The Dark Night of the Soul

By Stephen Thomson

The darkest hour is that before dawn. Although this phrase is familiar, the source of this writing is unknown for most of us. Euripides considered one of the most misunderstood of Greek poets is the author of this verse. In our everyday usage, the darkest hour has become words of consolation when someone or we are going through a rough patch in their lives. We remind ourselves in the dark moments of our lives that things are going to get better. Like most phrases that have common usage, passed down from one generation to the next, there is usually a profound spiritual truth or law, expressed by the saying. In this case, Euripides may have been referring to one of the most profound experiences of the spiritual path, often referred to as the Dark Night of the Soul. During this period, we feel a deep sense of being lost without any idea of what our next step is to be or, in which direction to go. The Dark Night of the Soul is a time when we feel out of touch with the Divine and question the very purpose of our spiritual journey.

The idea of the Dark Night, referred to by many different names, is found in the esoteric teachings of every belief structure. One of the most detailed descriptions for this period, which each of us experiences over the course of a lifetime of spiritual evolution, can be found in a poem entitled, The Dark Night of the Soul, written by St. John of the Cross. He was born in Spain into a Jewish family, and converted to Catholicism after the death of his father. St. John, considered a mystic by the Church, was sent to prison and suffered physical torture because of his writings. This poem describes what St. John perceived as the innate hardships that we endure on the spiritual path, as we journey deeper into a first-hand knowing and connection with the Divine. As with most veiled writings, the idea of the Dark night is an extended metaphor of the human experience of living in the dark, without the light of the Divine. On the physical plane, we use light to see our way. In a spiritual sense, light represents spiritual knowledge and the essence of the Divine.

Most of us can remember a time when we found ourselves in a period of questioning where our spiritual practices and journey were heading. There are times when we feel like progress is not being made or, that our life is any better because of all the hard work. Our life does not seem any different. The range of emotional responses when we find ourselves in this place can be mild, to a deep sense of discouragement and a desire to give up our work. After all, we are human beings and live in an ego-based world where achievement and accomplishment are important. We want to be the best at what we are trying to accomplish. As we know, the relationship between our spiritual progress and life in the physical world are beyond any comparison. There are times when our need to quantify and qualify our spiritual advancement is beyond the range of comparison to any material condition. During the Dark Night, these kinds of thoughts and feelings can be intense.

This is the hard part of the journey. When we are stuck in our emotions, it is hard to focus on our intent. We can even say that gaining control of our emotional behavior is the journey. Making a conscious effort to step beyond the limitations of our own thoughts and feelings opens us up to the Divine. By taking this step, we begin to live a life without the separateness brought about through self-consciousness. Starting to discipline ourselves to change our way of thinking and responding to life events shifts the energy in our lives. No longer thinking and feeling solely about ourselves, have we begun to live in one consciousness, in a relationship with the Divine? The Dark Night brings the effects of our self-talk into focus.

Another issue that brings on the Dark Night is our advancing state of consciousness. There are times when our knowing advances beyond our level of ability to practice a new skill or knowing how to use it. At times, we receive information on a psychic level from the quiet voice within us. The soul speaks louder than our mind in these moments and there is usually a sense of knowing we are making progress. The spiritual journey is the process of our life experience and incorporating the knowledge we have gained. This outcome can take the form of becoming more peaceful in our lives and no longer laboring under ways of thinking and behaving that are no longer compatible with the person we aspire to be. The outcome is a deeper sense of the Divine and us.

One of the steps we can take when we find ourselves in the Dark Night is to focus on an objective review of our lives. This is the process of taking a step back from ourselves and observing our lives without our emotional filters creating any kind of illusion. This is one way of satisfying some of our emotional needs about making progress and for gaining a new awareness. For example, a simple question we may ask ourselves is, "Do we like the person we have become?" Or, "Do we feel that we are a better human being as a result of our spiritual quest?" By taking an "outsiders view" at the changes we have made in our attitude and approach to life, our lives will come into focus. At some point along the way, this may be the whole purpose of being in the Dark Night. There are times when our emotions work against us and create angst that makes it hard to focus. If we are on the journey because we think being spiritual will eliminate all of the challenges that life brings, then we will surely be disappointed. In fact, stepping on to the spiritual path with all of our heart can speed up the unfolding and resolution of the karmic conditions of our lifetime.

This era in which we are now living represents so many facets of the Dark Night for the collective of humanity. It is beyond the range of personal and more of a group karmic condition. There are events in our world that many of us are asking where we are heading as a planet and for all of humankind. On a material level, people in their 50's and 60's are particularly affected. Pensions have disappeared and their financial future is uncertain. The expectations of this generation, the things they counted on are not and will not be there from a financial standpoint for the future. The days of love and peace which were the hallmark of their youth, stand in stark contrast to the war raging all over our planet. Collectively, as one world, we are all trying to see around the bend and understand what this means for us as spiritual people. Although the earth plane is our stage and the place to look for the symptoms, the Dark Night is the spiritual experience. In this context, we have to ask ourselves about what is being set in motion at this time of the Dark Night, for humankind to take a leap forward when the dawn arrives.

