Extreme Hitbodedut

A friend of Reb Eliezer Berland told the following story. Many years ago, before Rav Berland became famous, he spent Shabbos at the friend's home. On Shabbos afternoon he disappeared to the forest, without his Talit and Tefilin and with out food, to do Hitbodedut and did not return untill the following Shabbos. He later explained that he survived on berries. As for the lack of Tefilin, I guess that he felt that it was a spiritual emergency to run to fields and talk to God.