Dark Knight Journeys

Proposing a weekly ongoing group for shared inquiry into the depths of Being in the midst of living

I’m considering offering something focused, relational and sustained. A one-year journey of self-inquiry for a small group - of no more than ten people, split into two groups of five.

We’d meet weekly in our small groups, and monthly on a one-on-one basis - not to teach or be taught, but to sit together in what is. To bring presence to the movements of life as they actually unfold. To inquire honestly and deeply into the stories, identities, and relational patterns that obscure clarity in our lives.

This wouldn’t be a workshop or a performance space. The tone would be similar to my writing - direct, unvarnished, sometimes uncomfortable but deeply honest. Not for the sake of discomfort, but because sincerity requires that we stop protecting our illusions. This isn’t about spiritual bypassing or chasing peak experiences. It’s about facing ourselves fully.

We would look at the full arc of our lives - not just our ideals and insights, but our relationships, habits, shadows, desires, resistances. Nothing would be excluded.

Self-inquiry isn’t abstract. It includes the body. It includes money and relationships. It includes dreams and memory and self-doubt and longing. Whatever arises is welcome - so long as we’re willing to meet it without evasion.

That includes the parts of awakening that are often left out of the conversation. Freedom isn’t always uplifting. Sometimes it strips away everything familiar. Sometimes it feels disorienting, even painful. That’s part of the territory. If we’re going to speak about freedom, we also have to be willing to face what it demands.

This isn’t a space for spiritual performance or one-upmanship. Sincerity and mutual respect are the only requirements. An honest willingness to be with what is, even when it’s not flattering or comfortable - and to support one another in that honesty.

One of my hesitations in offering this has been the tendency for such spaces to become entangled in projection; people seeking an authority figure, a rescuer, or a surrogate therapist. That’s not the role I’m here to play. What I can offer is a clear, grounded space for those who are ready to stand in their own experience and stop negotiating with it or trying to escape.

Both the group sessions and one-on-one sessions will draw from Gestalt-style methods, self-inquiry and direct experiential approaches. This is less about analysis and more about presence. It’s about becoming aware of what’s happening as it happens.

Alongside the group work, each participant would receive a monthly one-on-one session with me - twelve sessions over the course of the year. These sessions would be a space for deeper reflection, dreamwork, and pattern recognition. I’ll bring intuitive attention and psychological clarity to help you meet the parts of yourself that are asking to be seen - not to fix them, but to let them be heard.

After each session, I’ll provide a written report - a clear, grounded reflection of what came through and what might be further explored. At the end of the year, I’ll offer a comprehensive synthesis of your process - a kind of mirror, not a verdict. A way to look back on the terrain you have walked.

This is not therapy. It’s not coaching. It’s not self-optimization. The aim isn’t to improve anything. The aim is awareness. To see yourself with enough honesty that something fundamental begins to shift - not through effort, but through recognition.

This work requires a willingness to show up consistently. Group sessions will happen weekly. One-on-ones will be scheduled monthly. You’ll be asked to stay engaged throughout the year - not out of obligation, but because without consistency, no depth is possible.

What’s Included:

• Weekly small-group meetings (in a group of five)

• Self-inquiry work and live presence in group settings

• Monthly one-on-one sessions (12 total)

• Written report after each one-on-one

• End-of-year personal synthesis

• Optional prompts and shared materials along the way

(Note: A sliding scale is available because I want this to be accessible across different financial realities. If your interest is real, we’ll try and find a way. Signing up for the “Empower” tier is one way you can help sustain those with limited financial means.)

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This won’t be for everyone. Many say they want truth, but most want comfort or clarity on their own terms. This offering won’t soothe the ego. But it may offer something more enduring than relief: the opportunity to encounter yourself more deeply, and to shift into a greater intimacy with life.

My decision to move forward with this will depend on the interest and commitment of the Dark Knight community. The energy is present, but I’m letting the form emerge on its own terms.

So for now, this isn’t an announcement. It’s an inquiry.

If something in you feels called to take part, let me know by taking the poll below. You’re also welcome to leave a comment or send me a direct message if you want to share what inspires you, or any questions you have.

Most of us have walked through our darker passages in solitude, carrying questions too deep to easily articulate.

This may be a chance to walk together.

Sincerely,

Shiv