The healing power of darkness - Shai Tubali

the healing power of darkness

Introduction
      Darkness Meditative Therapy is based on the principle that complete darkness holds deep
      and powerful secrets of healing and spiritual elevation. Deriving from both brain research
      and traditional uses of darkness, we have created a dark room that offers you a profound
      experience of healing, rejuvenation and meditation. It is like a Himalayan cave in the midst
      of Berlin!

      In our dark room, which is designed like a monk’s cave, you can enter the world of silence
      and darkness for different amount of hours and using different supportive programmes to
      enhance your experience. You could choose to enter the room programme-free and simply
      enjoy delving into darkness. Alternatively, you could select programmes of meditative
      music or guided meditations.

      Within this booklet, you will find rich information about the benefits of inviting darkness
      into your life: from physical and neurological benefits to energetic and spiritual.

You are most welcome to test for yourself
   the empowering experience of our dark room!

the importance of darkness
            and sleep in the dark

                  How we have lost the darkness

                  “Street lamps and security lights pierce
                  the darkness outside our homes, while
                  cell phones and computers glow within
                  the same rooms we try to rejuvenate our
                  bodies and minds in. Constant artificial
                  illumination allows us to work and play
                  well into the night. For many of us, night
                  has become day. We work, travel, shop,
                  exercise and socialize in hours that
                  used to be reserved for relaxation and
                  sleep. Time is a limited resource and to
                  make full use of it, the night has been
                  illuminated and occupied.”
                  [www.amaya.org, The Brain Science Behind Dark Room Therapy]

» Millions of people are suffering from lack of sleep due to various factors associated with
  the 24/7 society that we are building around us. Two of the huge factors being studied by
  sleep experts around the world include overuse of artificial light and increased electronic
  media use. Tackling one of the two largest reasons for lack of sleep can help us come back to
  healthier sleep patterns and healthier minds.

» Numerous studies show the adverse effects among those who alter their day/night cycle.
  According to Dr David Crawford, executive director of the International Dark-Sky Association
  (a group that campaigns against light pollution), the loss of darkness has created a number
  of health problems. As natural beings we have evolved with a day/night cycle and it is quite
  essential to good health.

 More Melatonin, please!
» Our circadian rhythm, or "body clock," is a 24-hour internal clock that is running in the
  background of our brain and cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. It's
  also known as your sleep/wake cycle. Circadian rhythms are affected greatly by the amount
  of sunlight and temperature. When our body clock receives signals and clues that it isn't time
  to sleep - by exposure to blue light from artificial sources - it sends signals to not produce
  melatonin.

» Melatonin is released by the pineal gland and is responsible for the maintenance of the
  circadian rhythm and also, plays a huge role in hormone regulation. Melatonin is released
  when the light dissipates. Without the presence of darkness, melatonin cannot be released
  at sufficient levels.

» Over 6,000 studies shows that beyond sleep, Melatonin benefits are profound and far
  reaching. Known as the body’s most efficient free-radical scavenger with an impressive
  ability to control oxidative damage, Melatonin has powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
  and immune properties. These properties function as brain, heart, neurological, cognitive
  and cancer protection through the reduction of trauma from brain injury; preventing heart
  muscle damage; neuroprotection; increasing cognitive functioning, and offering cancer
  support while reducing the toxic effects of chemotherapy.

The crucial role of good sleep in the dark
» While some people believe that they can train their bodies to not require as much sleep
  as they once did, this is not the case. Sleep is needed to regenerate certain parts of the
  body, especially the brain, so that it may continue to function optimally. After periods of
  extended wakefulness, or reduced sleep, neurons may begin to malfunction, visibly affecting
  a person's behaviour. Going without adequate sleep carries with it both short- and long-term
  consequences.

» In the short term, a lack of adequate sleep can affect judgment, mood, ability to learn and
  retain information, and may increase the risk of serious accidents and injury. In the long
  term, chronic sleep deprivation may lead to a host of health problems including obesity,
  diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early mortality.

» With overconsumption of light and overproduction of information entering our brains, we
  must put effort into making our sleep as healing and rejuvenating as possible.

» Good sleep starts an hour before bedtime. One hour before sleep, we should put away our
  screens and either dim the lights or light up candles. This will signal melatonin to be secreted
  and will put you on the pathway to a deeper rest.

» The darker the better. Create as dark a space as possible in your sleeping quarters. It has
  been proven that even a soft glow from a night light, alarm clock or electronic device can
  disrupt your sleep. Use dark window coverings if you live in the city or in a well-lit area, kick
  your electronics out of your bedroom and if you use an alarm clock, make sure that no light
  is emitted.

