Sensing the Darkness: Dark Therapy, Authority, and Spiritual Experience

A recently published qualitative study by Jana Nenadalová explores Dark therapy, an alternative spiritual practice combining prolonged sensory deprivation with guidance from an authority figure, to understand how religious and spiritual experiences are induced. Drawing on predictive processing theory, the research shows that complete darkness can trigger intense psychological and perceptual phenomena, especially when participants feel a sense of control and bring strong expectations or prior beliefs into the experience. Authority figures (guides) influence outcomes, but only when perceived as prestigious or credible. Overall, the study highlights how sensory deprivation, social isolation, and authority together form a powerful context for generating spiritual and transformative experiences, offering new insights into the psychology of religion. https://doi.org/10.1177/00846724251379906