Meditating in Total Darkness: Divine vs Diabolical Darkness | Andrew Holecek PART ONE

This is PART ONE of Clear Mountain's interview with Andrew Holecek—scholar, practitioner, and "student of the night" (https://www.andrewholecek.com/). Watch PART TWO here: https://youtu.be/mGqZDbIVK0c00:00:00 - Introduction & Andrew Holecek's Background00:01:44 - Lunar Spirituality Bio & Background00:07:01 - Overview & Significance of Dark Retreat00:10:34 - Physical Setup and Environments00:12:03 - Sutra vs. Tantra Approaches00:18:26 - Comfort, Challenge, and Danger Zones00:24:03 - Testing Personal Limits and Session Duration00:25:34 - Preparing for Total Darkness00:33:17 - The Perception of Light and Openness00:34:24 - Home Simulations vs. Retreat Centers00:39:42 - Psychotherapy and Contemplative Practice00:40:43 - Indications and Contraindications00:53:34 - Signs of Dissociation and Knowing When to Stop01:03:55 - Time Perception and Circadian Rhythms01:07:22 - Egolocation and Boundaries of the SelfAndrew Holecek's Biography:Dr. Andrew Holecek is an author, concert pianist, and interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner of Vajrayāna Buddhism. A member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, he holds degrees in music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery, in addition to having completed a traditional Tibetan three-year meditation retreat under the guidance of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. He serves as Resident Contemplative Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, is a research consultant for the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern University, and is actively involved in scientific research on dark retreat with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Tiny Blue Dot Science Foundation. He is also the author of 10 books including: Preparing to Die; Dream Yoga; The Lucid Dreaming Workbook; and his latest book Total Eclipse of the Mind: Unleashing the Power of Darkness for Creativity, Healing, and Transformation.Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events!Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30 - 11 am PT, Online & In-Person)Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00 - 6 pm PT, Online)See https://www.clearmountainmonastery.org/ or visit https://linktr.ee/clear_mountain_mona... for details. Welcome!