---

Darkness is crucial to human health and even survival. We believe now more than ever that experiencing the beauty of the night is crucial for humans.

If you’ve ever had a sense of calm while looking up at the moon, or laying in a field and looking at the stars, then you’ve experienced something fundamental to humans. The changing of day into night is a process that’s embedded in each one of us. It’s also deeply rooted in religion and spirituality, from representing evil and decay, to representing rebirth and higher-purpose.

There are species of migratory birds have evolved to navigate based on the subtle cues of moonlight reflecting on the waters below. 

Recent studies have shown that fully experiencing darkness triggers numerous biological processes that repair DNA, protect against diseases such as cancer and diabetes, and can regulate depression and anxiety. It is even suggested that darkness can increase neural plasticity and creativity.

​What happens without darkness? Many things.
And many things don’t happen at all.

If you’re curious, visit a safe dark-sky spot on a clear night, turn off your lights, and let the darkness do its work. Give your eyes time to adjust — after about 20 minutes, your night vision will increase as your eyes produce rhodopsin, which is known as visual purple. You never know, you may get lucky with an owl sighting or seeing a shooting star.

---