Darkness offers time to refresh and look inward

dr. agnes martinko

“From divine light to light beer, things associated with the metaphor of light suggest goodness,” writes author and physician Andrew Weil. He states that, “Daylight is dominant, overvalued and even deified, while darkness is dismissed, devalued and often demonized.”

Weil presents a contrasting perspective of light and dark but it is also true that darkness has a positive role to play on both a natural and personal level. When we look at a tall tree, we know that it stands straight and full of life because of a healthy root system that gathers nourishment underground in the dark.

Seeds are placed in the earth and covered from light because we trust the darkness to transform the hard kernel into a living plant. Precious gems, minerals, and fossil fuels are formed deep in the bowels of the earth. Human life grows from a single cell to a completely new person in the dark of a mother’s womb. Addictions, depression and deep grief are often transformed within the experience of emotional darkness.

Poet Maltbie Babcock in the poem, “Heavenly Life,” writes, “Where grows the golden grain? Where faith? Where sympathy? In a furrow cut by pain.”

Each individual is dependent upon the darkness of sleep to refresh body, mind and spirit but statistics indicate that 75 percent of the population suffers from insomnia at some point in their lives.

Dr. Rubin Naiman, a psychologist, became interested in the problem because he remembered how his mother would always tell him how much she liked the dark. She was a Holocaust survivor and it was only in the dark, at night, that she was spared from the nightmarish abuse of her captors. She said it was the respite at night that allowed her to hold on to her sanity.

In Dr. Naiman’s 2006 book, “Healing Night,” he writes about the importance of restoring a sense of sacredness to our nights and night consciousness. Naiman notes that darkness is nature’s braking system and writes, “When the world lights up, it draws our attention outward and we become extroverts. Darkness dissolves the visual world, naturally inviting our attention back toward ourselves.”

He goes on with, “We are called to let go at night, invited to receive the gifts of serenity in deep sleep and expanded awareness in our dreams. Nighttime spirituality is about grace. In a broad sense, we give by day and receive by night.”

The Rev. John Staudenmaier, who hold a doctorate in psychology and is a technology historian, teaches at a university in Detroit. He looks at darkness from a different perspective but arrives at a similar conclusion. Father Staudenmaier wrote in 1999, “The Holy Dark is what I call a part of the day that every generation in human history experienced until the early part of this century, at which time the advent of electric lights changed our world.” He asks, “Why does our culture think things of the light are generally superior to things of the dark?”

Father Staudenmaier concludes by saying, “In the Holy Dark, immersed in our inner self and in touch with the Holy Spirit, we can begin to listen to how Christ directs each of us to help build a better world.”

Most religions have special prayers for morning and evening devotions. Sunrise and sunset are special times in the natural world. Not only can they be incredibly beautiful, but also the winds seem to calm to an eerie stillness as if a pause button was pressed, halting the rotation of the earth. It is almost impossible to escape the reverence of the moment that can bring us face to face with the fundamental mystery of life on earth. Hot-air balloonists do their launches at these times, taking advantage of the calmer winds.

We also have special times in our asleep and awake cycles. It’s almost as if there is an overlap of consciousness and, for a short time, we can talk to our inner self as we doze off and we can remember dreams as we awake.

When the ancient philosopher Plato was on his deathbed, his students asked him to tell them his most important teaching. Plato responded, “Practice dying.” We can do that by examining our day’s activities, forgiving those who have hurt us and asking to be forgiven for our own misdeeds. If there are problems or unresolved issues, set them aside and ask the Holy Spirit, the Good Shepherd, or your guardian angel to protect you during the night and to guide you in resolving your difficulties. It is a way to clear your mind and conscience for sleep or death.

After this practice, or some other positive affirmation each night while falling into the open arms of darkness, is a suggested way of improving both sleep and daytime activities. Do not be afraid of the dark, for it is pregnant with light.

XDr. Agnes Martinko is a member of St. Edward’s Church, Youngstown. This column on darkness is a companion piece to one on light, which was published April 26.