» Deeper darkness, deeper rejuvenation. Ancient practices of dark room therapy or dark room
  meditation are extremely rejuvenating and have numerous benefits for the body and mind.
  The practice of spending extended periods in complete darkness - anywhere from 1 to 14
  days - has been a higher meditation practice in many cultures around the world. The benefits
  of such practices are extensive but include the production of high amounts of melatonin.
  With no presence of light emissions. melatonin continues to be produced and we can receive
  the mental, physical and emotional benefits from removing ourselves from not just the light
  but from the busy, noisy society that we have created.

Start restoring Melatonin production
                   and improving your sleep using
      Darkness Meditative Therapy!

The beneficial effects of
darkness on the brain

        Retreating into complete darkness for an extended
        period of time has a major effect on the brain. If
        we take a look at the chemistry of the brain, we
        can start making sense of the biochemical process
        behind dark room techniques and their effects on
        the brain.

Encourage your brain to produce more Melatonin
» When one experiences complete darkness, the area of the brain stimulated is a gland
  called the pineal gland. The pineal gland is the gland in the brain associated with our third
  eye. According to numerous spiritual teachers, the "opening of the inner eye" shifts our
  perspective of reality, and opens us up to intuition and to psychic abilities. Whereas the outer
  world stays the same, our inner world changes.

» The pineal gland needs darkness in order to produce and emit melatonin. Melatonin
  continues to build up in the brain as you stay in complete darkness. When the melatonin
  stores build up to about 15-20 mg, the brain begins to realize it no longer needs melatonin
  and begins producing pinolene. Pinolene is said to be released by the pineal gland also and
  is responsible for what we call "the light show". In complete darkness you may be able to see
  light patterns forming. These visions are connected to the internal workings of the mind.

» Mantak Chia further describes, “Melatonin, the ‘sleep molecule,’ is produced in the pineal
  gland, in response to the darkness of night and to the circadian rhythms of light and dark
  that are programmed into the hypothalamus, an endocrine gland located deep within the
  brain. Melatonin affects major organ systems, quieting the sympathetic nervous system
  and allowing daily rejuvenation of mind and body. In the Dark Room, melatonin gradually
  accumulates in the brain.”

Tryptophan                 Seratonin                  Melatonin                    Pinoline

                                                          DMT                    5-MeO-DMT

   DMT: The spirit molecule
   » Extended periods of darkness cause the the pineal gland to respond even further.   We
     are then introduced to a psychedelic substance called Dimethyltriptamine, or DMT. This
     substance is naturally occurring within the brain, also produced by the pineal gland, and
     typically only released at birth and at death. It has been nicknamed "the spirit molecule,"
     because of the states of altered consciousness it provides and the way it is translated into
     feelings of universal compassion. This is a state where we can deeply work on healing
     ourselves from past traumas.

   » The Shipibo tribe of the Amazon ingests this very substance in plant form, Ayahuasca.
     Shipibo shamanism is deeply rooted in plant-based healing, and research has now showed
     incredible promise for treating ailments such as mood disorders, substance abuse and PTSD
     with the plant medicine.

   » DMT researcher, Terence McKenna, believed that the substance was a portal to another
     dimension wherein we gain access to the true nature of reality, a vibratory non-material
     space of loving energy and unlimited potentiality.

   » Extended periods of darkness are a much softer, natural way to experience conscious-
     altering DMT without ingesting anything. Everything we need to reach these deep conscious
     states is naturally within us all.

» Research has shown that in prolonged darkness a biochemical reaction in the brain is causing
    extraordinary molecules like DMT to be synthesized. This process triggers “... altered states
    of perception, allowing for accelerated evolution towards the Revelation of the Self and a
    Consciousness of Oneness.” (http://dark-retreats.com/)

  Growing evidence of the benefits of darkness
  » In recent years growing evidence suggests great value of being exposed to prolonged periods
    of darkness for patients suffering from depression, bipolar disease and even different forms
    of psychosis. In Russia, research has been conducted for decades and darkrooms are often
    favored over (or combined with) pharmaceutical treatment.

  » Interestingly, Migraine sufferers choose instinctively to retreat to a dark room in order
    to alleviate their pain. The Website migraine.com shows that 90.5% of chronic migraine
    sufferers selected “finding a dark room” as their most frequently used self-therapy.