Years ago, I met a woman who described the spiritual path in this way. She said that life is a series of journeys up the mountain and down the mountain. During that period of my life, I was very excited about my practice of meditation and the outcome of my efforts. I felt like I was really making progress and starting to become a better and different person. I was so enriched by my experience and expected to continue my climb. Within a few months, my life changed and I was too busy to meditate for several hours each day. In the years that have passed, I have traveled up the mountain and down again, far too many times to count. I learned to identify these cycles in my life and remain strong in the face of the Dark Night. I am in one of those periods at this time. One of the wonderful parts of this process is I know something better is coming for me. This is the cycle of life and the outcome of spiritual practices. When I do my objective review of my life and search for the truth, I know something better will replace anything I see as a loss.

There is one more aspect of the Dark Night to consider. When we begin on our spiritual journey, we are responding to the vibrations of the Divine being directed at us. This pull is beyond anything in our human consciousness. In fact, it is a sign of our "good" spiritual karma. We have worked hard over many lifetimes to have the body and spiritual vibration we have in this incarnation. Any time we feel like we can step away from our path and journey, these emanations from the Divine pull us back to our path. Clearly, we are not in complete control when it comes to this aspect of being. The Dark Night represents our gift of free will. In the universal scheme, it makes sense that there are times we would stop and access where we are and who we are becoming. The hard part of the Dark Night is that we can feel so alone and disconnected from the energy that sustains our journey. Questioning what we believe is a healthy step for us in so many ways because we gain clarity and focus to our journey. The spiritual path is an opportunity for first-hand knowing in place of just knowing about the Divine in an intellectual context.

How will we know we have left the period of the Dark Night? There are a few signs. The most powerful event marking the new dawn can be a psychic influx of knowledge. This can be personal or of a spiritual nature. We may wake up one day and have a clear understanding of what we have passed through and know the meaning of the Night. The result can be a deep sense of change within us. We know we are different and feel a strong sense to move forward. A new teacher may appear or we find a new spiritual topic to investigate. There can be physical manifestation like moving or changing jobs because where we were living or the work we were doing no longer represents who we have become. Whatever the indications are, the Dark Night always ends with a beautiful sunrise.

Here is a partial list of attributes for the Dark Night:

Feeling out of touch with the Divine

Our beliefs no longer hold meaning

A sense of languishing in the unknown

Feeling disconnected from everything and everyone

Change is about to occur

What steps can we take?

Acknowledge the cycle and that it feels emotional, unsupported, and lonely

Continue the practices that have given us solace in the past — meditation, retreat, and chant

Keep moving in belief and faith knowing we will soon turn a corner

Evaluate where we have been and what has brought us to this place of the Dark Night

Even though you may not be in the dark night at this time, the questions below may assist you in focusing your journey at this time. You can use the list below to journal, mediate and pray over the coming weeks.

What do I believe to be the purpose of my spiritual journey?

What is my current concept of the Divine?

Who do I believe myself to be as a spiritual being?

What are the steps I can take to deepen commitment to my spiritual growth?

What would I like to happen as the outcome of my spiritual practices?

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at Steve@Stephenthomson.net. I am always happy to hear from readers.

His new book entitled, Essays on Spiritual Self-Mastery is now available on Amazon.com. Steve also recently published a book co-authored with Michael Guarino entitled Evolving Consciousness: A Dialog Between Two Initiates, also available on Amazon.com.

Steve's book, The Secret Key is available through the Spirit of Ma'at Bookstore.

Those of you who wish to order a copy of "Essays on Spiritual Self-Mastery" will find it on www.amazon.com and at: www.stephenthomson.net.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at Steve@Stephenthomson.net. I am always happy to hear from readers.

His new book entitled, Essays on Spiritual Self-Mastery is now available on Amazon.com. Steve also recently published a book co-authored with Michael Guarino entitled Evolving Consciousness: A Dialog Between Two Initiates, also available on Amazon.com.

Steve's book, The Secret Key is available through the Spirit of Ma'at Bookstore.

Those of you who wish to order a copy of "Essays on Spiritual Self-Mastery" will find it on www.amazon.com and at: www.stephenthomson.net.

About Stephen Thomson

Steve Thomson is a writer, teacher, and psychic, well known throughout the United States. He leads workshops about metaphysical practices, including meditation, expansion of the psychic senses, the Tarot, and the Kabala. Steve has been a member of the Rosicrucian Order AMORC for over 20 years and a student of Paramahansa Yogananda's, Self-Realization Fellowship for over 10 years. His book entitled The Secret Key is available through our website. Steve other book, Essays on Attaining Spiritual Self-Mastery — A Book for Meditation, Prayer and Journaling, and a new book he co-authored with Michael Guarino, Evolving Consciousness — A Dialog Between Two Initiates, are available on Amazon.com. He is currently working on a new book entitled Discovering Your Spiritual Truth — A Primer for the Path.

You may write Steven personally at Steve@stephenthomson.net
or visit his website: www.stephenthomson.net

Latest articles by Stephen Thomson in Spirit of Maat:

May, 2011: What Is Going On?

April, 2011: The Dark Night of the Soul

March, 2011: Divine Energy Manifest On The Earth Plane

February, 2011: The Spiritual Lessons In Loving Relationships

January, 2011: 2011 - Giving Up And Giving Back

December, 2010: The Gift Of Light

November, 2010: The Need For Alone Time