HEAL with Kelly Darkness as Medicine: My Experience at Sky Cave Retreats with Scott Berman
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you stripped away every distraction — your screens, your routines, and even your ability to see? What hidden thoughts would rise to the surface? What suppressed emotions would finally have room to move? And what would catch up to you that you have been running from, for potentially years.
In this episode, I sit down with Scott Berman, the founder of Sky Cave Retreats, which is the first darkness retreat center in the United States. Scott has spent more than 70 days in total darkness and has guided over 600 people through this profound inner journey. And after doing a darkness retreat myself, I finally understand why Sky Caves is booked out for 3 years and has a 3000-person waitlist.
Darkness itself is a threat to the nervous system. And Scott lets everyone know who signs up that their system will probably not react the way they anticipate. He shares that the only thing one needs to bring is HONESTY, and what happens to those who don’t.
I share my experience during 4 nights and 3 days in pitch blackness and the profound breakthroughs that occurred when I stopped running from, escaping, and numbing my deepest, rawest feelings. This episode is for anyone curious about nervous system healing, the addiction to the stories that hijack our minds, or what becomes possible when you meet yourself with honesty, zero distractions, and the primordial pressure of the dark. Scott is a beautiful human who leaves us with this question before we enter the cave and turn off the lights: “What would nurture do in this moment?” The answer is usually what we should follow to create the safety in our system we are all searching for.
This episode is for all those who are afraid of the dark and those who are afraid of the parts of themselves that may be trapped in the darkest recesses of their subconscious. Luckily, Scott has the compassion, calm, and skills to hold our hand through it all.
Key Moments You'll Love ✨:
🌑 [0:00] Introduction & Most Surprising Reactions in the Dark
🕯️ [4:49] Scott's Biggest Fear & The Journey to Solitude
⛰️ [8:17] How Sky Cave Retreats Was Born From Personal Experience
🧘 [12:57] Why Spiritual People Often Struggle More in Darkness
💡 [17:39] The Evolution: From Trauma to Three-Day Experiences
🌊 [25:13] Darkness vs Plant Medicine: Subtle vs Peak Experiences
💔 [39:52] Kelly's Experience: Anger, Armor & The Scared Little Girl
🔥 [45:44] Discharging Rage & Finding What's Underneath
❤️ [57:19] The Zero Gravity Chair Revelation: Internal Freedom
🙏 [1:23:44] Shame, Judgment & The Permission to Be Authentic
LINKS
Sky Caves Retreat website: https://www.skycaveretreats.com/
Sky Cave Retreat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skycaveretreats/
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