  Stimulating psychic perception
  » According to world-renowned Taoist Master, Mantak Chia (in his book Darkness Technology),
    "The effect of darkness is to shut down major cortical centers of the brain, depressing
    mental and cognitive functions in the higher brain centers. Emotional and feeling states are
    enhanced, especially the sense of smell and the finer senses of psychic perception. Dreams
    become more lucid, and the dream state manifests in our conscious awareness. Eventually,
    we awaken within ourselves the awareness of the source, the spirit, the soul."

  » Mantak Chia, who frequently conducts long dark room retreats, concludes this process: “The
    darkness actualizes successively higher states of divine consciousness, correlating with the
    synthesis and accumulation of psychedelic chemicals in the brain. Melatonin, a regulatory
    hormone, quiets the body and mind in preparation for the finer and subtler realities of higher
    consciousness (Days 1 to 3). Pinoline, affecting the neurotransmitters of the brain, permits
    visions and dream-states to emerge in our conscious awareness (Days 3 to 5). Eventually,
    the brain synthesizes the ‘spirit molecules’ 5-methoxy-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) and
    dimethyltryptamine (DMT), facilitating the transcendental experiences of universal love and
    compassion (Days 6 to 12).”

Even one or two hours of
        dark room therapy can be effective!

Traditional use of darkness
for healing and spirituality

   » From Tibet, to India, to the Amazon, spiritual traditions around the world have used darkroom
     techniques. The process of secluding oneself in complete darkness, spending a number of
     days with absolutely no light, has been practiced as a way of obtaining spiritual evolution or
     deep spiritual growth.

   » There are historians who suggest that Ancient Egyptians and Mayans practiced a form of
     Dark Retreat as well, traditionally lasting 10 days. Holy men would enter into the center of
     their respective pyramids, completely removed from light and sound. The catacombs and
     the underground network of tunnels of the first Christians in Rome and many other places,
     such as the Pyramids of Egyptians and the caves of the Essenes near the Dead Sea in Israel,
     might have been used as places for Dark Retreats as well. In Tibet and India dark retreats
     were practiced in mountainside caves. Even in the Amazon jungle, such practices took place
     in conjunction with plant medicine as a way to heal, transform and awaken.

   » Darkroom retreats have been used by a variety of spiritual traditions throughout the
     centuries as a higher-level practice. The aspirant enters a room specially prepared to admit
     absolutely no light and spends a number of days under this sensory deprivation in order to
     bring about a profound shift of consciousness.

Tibetan Buddhism
Traditionally the Dark Retreats were done by advanced practitioners in the Dzogchen lineages
of Tibetan Buddhism and the period varied from a few hours to decades. Some Tibetan monks
recommend a 49-day Dark Retreat. This period was recommended only to the advanced
practitioners, because such a retreat requires stability in the natural state.

Taoism
“In the Taoist tradition, the cave, the Immortal Mountain, the Wu San, represents the Perfect
Inner Alchemy Chamber. The Tao says: ‘When you go into the dark and this becomes total, the
darkness soon turns into light.’” (Mantak Chia)

In the Taoist tradition, spending extended periods of time in the dark as a higher-level practice
is known to advance one’s spirituality. The dark was the final journey of spiritual work, in which
one could experience a new awareness.  Mantak Chia, author of Darkness Technology, writes
"In the darkness, our mind and soul begin to wander freely in the vast realms of the psychic
and spiritual experience. When you enter this primordial state you are reunited with the true
self and divinity within".

India
In India, in Ayurvedic medicine, immersing into darkness is a form of Kaya Kalpa. The term
kaya meaning "body" and kalpa meaning "ageless" or "immortal". This Ayurvedic treatment
aims to maintain excellent physical health and and youthful vitality so that one can delay death
long enough to achieve Jivamukti, which is final liberation of the soul. The techniques used
throughout the process of Kaya Kalpa are known to be highly rejuvenating and are said to slow
down dramatically the aging process. The process includes seclusion in darkness, meditation,
and the application of various herbal concoctions.

Amazon
In the Amazon jungle, within the Shipibo tribe of the Amazon Rainforest, healers use darkness
in combination with the psycho-spiritual plant, Ayahuasca. Some shamans have spent up to a
year and a half in complete darkness. Shipibo shamans are trained as plant-based healers of
physical, mental and spiritual ailments. Their work of helping others to remove metaphysical
blockages with the help of plant medicines is considered a deep spiritual work. Spending time
in darkness with Ayahuasca can allow shamans to receive the healing wisdom of the plant in
order to help heal other

The deeper meaning
                        of darkness
             “I wish I could show you,
             When you are lonely or in the darkness,
             The Astonishing Light
             Of your own Being”
             -Hafiz

Osho
» Spiritual teacher Osho speaks about the “negative darkness,” a concept that describes the
  “dark part of our being” (the fears associated with our subconscious world), while the “real
  darkness” is transcendental, bringing Nirodha Parinama, a deep transformation of our
  subconscious domain.

