The Journey Unfolds in Three Phases to maximize the benefits from the program:
I. Preparation (1 week, part-time, virtual)
The better you are prepared for our intense darkness incubation, the deeper your experience will be. You will get to know your fellow program participants, the facilitators. The idea of the preparation phase is to learn what’s important for the upcoming weeks. We cover important aspects such as intention setting, the importance of set & setting for a fruitful journey, and what scientific research can tell us about what happens with our minds and body under prolonged darkness.
II. Incubation – Darkness Phase (7 days, on-site)
For our time in our darkness retreat center in Southern Germany, we prepared a curriculum for you that gradually increases in intensity, prepares you for the descent into darkness, and eventually brings you back into the light. Our carefully crafted program focuses on conveying you the techniques for dealing with darkness and all its potential forms of manifestation (such as anxiety, fear, boredom, impatience, ecstasy, blissfulness, emptiness…), exercises around resistance, radical acceptance and compassion, as well as capacity building for dealing better with inner tensions and the paradoxes of being human. You will experience intense altered states first-hand through prolonged darkness and breathwork. We will offer daily check-ins while you are in the dark and are available 24/7. There is also space for contemplation and journalling to get more clarity around values, vision and purpose. You will engage in challenging but highly rewarding individual and group exercises to better understand yourself and your special gift to the world. We will use the last 1.5 days after you come back from the darkness to start the integration process together.
III. Integration (1 week, part-time, virtual)
After you return from the darkness incubation into your day-to-day life, it’s essential to cement the insights you’ve gained and start applying them in both your personal and professional life. You’ll have support from your fellow participants as well as from our coaches. Additional one-on-one coaching can be booked. You’ll also be welcomed into a community of individuals – our Alumni – who share your values and are there to support you while holding you accountable to the commitments you’ve made to yourself.
Korte Lijnbaanssteeg 1, 1012 SL Amsterdam, 2179
6 May, 2025
