# Andrew Holecek: Stop, Drop, and Be Held in the Dark Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/sounds-true-insights-at-the-edge-424480/andrew-holecek-stop-drop-and-be-held-in-the-dark Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/sounds-true-insights-at-the-edge-424480/andrew-holecek-stop-drop-and-be-held-in-the-dark.md Podcast: [Sounds True: Insights at the Edge](https://stenobird.com/podcast/sounds-true-insights-at-the-edge-424480) Published: 2026-05-26T09:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/ab846220-31af-4cfb-a9eb-33a80dd2bbec.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIgxQb2RjYXN0BjoGRVQ%3D--a015b174b105950306be857db600b494df2a2f7d Audio file: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/ab846220-31af-4cfb-a9eb-33a80dd2bbec.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIgxQb2RjYXN0BjoGRVQ%3D--a015b174b105950306be857db600b494df2a2f7d Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/sounds-true-insights-at-the-edge-424480/episodes/andrew-holecek-stop-drop-and-be-held-in-the-dark Duration seconds: 4043 ## Resource What if the most transformative practice available to us requires nothing but complete darkness? Tami Simon speaks with interdisciplinary scholar and Tibetan Buddhist practitioner Andrew Holecek—author of Total Eclipse of the Mind —about the ancient practice of dark retreat: what happens to the mind when all light is removed, why it's been called "meditation times a thousand," and how to bring its power into everyday life. This conversation offers genuine transmission—not just concepts about awakening, but the palpable presence of realized teachers exploring the growing edge of spiritual understanding together. Originally aired on Sounds True One . This episode is sponsored by Omega Institute, a global gathering hub for lifelong learning and spiritual exploration. Located in upstate New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley, Omega offers weekend workshops, special events, rest and rejuvenation retreats, professional trainings, online learning, and more. Discover what calls to you at eomega.org/true . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info . ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/sounds-true-insights-at-the-edge-424480/episodes/andrew-holecek-stop-drop-and-be-held-in-the-dark/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/sounds-true-insights-at-the-edge-424480/andrew-holecek-stop-drop-and-be-held-in-the-dark.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.