» Speaking about the superiority of darkness compared to light, he emphasizes the relative
  symbolism of the worldly light (Like Absolute Darkness, Absolute Light can be a symbol of
  transcendence. In the Supreme, there is no difference between Darkness and Light. It is both
  Darkness and Light.) “Why has God been symbolized everywhere as light? Not because God
  is light, but because man is afraid of darkness. This is human fear — we like light and we
  are afraid of darkness, so we cannot conceive God as darkness, as blackness. This is human
  conception. We conceive God as light because we are afraid of darkness.”

» “If you can love darkness you will become unafraid of death. If you can enter into darkness
  – and you can enter only when there is no fear – you will achieve total relaxation. If you can
  become one with darkness, you are dissolved, it is a surrender. Now there is no fear, because
  if you have become one with darkness, you have become one with death. You cannot die
  now. You have become deathless.”

» “First a deep friendship with darkness is needed… So do one thing as a preliminary step:
  sit in darkness, put off the lights, feel darkness. Have a loving attitude towards it; allow the
  darkness to touch you. Look at it. Open your eyes in a dark room or in a dark night; have a
  communion, be together, imbibe a relationship.”

» “First uncover your unconscious fears and try to live and love darkness. It is very blissful.
  Once you know, and once you are in contact with it, you are in contact with a very deep
  cosmic phenomenon.”

» “Boundaries exist because of the light. When the light is not there, boundaries are dissolved.
  In blackness nothing is defined, everything merges into every other thing. Forms disappear.”

» “Contemplating, meditating, merging… Darkness takes away all distinctions. In the light you
  are beautiful or ugly, rich or poor. The light gives you a personality, a distinctness — educated,
  uneducated, saint or sinner. The light reveals you as a distinct person. Darkness envelops
  you, accepts you – not as a distinct person; it simply accepts you without any definitions. You
  are enveloped and you become one.”

» “When darkness enters you, you enter into it. It is always reciprocal, mutual.”

In Hridaya Yoga
Hridaya Yoga speaks of the darkness and the abyss as nothing to be afraid of, because who we
really are is the very essence of Darkness and Light as well. Sometimes the darkness of anguish
or desperation or fear or death can instantaneously reveal pure awareness, nonconceptual
bliss. And this is because there is a quantum leap between what seems to be the bottom and
the top. Darkness also indicates the ultimate act of unification, the so-called mystic marriage.
The abyss is as much topless as bottomless.

In the Bhagavad Gita
In this major Hindu scripture, it is the immortal deity, Krishna the symbol of the Supreme Self
- who is “dark,” while Arjuna, the mortal - the symbol of the individual ego - is “white”

In Yoga
The ancient yogis associated the fluid of eternal life, Soma, with the energy of the moon, an
essential vital energy that is charging the human being during the night and which is “burned”
by the inner sun (this burning provides the energy manifested during wakefulness, in the
different daily actions). In this case, day is the symbol of all dualisms, of the personal domain
of action and the dispersant energy, while night is the symbol of eternity, contemplation,
regeneration, and centeredness.

The Dark Night of the Soul in the
mystical tradition
» In mystical theology, Darkness or Night is the symbol of
  the apophatic Spiritual tradition.  It is the disappearance
  of all knowledge, which may be defined, analyzed or
  expressed. Further still, Darkness means the state of
  being deprived of all proof and psychological support.
  Night suggests “emptiness” or “nakedness” that purifies
  the mind, eliminating “dryness” or “aridity” of rational
  thinking, bringing sacred longings, sensual emotions,
  and even the highest aspirations.

» Deprived of light, the individual is dispossessed of all.
  Memories cannot help us grasp the current situation.
  The individual is said to be in the cloud of unknowing. St
  Dionysius referred to it as divine darkness, the nigredo
  of the Alchemists.

The Alchemical Perspective
» Alchemical “work” began with Nigredo, or blackness. This first phase in alchemy means
  putrefaction or decomposition. As a first step in the pathway to the philosopher’s stone, all
  alchemical ingredients had to be cleansed and cooked extensively to form a uniform black
  matter. This is a death and return to formless chaos, leading on to the white phase and finally
  to Rubedo, the red phase of Spiritual freedom. Albedo is literally referred to as ablution, or
  the washing away of impurities by aqua vitae (the Water of Life).

