The Great Unlearn 181. One Month Alone in the Dark: A Journey into Presence with Andrew Holecek
Jun 16, 2025
Andrew Holecek, a meditation teacher and author specializing in lucid dreaming and dark retreats, shares his transformative experiences, including a month spent in complete darkness. He explores the necessity of unlearning conditioned beliefs and the role of authentic connections in personal growth. His insights delve into the significance of dark retreats and their comparison to psychedelic experiences, emphasizing mindfulness for integration. Andrew also touches on near-death experiences and their impact on our understanding of consciousness, urging listeners to embrace diverse perspectives.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Metabolize Teachings Fully
- Transform teachings into embodied experience through hearing, contemplating, and meditating.
- Incorporate teachings fully into your being to effect real change, beyond just intellectual understanding.
Andrew's Three-Year Retreat Anecdote
- Andrew Holecek spent 16 hours a day in a small meditation box during a three-year retreat.
- He experienced intense withdrawal from addiction to sensory stimulation and information.
Reality as Construct Revealed
- Extended dark retreats reveal how constructs like space, time, and self are actively made up.
- Coming out of darkness requires days to re-stitch conventional reality back together.
