Darkness Experiment V

Darkness Experiment V

April 23-27, 2027
Boulevard, California
(1 hr from San Diego)

If you gaze long into an abyss,
the abyss also gazes into you.

~ Friedrich Nietzsche,
Beyond Good and Evil

What would it be like to change
your relationship to the dark?

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Dear fellow adventurer,

If you’ve arrived at this page, you and I have something in common. We share a deep fascination with the human experience.

Maybe you got sent this link from a friend, maybe you met me or attended one of my events, or maybe you were just curious about darkness retreats and stumbled onto to this corner of the internet. However you got here, welcome to the fifth Darkness Experiment.

In 2022, a vision I carried for years took shape when I hosted the first ever relational darkness retreat. Darkness retreats are typically silent and inward and I had been to those, but I wanted something different. I didn’t just want to learn from the darkness, I wanted to adapt to it. I wanted to experiment with it, dance with it and I wanted to do all that in a group of like-minded people.

I was lucky enough to connect with Daniel Kish, one of the most extraordinary humans I’ve ever met. He’s been blind since birth, and yet lives a life of incredible freedom, traveling the world, teaching other blind people to “see” with sound. He has become famous for the use of echolocation, but after spending time with him and his students, I can tell you that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

As Daniel said in his TED talk, “It’s impressions about blindness that are far more threatening [to blind people] than the blindness itself.” It’s our fear that stops us, not the lack of vision.

Four retreats later I really get what he’s saying. It’s amazing to watch new participants go from being frozen with fear to confidently navigating in darkness in a matter of days. The freedom, creativity and pride that emerges from overcoming this challenge is one of my favorite things to witness.

So, what would it be like to change your relationship to fear?

This retreat is not for the faint of heart, and that’s not said to be provocative or “edgy”. Being in the complete dark is often disorienting, confusing and scary. This is very different than being blindfolded. Your eyes will play tricks on you, you will think you can see something when in fact you are completely blind. You will get lost, and have no way of navigating the space other than using your other senses. That may be exactly why you want to do it, but it also may be a good reason to not.

This is an experiment, both for you as a participant and for the hosts. While a tremendous amount of attention and intention goes into creating a safe, nurturing container, there are limits to how much we can track you in the dark. You will need to source much of that care from within. Again, that may be a great reason to join, but it also may be a great reason to conclude that this is not for you.

This is the fifth Darkness Experiment. Each one is unique, and each one is an emergent gathering, inspired by the people who are drawn to it. If this is your kind of experiment, read on, and thank you for sharing my fascination with what’s possible in the dark.

What to Expect

Day One:
Arrival and Orientation

Each person is given a unique arrival time, and we welcome you into the space without meeting the other guests in the light.

Once everyone is inside, we will spend several hours orienting everyone to the house. There will be navigation aids, but you will not see the house in the light until the last day. We will work in small groups to ensure everyone is proficient in navigating before entering the inward time.

In the evening of day 1 we will enter 36 hours of noble silence and a water fast. This time is designed for you to be able to go fully inward and reset your system in a deep, meaningful way. The time between when you eat before the retreat (this is on your own, typically the morning of day one before arrival) and when we break the fast on the morning of day three is approximately 48 hours, which provides your body many health benefits, including lowering insulin levels, improving insulin sensitivity and triggering autophagy, where your body clears out old or damaged cells.

While we believe there are many benefits to fasting, we also recognize it’s not the right choice for everyone, at all times. We’re happy to work with anyone that needs to make an exception.

Day Two:
Inward Time

This day is completely reserved for you to go inward. There are no clocks, no schedules and you are invited to let your body do what it wants. This day is completely silent, you will not be interacting with anyone besides yourself. For some, this is a welcome opportunity to be with your inner world, for others it’s very much a challenge.

Part of the orientation on day one will be knowing how to contact myself or other staff members (we all carry radios). We’re here to support you in this process, should you need help.

Day Three:
Movement, Mobility and Music

On the morning of day three we will re-introduce food, deliciously and lovely prepared by our incredible chef Andrew Velasco. The entire retreat could be about the joys of eating mindfully, and we intend to make the most of that opportunity, especially coming off the water fast. You will have the pleasure of dining in the dark for every meal.