» The journey into Darkness is not just a first stage, but it is the essence of the spiritual
  alchemical work. Without it, the individual will remain only at the superficial level of mere
  rational thinking and social existence, dominated by dogmas. There is an important
  alchemical adagio: “Visit the interior of the earth; rectify what you find there, and you will
  discover the hidden stone.” To describe the “descent into Darkness,” summed up in the
  word “vitriol,” alchemy has preserved some very ancient symbols. The individual descending
  into its original nature will suffer a great loss. He must abandon all his old moral, social
  and spiritual values. Thus, he will open himself to a different order, more in tune with the
  Harmony of the Whole.

Nisargadatta Maharaj
» In the book I am That, Nisargadatta Maharaj explains the fact that even in deep sleep the
  Knower (the Supreme Witness) is present. In response to the question, “In sleep there is
  neither the known, nor the knower. What keeps the body sensitive and receptive?”, he says:
  “Surely you cannot say the knower was absent. The experience of things and thoughts was
  not there, that is all. But the absence of experience too is experience. It is like entering a dark
  room and saying: ‘I see nothing.’ A man blind from birth knows not what darkness means.
  Similarly, only the knower knows that he does not know. Sleep is merely a lapse in memory.
  Life goes on.”

» In a Dark Retreat, as in a deep sleep, the whole objective world disappears. But, it remains
  the Witness “surrounded” by nothingness. We are aware of this nothingness and eventually
  in this Nothingness, the Witness is revealed as the very nature of it. Then, it is still Nothing,
  but the Nothingness is not meaningless anymore, or just a lapse in memory, but is full
  awareness, the Witness. Being fully aware in a Dark Retreat is like becoming conscious in the
  “night” or “forgetfulness” of deep sleep.

Recommendations for the process

   of Darkness Meditative Therapy

    » Meditate with both open eyes and with closed eyes. At a certain point, you will realize that
      there is no real difference.

    » You can either sit, stand or lie down.

    » Develop the capacity of witnessing any thought, sensation or emotion that may appear - this
      capacity can actually be stronger in the dark, since the darkness reveals more clearly the
      content of your mind.

    » You can keep the Witness Consciousness, by asking the question “Who am I?”

    » During the retreat, there might appear different images and visions. Even if they seem
      fascinating, or alternatively scary, do not dramatize or let yourself be taken over by imagery.
      Keep the awareness of the awareness, asking “Who is the witness of all these visions?”

    » Don’t let your mind go crazy. See the stories as unreal and impermanent, and gently shift
      your focus when your mind starts wandering.

    » It is possible that your subconscious will be unloaded, in a way similar to that in which
      impressions are unloaded in the form of dreams during the night. Simply let this pure
      darkness absorb this psychological “darkness,” including fears. Just as black holes absorb
      enormous quantities of matter, trust that the darkness too can absorb your limiting personal
      emotions and psychic residues.

» Get enough sleep in the night before the Dark Retreat to avoid mainly sleeping during the
  session (due to the Melatonin production). There is nothing wrong with falling a sleep – it is
  a natural process that comes along with the relaxation. However, to achieve the full benefits,
  it would be good to experience meditation too.

» Free yourself from the idea of having a very strict plan for what you should do in the process. A
  dark retreat should develop the intuitive attitude, related with the right cerebral hemisphere.
  Your awareness will naturally increase and there is no need to be afraid of boredom. The
  deep relaxation and awareness gradually eliminate the constant need for stimulation.

» You may practice Yoga asanas or breathing exercises.

» You may bring a diary to write down your thoughts and insight. It is a bit tricky to write in the
  dark but if you keep your finger on the page at the place you started and allow enough space
  between the lines, it is completely doable.

» Surrender and enjoy the process!

Sources
https://www.universal-tao.com/dark_room/index.html
http://dark-retreats.com/
https://hridaya-yoga.com/dark-room-retreats-the-hridaya-perspective/
https://www.amaya.org/articles-home/2018/1/20/the-brain-science-behind-dark-room-therapy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_retreat
https://darknessretreat.net/
http://dreamcatcherreality.com/dark-room-therapy-dmt-higher-dimensions/
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/07/darkness-therapy-czech-republic/564365/
https://migraine.com/chronic-migraine-in-america-2013/the-dark-room/

For our special offers and booking a D.M.T session: www.shaitubali.com/dmt-room

                  HUMAN GREATNESS CENTER - Drakestr 42 - 12205 Berlin

            Contact: Noga Müller – Tel. +49 157 316 81 740 – noga@chiro-yoga.org