You may have heard the term but where does it come from, what does it mean and what can you do to come out of it?
The poem “Dark Night of the Soul” came from a 16th-century Spanish mystic and poet St. John of the Cross. He talks about the journey of the soul from its bodily home to its union with God. The journey is called “The Dark Night” because darkness represents the hardships and difficulties the soul meets in detachment from the world and reaching the light of the union with the Creator.
The individual may feel as though God has suddenly abandoned them or that his or her prayer life has collapsed. It shakes your very soul and can feel like an existential crisis. It forces you to face your shadows and you question the meaning of life.
Nothing makes sense anymore, there’s no purpose to anything. Sometimes it’s triggered by some external event for example the death of someone close to you, losing your job, or experiencing a divorce. Or you had built up your life and given it meaning. Everything you do, your activities, your achievements, where you are going, what is considered important, and the meaning that you had given your life for some reason collapses.
As bad as this all sounds, it’s actually a good thing. It’s a profoundly transformative experience that can bring about a new purpose in life. After the ‘Dark Night Of The Soul’, a new spirit is birthed. It’s a process that many people go through multiple times in one’s life. The length is dependent on the intensity of the experience and your willingness to change. If you hold on to your ego too tightly, it can last a long time.
There are a couple of stages you go through. First, you are confronted by a situation and you’re in shock, not knowing what to do or think or how to even live with it. Then you start to look at what you can possibly do with the situation, yet you can react like a maniac since you are deep into your emotions where you cannot see clearly. You might find yourself being uninspired, a lot of things that made you happy in the past are not working now. This process is the dissolving of your past ego.
Third, after your full breakdown, you are given the opportunity to find out what truly matters and leave behind what no longer serves you. It can be a moment of clarity and cleaning space. Both physically and emotionally. Then it is the moment to start building yourself up again. Maybe getting into new hobbies or new friends or simply finding yourself anew. It is like you are finally making your way back to the light. After all the chaos and pain, life can feel like it’s getting its color back. At this stage, it’s important not to get complacent and fall back into old habits. Otherwise, you are doomed to repeat the process.
Now that you understand this process, the question is
“What can you do to come out of it?”
When you can find a Holistic coach that helps your body, mind, and soul you are on the right track. A Holistic coach is able to look at you and your situation objectively. He/She can give you tools to not go back to your old self and helps you get clarity on a mental and emotional level. Having clarity not only helps you build up a new life yet also can spark your inner light again and feeling happy about life. Getting into meditation, yoga, and nature will help you ground yourself.
During the time of rebuilding yourself, it is of the utmost importance that you surrender what is coming your way, take your time to heal, and have patience and compassion for yourself. You might find yourself pushing things away and isolating yourself. It can be tempting to turn to pity, doubt, and distractions. The longer you don’t face why you have to change, the longer the experience will last. When you are not able to afford a Holistic coach, your best friend, a family member, or sometimes even a stranger can be that listening ear and/or can maybe come up with some advice or insights.
“The Dark Night Of The Soul” is a powerful experience. It shakes you to the very core of who you are. Just try to remember and understand that there is no coincidence that you’re going through this process. It is your soul yearning to level up. You have to let go of old patterns that are not serving you any longer. You came here to live and create a happy life by the power of your mind and emotions!
If you need help on your spiritual journey check out my website where I can assist you in all kinds of ways. Being a Holistic coach I have not only experienced this process several times myself but I have also learned from other people’s processes. My joy for life has always been to Empower and Inspire YOU with the knowledge to create your greatest life!
Last but not least, I will leave you with some beautiful quotes about the “Dark Night of the Soul”. As you can see, you are not the only one …
“There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” – Carl Jung
“Dark Night of the Soul is actually a blessing in disguise which helps us face our deepest fears and piece together our fragmented Self-Esteem.” – Sravanmahesh
“The endurance of darkness is the preparation for great light.” – St. John of the Cross
“Enlightenment is a destructive process. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.” – Adyashanti
