Ronald L Barnett

August 3, 2023

Dark Silence in Snowmass


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Travelers come from all corners of the globe to seek solitude and silence in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, at an elevation of 8,000 feet, far removed from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Their destination, a retreat center, is typically accessed by a small mountain airport, and brings together a group of roughly 20 individuals who are, more often than not, strangers.

For ten days, they abandon the common social exchanges to practice silent, contemplative meditation in a communal room, their seats in a circle established at the first evening of orientation and introductions. In addition to not talking they are invited to refrain from eye contact—a monastic practice of “guarding of the eyes”— to further immerse themselves in their inner experience. Reading is suggested to be kept minimal if at all and journaling is suggested. 

Despite the lack of conventional interaction, a deep bond, even affection for each other forms among these strangers, fostered by a shared intention and practice: to consent to the presence and action of a higher power within, named as God, Spirit, Divine Indwelling, or another personal designation. To each their own. This practice of inner consent is how the fulfillment of the Christian prayer, "not my will but Thy will be done" is realized. 

The staff meet their basic needs such as meal preparation, allowing participants to devote their time to spiritual and Nature immersion, unless they volunteer to assist in small tasks such as dishwashing or setting the tables for meals.

In the pre-dawn darkness of each morning—cold in winter—a rare quiet envelopes the mountains and the valley below. Absent are the sounds of human activity, and the occasional coyote's call is heard. No traffic, no airplanes, no evidence of human habitation. On clear mornings, the stars shine vividly due to the absence of competing sources of light, almost close enough to touch. As the ole gospel tune goes "bright morning stars are shining, daylight is a breakin in my soul".

Guided by flashlights, the participants make their way one by one from their sleeping quarters to the communal room before breakfast for the first session of the day. Inside, it is dark, cool and silent, as each person returns to their chosen seat —as if a familiar landing spot, a welcome, a homecoming. Once assembled staff strike a gong which marks the beginning and end of each practice session. 

Unfortunately this sanctuary for seekers of silence and solitude no longer exists. While other places hold such ten day retreats there will only be one Snowmass. For those who visited over the decades, the lessons learned and the gifts received by grace in the dark silence hopefully live on and continue to enrich their lives and the lives of others. And this too has passed - dark silence in Snowmass.

End

Note: ChatGPT 4 provided editorial assistance.

About Ronald L Barnett

I moved to Substack and renamed to Contemplation Across the Lifespan on 2/2025. Hope to see you there. - Ron

Welcome to Hey World - a home for my writings, much of it autobiographically-inspired. My hope is that they entertain, educate, and inspire. I’m simpatico with Enid Sinclair who told Wednesday Addams, ‘’I write in my voice. It’s my truth!” I hope you enjoy them. And if you subscribe and have comments, I’d love to hear from you.

I received the Doctorate in Psychology (concentration in human cognition and learning) and after 5 years working as a community-based mental health clinician, I worked in medical research with the National Institutes of Health for the remainder of my career.

I served Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. (CO) as a teacher, group facilitator, retreat leader, Chapter Coordinator, Board Member and Trustee and taught with The Miksang Institute for Contemplative Photography.

As of 2020 I retired, hosted the podcast All Things Contemplative, and still volunteer with CO. I also facilitate Charis Circles with the Charis Foundation for the New Monasticism and Interspirituality - and enjoy information technologies, photography, nature, swimming, biking, and kayaking.

All photos © 2025 Ronald Barnett. Use with permission.

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Miksang Contemplative Photography https://ronaldbarnett.smugmug.com
All Things Contemplative Podcast https://allthingscontemplative.buzzsprout.com/
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Lifespring - early blog 2009-2020 https://lifespring.posthaven.com/