Talking about Dark Retreat, with Andrew Holecek

About this episode

Michael Taft interviews Andrew Holecek about the transformative practice of Dark Retreat and its implications for understanding reality and spirituality.

Host Michael Taft speaks with Andrew Holecek about the transformative practice of Dark Retreat, how the mind “falls into itself,” light as obfuscator, the revelation of the construction of reality, the power—and very real dangers—of Dark Retreat, ways to begin the practice of Dark Retreat, nondual view, Andrew’s own journey into this practice, and the “collision with the infinite.” Andrew Holecek is an interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner in Tibetan Buddhism and other nondual wisdom traditions. He is the Resident Contemplative Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, and a research consultant for the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern University. His work involves studies on dream yoga and the practice of dark retreat. Dr. Holecek is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the author of nine books, and a concert pianist. He has completed the Tibetan Buddhist three-year retreat and is a frequent subject in scientific studies on meditation and lucid dreaming. His work integrates ancient wisdom traditions with contemporary perspectives, aiming to help individuals navigate spiritual challenges and end-of-life experiences. He is currently…

People in this episode

Host: Michael Taft

Guest: Andrew Holecek

Topics covered

• Dark Retreat
• Tibetan Buddhism
• nondual wisdom traditions
• meditation
• spiritual challenges

Keywords

• transformation
• mind
• light
• reality construction
• dangers of Dark Retreat
• nondual view
• spiritual journey

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Dark Retreat

Places: California

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