You may have experienced a time in your life when you felt part of some great oneness. Not easy to explain to another person, right?

Mystics have grappled with these experiences for as long as there have been mystics, coming up with many poetic ways of referring to them.

In this episode, Simon Marvell speaks with ISTA facilitator and psychologist, Laura Deva, about a similar, poetic idea that has become prominent in recent years: it's called "the dark."

As Laura explains, "the dark" doesn't refer to shadowy parts of our unconscious, nor to evil. Rather, the dark is, precisely, a difficult-to-explain state of existence.

It can be distinguished from the personality and the soul in that it is what exists beyond their limits. And yet, the dark can be felt in them. Indeed, we can feel the dark in our daily lives, to our great benefit!

While this might seem like an abstract topic, Laura brings it right down to earth for us, while still offering a taste of how the dark can be felt.

To learn more about Laura, visit her links:

Upcoming retreat: Living from the Mystery, 20-24 November 2025, Germany.
Laura's Tandava online course
6-month online mentorship with Laura
Laura on Instagram

If you loved this episode, please rate it and share it with your friends!

And to learn more about ISTA, visit our website: https://ista.life/

Or follow us on social media: @ista.community

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