So try meditating in a closet. But, if you turn that into an ordeal to see how long you can meditate in the dark, you might be crossing a line. Not to mention, I know a blind Buddhist who would laugh till he peed himself if you tried to brag about how long you could stand doing it in the dark.