Somewhere in Southern Oregon, tucked away near the Cascade–Siskiyou Wilderness, not far from Klamath Falls, there’s a place where the lights don’t just go out: they never come on.
No windows.
No screens.
No glow from your phone.
Not even the faint outline of your own hand.
This is Sky Cave Dark Retreats, and its entire purpose is simple, unsettling, and deeply human:
Sit alone in complete darkness for days and see what happens.
I once visited Washington State's Ape Caves, and my group made the collective decision to shut off our headlamps and lanterns just to "see what happens". For those two minutes, deep inside that ancient volcanic lava tube, I experienced for the first time in my life what absolute darkness feels like. It presses in, seemingly on your very soul, relentless in its sensory deprivation.
And yes, this is the same Oregon retreat famously visited by NFL Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who spent four nights here in total darkness before making major life and career decisions.
So the question is:
Are you afraid of the dark?
What Is a Darkness Retreat, Exactly?
A darkness retreat is a form of deep sensory withdrawal rooted in ancient spiritual practices; Tibetan monks, yogic traditions, and indigenous cultures have used extended darkness for centuries as a way to reset the mind and explore consciousness.
At Sky Cave, guests stay in earth-bermed, cave-like rooms that are completely sealed from light. Once the door closes, there is zero visual stimulation. Not dim lighting. Not moonlight. Total, absolute black.
You eat, sleep, meditate, and exist without seeing anything at all.
Meals are quietly delivered. There’s a bed, a bathroom, silence, and your thoughts.
That’s it.
Why Would Anyone Do This?
It sounds extreme, because it is, but darkness therapy has been gaining attention for its reported benefits:
- Mental reset & clarity
- Heightened creativity and introspection
- Deep emotional processing
- Resetting circadian rhythms
- Reduced anxiety after the initial adjustment phase
When the brain is deprived of visual input, it stops reacting outward and starts turning inward. Many people report vivid mental imagery, heightened awareness, and long stretches of profound calm: after the fear fades.
And yes, there is almost always fear at first.
What’s the Experience Actually Like?
People who’ve done darkness retreats often describe the first 24–48 hours as the hardest.
Your mind panics.
Your sense of time warps.
Your brain tries to “fill in” the darkness.
Then something shifts.
Without distractions, thoughts slow. Emotions surface. Time loses meaning. Sleep deepens. Some guests describe it as meditative bliss. Others describe it as confronting every uncomfortable thought they’ve ever avoided.
You don’t do much at Sky Cave, and that’s the point.
No yoga classes.
No guided workshops.
No phone.
No talking.
Just you, in the dark.
Aaron Rodgers and the Oregon Darkness Retreat
Aaron Rodgers brought Sky Cave into the mainstream spotlight after he openly talked about spending four days alone in total darkness as part of a personal reset.
The retreat became a cultural flashpoint overnight. Half the internet thought it was profound, the other half thought it was insane.
Rodgers later explained that the experience helped him gain clarity and perspective. Despite plenty of speculation, he did not upload photos from inside the retreat, which makes sense, considering photography in pitch-black darkness is… impossible.
That lack of imagery only added to the mystique.
Inside Sky Cave: Oregon’s Temple of Darkness
Sky Cave Dark Retreats isn’t a resort, a spa, or a wellness trend chasing headlines. It’s a deliberately minimal, deeply intentional retreat center built around one radical idea: darkness itself is the medicine.
Located in remote Southern Oregon near the Cascade–Siskiyou Wilderness, Sky Cave was designed to remove nearly every form of modern stimulation. The founders drew inspiration from ancient darkness practices used in Tibetan, yogic, and contemplative traditions, where extended time in complete darkness was believed to foster mental clarity, spiritual insight, and deep psychological reset.
Sky Cave translates that concept into a modern but still extremely stripped-down setting.
The Facilities
Guests stay in earth-bermed, cave-like rooms built directly into the landscape. These spaces are meticulously engineered to eliminate all light, sound intrusion, and external cues. Once the door closes, there is no visual reference point at all, not even an ambient glow.
Each private retreat space includes:
- A sleeping area
- A bathroom
- Temperature control
- Complete sound and light isolation
Meals are prepared outside the retreat and quietly delivered without conversation, allowing guests to remain fully immersed in solitude. There are no shared spaces, no group activities, and no guided programming once the retreat begins.
This isn’t about luxury, it’s about removal.
The Mission
Sky Cave’s mission centers on helping people disconnect from constant stimulation and reconnect with their internal awareness. In a world dominated by screens, notifications, and artificial light, the retreat offers the opposite: silence, darkness, and time.
The organization emphasizes that darkness retreats aren’t meant to be comfortable in the traditional sense. They’re meant to be revealing; a space where the mind slows down enough for deeper thoughts, emotions, and insights to surface.
Guests are encouraged to approach the experience with respect and preparation, not curiosity alone. Sky Cave is very clear: this is not a casual getaway.
A Modern Myth, Built Quietly
Despite recent attention from high-profile visitors, Sky Cave has remained intentionally low-key. There’s no social media spectacle, no influencer packages, and no glossy marketing campaign. You won't even find it on Google Maps. That restraint is part of the philosophy.
You won’t find selfies from inside.
You won’t find glowing neon signs.
You won’t even find many photos at all.
What you’ll find instead is a place that exists almost entirely outside the normal feedback loop of modern life, which may be exactly why it’s drawn so much attention.
Because in a culture obsessed with being seen, Sky Cave asks a much stranger question:
What happens when there’s nothing left to look at?
Final Question: Could You Do It?
Sky Cave Dark Retreats isn’t meant to be relaxing. It’s meant to be revealing.
No filters.
No distractions.
No escape.
Just you, alone in the dark, until your brain decides to stop running.
Some people leave feeling reborn.
Some leave shaken.
Some swear they’ll never do it again.
But almost everyone agrees on one thing:
You don’t go in the same person you come out.
So again: are you afraid of the dark?