We will also welcome guest teachers Brian Bushway and Alan Bruni.

Foundations of Day Three:

We will be working with Brian Bushway, a visionary leader who trains blind people to navigate their world with freedom and ease. He will expand your ability to navigate in the dark with tools such as echolocation, deeper listening and increasing your confidence to lean into the unknown. Many of you are familiar with Daniel Kish, who has worked with us as well. Brian was Daniel’s first student over 30 years ago, and brings a wealth of experience and wisdom to this retreat.

Deep listening. So many of us love music, but when was the last time we just listened without distraction? When was the last time we listened to music on high definition speakers, instead of earbuds? We will be exploring and rediscovering the simple magic of listening to music, both recorded and live with high-fidelity speakers and professional musicians.

Unleashing your voice. We are often so self conscious of how we sound when we sing, but the ability to vocalize and feel the gift of singing is available to everyone, regardless of training, skill or background.

Day Four:
Subtle Awareness, Connection and Dance

Day four will welcome in Raina DeLear as a guest facilitator.

We will take the group through a full day of various exercises and small group activities in the realm of touch, movement, authentic connection, subtle energy, intuitive relating and dance.

Foundations of Day Four:

Exploration of authentic movement. What would it be like to dance in a room of people when no one is watching? How does your body really want to move? Explore movement in a whole new way.

Intuitive touch. We will be working with the language and the sense of touch, both to navigate the space, but also in relating with each other. How can we listen to our hands and bodies and follow their directive? In the dark, without our minds being engaged, we have a greater opportunity to find deeper intuitive touch.

Ego-less relating. When relating to others in the dark, there’s less of what I call our “high school brain”. We aren’t thinking so much, and can focus on the pure experience, rather than letting our minds distracts us.

Day Five:
Returning to the Light and Integration

On the morning of the fifth day we will introduce light into the space, and everyone will see each other and the house for the first time. We will slowly integrate back into the light, and the retreat will formally end that afternoon.

All participants are invited (and encouraged) to stay and enjoy the retreat center and surrounding property. That night there will be a big “alumni dinner” for all the participants and past participants of previous Darkness Experiments. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the end of your journey, and you may also enjoy a sauna and hot tub under the stars together with the other participants and staff. There is no extra cost for the dinner or the extra night’s stay.

Check out is at noon the next day.

Registration

Due to the the sensitive nature of this space, every participant is carefully screened and vetted. When in darkness, there is a greater need for self-awareness and personal integrity, so our vetting process reflects the need for that level of safety and trust. This retreat will not involve sexual energy or sexual acts in any form.

To learn more about pricing, details and registration, click below.

Testimonials

I chose to celebrate my birthday this year by flying to California and spending a few days with Dave and friends in the dark. While I was initially quite nervous about the first 36 hours in dark, silent and alone, it was truly the best way to return home to myself, and then to spend the next three days in deep connection with the others there, it just got even better. If you have even an inkling of going, follow the inner guidance that is calling you into the darkness. It’s so very worth it.

~ Ali
Boulder, Colorado
Darkness Experiment I

The darkness retreat was one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences I participated in this year! Not only did I build a trust and resilience within myself to navigate the darkness metaphorically and literally, but I also got the unique experience of falling in love with 20 people for who they actually were on the inside, not what they looked like on the outside. Also Dave’s facilitation is very masterful: strong but relaxed, playful and yet deep. I think connecting with yourself and other people in the dark should be something we all do on a regular basis!

~ Annika
Seattle, Washington
Darkness Experiment I

The dark is liberating. Free of self-consciousness and judgment. It is warm and cold. Vast and intimate. Simultaneously emancipating and oppressive.

Under the cloak of invisibility, I could be uninhibited, silent, voyeuristic… as participatory or introverted as I authentically felt, without fear of disapproval or even much awareness of myself from the group altogether. My attention was more sharply focused upon my own experience than when distracted by seeing and being seen.

Reverential, humbling and empowering indeed.

~ Tes
San Diego, California
Darkness Experiment I

I was as helpless as a baby duck, but surrounded by some of the most caring, wise, and creative folk ever. Thank you for being in a timeless, spaceless bardo with me. Thank you for being part of that artwork. Friendly bruised ghosts… I hope its that cool when we die.

