We hear about the “Dark Night of the Soul,” but it is a term that is very real, yet not well understood. Originating in the 16th century with the Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross, it was first described as a necessary passage—a stripping away of our external attachments and internal illusions so the soul can reach a truer, unmediated reality. Today, it remains a crucible that all spiritual seekers transition through, as we move from our old beliefs and ways of being before stepping into a new glorious reality.
During the transition, there is a profound feeling of loss and a sensation of total eclipse. The guiding lights we once relied upon seem to vanish because the old self that we had been is truly dying, and we cannot as yet see our way clear to what lies beyond. What makes this a true “dark night” is the failure of our old tools; the coping mechanisms and spiritual practices that used to bring us comfort completely fail to work. It is like trying to step off of a boat that is not securely tied onto a new platform. If we are not careful, we might find ourselves falling into an ocean of confusion if we are unable to make the transition with success.
The inward death that we are experiencing is very real. In what St. John called the “Night of the Spirit,” we undergo a deep existential purgation—an ego death. We are being stripped of everything that we have known in the past. Everything that we have thought about ourselves and the reality in which we live is surrendered, forcing an encounter with the unknown. We are not yet certain that there is anything “real” to take its place. For that, we have to wait until we reach that level in which we can experience the truth about what we are told by our spiritual teachers.
Ultimately, this painful disintegration is a powerful catalyst for awakening. It is the chaotic, transitional phase between an old state of awareness and a higher, more expansive level of consciousness. The dark night is not a punishment, but a necessary clearing of the path. By allowing the ego’s limiting paradigms to collapse, we are prepared for an active, supported ascension into our highest selves, stepping fully onto that new platform of reality.
