9: Ancient Wisdom: Modern Science with Michelle Hammond and guest Ananda-Jey Wojciech9: Ancient Wisdom: Modern Science with Michelle Hammond and guest Ananda-Jey Wojciech
UK Health Radio Podcast
Michelle Hammond talks with Aj Wojciech about darkness retreats, sharing how controlled time in complete dark and silence may support deep rest, emotional release, and spiritual insight. The conversation focuses on safety, preparation, integration, and the idea that peace and clarity can arise from within rather than from external fixes.
44:43•28 May 2026
Finding Inner Stillness in Total Darkness with Michelle Hammond and Aj Wojciech
Episode Overview
- Darkness retreats are carefully screened and structured with exclusion criteria, preparation plans, and gradual entry to keep the experience emotionally and mentally safe.
- Aj describes a powerful inner shift in darkness, where revisiting buried childhood trauma led to deep questioning of identity and a sudden state of peace with no active thinking.
- Participants often report improved sleep, reduced stress, hormonal regulation, and greater resilience to life’s challenges after time in darkness.
- The programme places strong emphasis on integration through sharing circles, breathwork, sound work, and regular satsangs where past guests talk honestly about life after the retreat.
- Aj stresses that awakening can be simple and available to anyone, but the real challenge is letting go of attachment to personal stories and constant mental activity.
“I didn’t know that everything what I need, all the peace that I was seeking… is within me.”
What drives someone to seek a life-changing experience in total darkness? This conversation on UK Health Radio brings Michelle Hammond together with guest Ananda‑Jey (Aj) Wojciech, co‑founder of Within darkness retreats, to talk about why sitting in pitch black silence might just reset your body, brain, and sense of self. Aj shares how a near-death moment of absolute stillness set him on a long search for that same calm.
Meditation, solitude, and intense breathwork didn’t quite get him there, but a first darkness retreat in Oregon did. He recalls a powerful memory of childhood abuse arising in the dark, followed by deep questioning: “So who is the one seeing that?” From there, his thinking stopped and he spent 24 hours in what he describes as complete bliss and peace without realising time had passed.
For anyone curious (and maybe a bit scared) of the idea, the chat breaks down exactly how these retreats run. Safety is front and centre: there’s a strict exclusion process, preparation guidance, gradual entry into darkness, daily contact through the door, and round-the-clock support from clinically experienced, spiritually aware guides. Aj keeps stressing that darkness “is not for everyone”, and that breaking the darkness early is absolutely fine.
You’ll also hear about the very practical benefits people report: better sleep, less stress, improved hormonal balance, sharper resilience to life’s problems, and a richer emotional life as old stories begin to lose their grip. There’s a strong emphasis on community and ongoing integration too, with sharing circles, sound work, breathwork, and regular satsangs where past participants talk about life after darkness.
Anyone feeling worn out by constant stimulation, therapy, or retreat “hopping” may appreciate the straightforward message here: peace isn’t handed to you by a guru or a substance – it’s something you meet in yourself. Could stepping into the dark be a surprising way to see your life more clearly?
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