~ Spencer
Salt Lake City, Utah
Darkness Experiment III

The thing is… at some point you need to know a few things about yourself, fully. When you submerge into the weight of full darkness and silence, there’s a moment of crushing reality that all you have is yourself… and there is nothing else to distract you from yourself. And then you finally relax more and more into that. And then you learn to love it. AND if that wasn’t enough, Dave crafts this amazing way of integrating 20 other humans together through the art of music and relating. 

The experience of this is like a melting pot of how multiple flavors become one soup of heart and humanity that feels so tender, compassionate, and connected. I can’t recommend this experience enough and am so grateful to Dave and all the beings who were a part of this grand experiment.

~ Simone
San Diego, California
Darkness Experiment III

Group Selfies

Darkness Experiment I
(November 2022)

Darkness Experiment II
(December 2023)

Darkness Experiment III
(May 2025)

Darkness Experiment IV
(April 2026)

Darkness Experiment V
(April 2027)

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Staff

Dave Booda is a writer, musician and social entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of IntimacyFest and created The Darkness Experiment. He has led over 450 workshops on connection, touch and relationships and has consulted for and facilitated experiences for communities, retreats, festivals, conferences, companies, men’s groups, women’s groups, birthday parties, weddings, funerals, and gatherings of all kinds — with the intention to inspire authenticity, depth, group cohesion and connection. He has published over 250 essays for boodaism.com and played over 1000 shows as a touring singer/songwriter. He is a former Naval Officer and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, currently serving as the Executive Director for the Foundation for Intentional Community.

Contact Dave at davebooda@gmail.com

Raina DeLear is a bridge between worlds—finance and energy, logic and mystery. Once a trading VP, now a master teacher and healer, she co-founds transformative spaces where the unknown becomes fertile ground for awakening. Raina’s presence alchemizes vulnerability into trust, blind spots into insight, and group uncertainty into collective wisdom. She invites us to step beyond what we know, discover our hidden brilliance, and co-create a luminous future—together.

Brian Bushway facilitates conversations on success, adaptability, and navigating life’s obstacles, drawing on his own remarkable story to inspire audiences. Raised in Southern California, he became totally blind at 14 due to optic nerve atrophy, then went on to graduate from Pepperdine University in 2005 with a degree in speech communications and a minor in non-profit management.

Today, Brian serves as a Perceptual Navigation instructor for World Access for the Blind, teaching FlashSonar echolocation and sensory awareness to blind students and sighted mobility instructors alike. His work has taken him to organizations across India, Armenia, Canada, and Scotland, helping build blind mobility and family-coaching programs abroad.

As a blind athlete, Brian has mountain biked, summited Half Dome in a day and completed the Camp Pendleton Mud Run. Widely covered by National Geographic, BBC, CNN, NPR, and Men’s Journal, he now delivers keynotes on adapting to life’s challenges and living a life of beauty, growth and freedom.

Sprout Bertulis is a licensed professional engineer, educator, and facilitator with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering. He has taught university courses and led workshops in three languages across six countries, from Scotland to Brazil, and has helped design more than 30 intersections with accessibility features for blind pedestrians, including tactile warning surfaces and Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS).

Sprout’s personal interests include meditation, authentic connection, Nonviolent Communication, embodiment, and personal growth. He is a 4-time participant of the Darkness Experiment and now as a staff member he brings compassionate attention, engineering-level preparation and an excessive fondness for checklists, backup plans, and the profound mysteries of consciousness.

Alan Bruni is an educator, teaching artist, drum circle facilitator and professional musician with a Master’s in Education. For more than two decades, Alan has designed and facilitated programs for schools, corporations, memory care communities, treatment centers, and other marginalized populations.

Alan creates immersive experiences that use the arts to inspire curiosity, play, connection, and personal discovery. In short Alan facilitates human potential thought “aha” moments. His work helps people to think beyond the familiar, embrace uncertainty, and explore the space where courage meets fear.  His programs blend rhythm, movement, storytelling, deep listening, and perception training to help participants become more present, more connected, and more aware. 

What makes night within us may leave stars.

~ Victor Hugo

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