restricted environmental stimulation, chamber REST, darkness therapy, existential meaning in life, mindfulness, self-esteem

The aim of the study was to assess the influence of the overall context of a modified versionof chamber restricted environmental stimulation (chamber REST; in a variation also knownas ?Darkness Therapy? - ?DT?) on the meaning in life, mindfulness and self-esteem. Theresearch sample consisted of 37 clients of the Beskydy Rehabilitation Centre in Čeladná who,based on their own decision, underwent a week-long stay under chamber REST conditions,between 15th March, 2012 and 14th November, 2013. The age ranged between 25 and 84(M = 45.86; SD = 13.16). The sample consisted of 17 women and 20 men. The youngest womanwas 25 years old and the oldest one was 71 years old. The youngest man was 25 years oldand the oldest man was 84 years old. The respondents were selected by purposive voluntarysampling. Considering the education, 14 subjects completed secondary-school education, 23 ofthem completed university education. Considering the occupation, 3 respondents were retired,the remaining 34 were employed. All subjects, who participated in the research voluntarilyand at their own expense, underwent technically the same process. It was a seven-day stayin a REST environment (absolute darkness, quiet and solitude). The participants stated andconfirmed by their signature that they did not show any psychopathological reactions at thattime, they did not take any psychopharmaceutical drugs and did not experience any significantphysical ailments (acute illness, bleeding etc.) and they entered the experimental environmentvoluntarily...