Hi Reader

How’s your dreamlife?

It's the dog days of summer here in the eastern woodlands of the US. The Perseids meteor shower just peaked but sadly I haven’t been able to see them.

Why? because I live in Philadelphia where the night sky is occluded with light pollution. If I’m lucky, I can see half a dozen of the brightest stars in the sky.

I’m thirsty for star light and dark skies. It really feels like an unmet need, a yearning. Have you ever felt this?

There’s a word for this feeling: noctalgia. Astronomers coined this word, defined as "sky grief,” especially the felt loss of places that used to have dark skies and now are glazed over by city light.

The word is a play on the older and broader term solastalgia, the lived experience of negatively perceived environmental change. Environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht coined this term as "the homesickness we feel while still at home."

In a new collection, editor Paul Bogard says that solastalgia is:

But for me: I experience the craving for dark skies on more than an emotional level.

It’s somatic, I’m convinced.

There’s a real ache that I feel in my body, especially deep in my optic cavities, and oddly enough in ways I can’t quite explain, in my skin.

Our bodies need darkness.

Darkness orients us, not just creating rhythm for our daily lives and tasks, but also the intricate biochemical body clocks that directs our hormonal levels and our sleep/wake cycle.

Lots of studies back this up. Systemic nighttime light puts us at greater risk for all the things, including breast cancer, diabetes, and stroke.

And then there’s the systemic inflammation, which also puts us at risk for a weakened immune system and worse outcomes with chronic illnesses like long covid.

Enter darkness retreats.

This mindfulness trend has picked up in recent years, and there are plenty of retreat centers that feature programs to support the beneficial power of the dark for meditation and healing. My lucid colleague Andrew Holocek writes eloquently about dark retreats here.

Star bathing is another rising trend in environmental tourism.

In a recent article in the BBC, astrophysist Mark Westmoquette describes how immersing ourselves in star gazing has a host of beneficial outcomes, including increased levels of mental health, wellbeing and mood.

Westmoquette ties this to the experience of AWE:

Another colleague of mine, Apela Colorado, an indigenous cultural practitioner of Oneida and Gaulish ancestry, recommends “star bathing” for different reason.

When we soak in the dark, and attune to star light, we open up on an even more subtle level to the cosmos. We open up to non-human intelligence and the divine, the Great Mystery, however you conceive of it.

Many indigenous peoples have night practices of this nature. Oceti Sakowin scholar Ruth Hopkins recommends:

Also, if you ever want to see a UFO, first you have to get to some dark skies country first. Enough said.

So I’m excited this weekend to head out to the foothills for a weekend in the camper, where there’s some modest elevation gain, cooler nights, and some dark(er) skies. I’m only traveling 60 miles out of Philly, but the sky does get dark there.

Maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to catch a few glimpses of the Perseids.

Join the Waitlist: Lucid Dreamwork Begins September 4th

Lucid Dreamwork is my annual live training on working with the insights of lucid dreams. This is not a course on lucid dreaming induction but rather focused on how to navigate the lucid dream and work with transformations of imagery and self.

With the metaphor of alchemy, we will explore solar and lunar consciousness in lucid dreams and learn how to dance with these powerful ways of being in the dream.

In particular we will be learning how our own choices in dreams (lucid and non-lucid dreams) create openings for uncanny knowledge and extraordinary experience.

​Join the waitlist and you'll get access to a valuable coupon when registration opens next week.

The Dream Portal community: Affordable support for beginners or those in a dream drought

The Dream Portal is open for enrollment at the Foundational level at a new affordable price structure, including on a monthly basis.

Get access to my most popular trainings on demand [Lucid Ignition (how to have lucid dreams easily), Sacred Rest (how to make room for rest to encourage big dreams), and Bad Dreams (how to work with -- and prevent -- nightmares of all stripes)],

as well as our rich community of dream enthusiasts and expert-led live sessions! For example, I lead a Lucid check in once a month where we tackle lucid dreaming and how to delve deeper.

Learn more about the affordable Foundational plan here .

Your coupon for saving 15%

As always, because you are subscribed to my newsletter, you can can save 15% (recurrently!) by adding this coupon code into the cart: NEWSLETTER15

Stay dreamy,

Ryan D. Hurd,