Be your own light - literally

My most recent adventure into self-awareness was a 5 day darkness immersion experiment. I spent over 130 hours in total darkness and the only light available turned out to be created by my brain. Sounds a little strange perhaps but during sleep the brain produces melatonin which has a huge impact on hormone regulation and the feeling state. When you awaken and sunlight replaces the dark void melatonin production is switched off and serotonin production begins. Most people know that serotonin is one of the key ingredients of wellbeing and is pivotal to beating mental illness and depression.

Less known is that melatonin levels directly trigger DMT activation in the brain. DMT, commonly known as the God particle is responsible for many of the mystical experiences associated with spiritual awakenings, new age thought,  entheogenic and hallucinogenic substance use. To make it simple DMT is activated in the pineal glad which is an eye-like structure at the centre of the brain. Given the right circumstances, which just happens to be about 21 mg of melatonin, you literally begin to create your own light-show inside the brain which is registered as inner sight.

The body is assumed to make about 5-7 mg of melatonin through a good night's sleep and therefore 3-5 days in the dark should trigger the internal DMT cascade.

If you have seen the Marvel Film Dr Strange then you can get some idea as to the potential experience that DMT can trigger.

In my case the most profound aspect of the experience was seeing light form in front of (or in) my eyes as if I was a torch. The room I was in genuinely appeared to light up even though I could not see anything in it.

The loss of visual stimulation also causes the brain to become hypersensitive and you begin to perceive more through your other senses.  Hearing, touch, smell and sounds, particularly, become heightened and you simply become aware of more of yourself. For me this meant a assault of thoughts like I hadn't experienced since my days of dark and suicidal depression. Fortunately I am more aware of thoughts as an experience rather than a belief that they constitute me or a personality as such. So the experience was more frustrating than anything else.

There is much to integrate from the solitude and darkness. I am, however, very aware of how my creativity has increased and how a much more intuitive perspective is leading my core approach to life.  I can see the power of limitless and thought-free creative-intuitive-expression that is me as a sentient being. I do not seek to sit under the light of others now that I have seen this light as my own. I recognise the depth of being and the clarity of infinite expression that I am as both the creator of my own experience whilst being created by the experience itself.

As someone who has used entheogens in the past I can genuinely report that allowing the body to explore the dark and respond to it naturally is by far the most rewarding experience you can engage in. You literally do realise that you are your own light and indeed you are the light of the world.