What would happen if you surrendered your computer, phone, books, and pens and went silent—no contact with anyone—for 10 full days? There was something irresistible about this question to me. I needed to find out the answer for myself.

The prospect of being alone in your own head for 10 days is scary to a lot of people. I happen to be a person who loves being in my head. It’s safe, comfortable, and logical there. I rely on facts and narratives to form my understanding of the world in there. My body rarely gets involved, at least consciously. And that served me just fine—until it didn’t.