# Talking about Dark Retreat, Part 2 with Andrew Holecek

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/deconstructing-yourself-57243/talking-about-dark-retreat-part-2-with-andrew-holecek
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/deconstructing-yourself-57243/talking-about-dark-retreat-part-2-with-andrew-holecek.md
Podcast: [Deconstructing Yourself](https://stenobird.com/podcast/deconstructing-yourself-57243)
Published: 2025-08-01T15:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://deconstructingyourself.com/talking-about-dark-retreat-part-2-with-andrew-holecek.html
Audio file: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/af4d80f5-cd6c-4c3d-a776-ff692a689c77.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/deconstructing-yourself-57243/episodes/talking-about-dark-retreat-part-2-with-andrew-holecek
Duration seconds: 4352

## Resource

Host Michael Taft continues his conversation with with Andrew Holecek about the transformative practice of Dark Retreat; the reasons behind the recent surge of interest in darkness practices; its relationship to the feminine principle and as an antidote to runaway patriarchy; the three “tracks” or “schools” of dark retreat in Tibetan Vajrayana: Kalachakra, Nyingma, and Bön; the power of darkness for working with fear, fear of death, projections; fear as a sign that you're close to the truth, and hints for integration post darkness. 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 writing two books on dark retreat. Holecek holds degrees in classical music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery. Andrew Holecek’s website You can support the creation of future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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## Transcript

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