Reclaiming our relationship with Darkness

For much of human history, darkness has been misunderstood. It’s often seen as something to avoid, fear, or conquer. In a world flooded with artificial light and constant stimulation, we’ve grown distant from darkness—both the literal kind that comes with nightfall and the metaphorical kind that accompanies introspection, uncertainty, and change.

But what if darkness, like light, has its own gifts to offer? What if instead of running from it, we learned to embrace it?

The Positive Aspects of Darkness

Darkness is often associated with rest, renewal, and growth. Without the dark of night, we wouldn’t sleep—and without sleep, we wouldn’t survive. Similarly, without the darkness of life’s challenges, we might never grow.

• Darkness as Restorative: The absence of light signals the body to slow down and prepare for rest. Sleep is when the body repairs itself and the mind processes the day’s experiences. Darkness, in this sense, is essential for health and well-being.

• Darkness as a Creative Space: Many of our greatest ideas are born in the stillness and mystery of darkness. Just as seeds germinate beneath the soil, creativity often thrives in quiet, shadowed moments when we’re not overstimulated by the world around us.

• Darkness as Mystery and Potential: Darkness represents the unknown—and within the unknown lies infinite possibility. It is in darkness that we find new beginnings, much like the dark sky before dawn or the new moon before it waxes to full.

The Fear and Misunderstanding of Darkness

Despite its gifts, darkness is often feared. From childhood, we’re conditioned to see darkness as dangerous or threatening. Whether it’s the monsters we imagined under the bed or the fear of losing control during uncertain times, darkness has been cast as a foe.

• Literal Fear of the Dark: For many, the absence of light feels like the absence of safety. This primal fear, though protective in its origins, has grown into a cultural avoidance of all things dark.

• Metaphorical Darkness: Society often discourages us from exploring our “dark sides”—grief, uncertainty, fear, or pain. These experiences, though challenging, are essential to our growth and wholeness. Without acknowledging and integrating these darker aspects of ourselves, we remain incomplete.

Reframing Darkness as a Gift

What if we saw darkness not as an absence, but as a presence? A space for renewal, reflection, and quiet transformation?

• Darkness as Balance: Light and dark exist in harmony. Just as day needs night, activity needs rest, and growth needs introspection. Darkness offers balance in a world that often glorifies productivity and brightness at all costs.

• Darkness as a Space for Reflection: In the quiet of darkness, we have the opportunity to turn inward—to sit with ourselves, process our emotions, and connect with the truths we might otherwise avoid.

• Darkness as the Beginning of Growth: Just as seeds sprout in the dark soil and the moon begins anew in shadow, our own growth often begins in unseen places. Darkness, far from being empty, is full of potential.

An Invitation to Embrace the Gifts of Darkness

What if we stopped running from darkness and started seeing it as a space for renewal and transformation? What if we allowed ourselves to sit with the unknown, trusting that something beautiful can grow there?

This week, I invite you to explore your relationship with darkness:

• Reduce artificial light in the evenings and spend time in natural darkness. Notice how it feels.

• Take a moment to reflect on a “dark” time in your life. Can you see how it led to growth or transformation?

• Spend quiet time journaling or meditating, allowing yourself to explore the parts of yourself you might usually avoid.

Darkness is not something to fear; it is a space of possibility, growth, and balance. Let’s reclaim it—not as something to fight, but as something to embrace.

If you would like to join our seasonal online Embrace the Quiet Darkness weekly sessions, you can sign up here.

You can also read about my experience of attending a darkness retreat here