Dark night of the soul continued

It is not a pleasant experience, but ultimately it helps us to experience unconditional love, peace and to draw nearer to God, the universal consciousness.

The dark night of the soul can describe any form of mental, emotional or spiritual anguish, especially when accompanied by depression and despondency. Often there is a real lack of motivation and much self - doubt. One experiences it as something that is threatening and to be avoided. Many who seek the path of spiritual development and growth will pass through the ‘dark night’. In fact, it often happens to us several times until we get in touch with our own true nature. When ‘we’ are experiencing the dark night the ‘despair’ and often the ‘depression’ seem to be timeless and to last ‘forever’.

The dark night often comes upon us after a period of considerable spiritual growth and intensive, positive, spiritual work. It will sometimes occur like an induction into a closer relationship with the higher consciousness - God. The term dark night of the soul can be used in a non - spiritual contest in for instance, ‘mental illness’. In its spiritual meaning, it is a long and total absence of light and hope. In this situation we can feel desperately alone. In our desire for positive spiritual advancement, and strength, we might feel like a failure on this pathway. We might often revert into our old ways of life, our own weaknesses and old negative relationships. We might believe that true spirituality and closeness with God is unachievable. This can send us deeper into despair, loneliness and separation from the higher consciousness - God.

We might feel excluded from both this ‘world’ and true spiritual fulfilment. We do not belong to the past and yet we feel unable to live up to those who appear to easily go forward on the spiritual path. They appear to be loving and giving people but we find it hard, if not impossible, to live up to their high standards of spirituality, as they appear to do. Many seem to achieve this so easily and yet it feels so very hard for us. Our old life always seems to hold us back and prevents us from placing old habits and actions behind ourselves. We make great efforts to be ‘good’, but so often experience failure. We endeavour to be loving in an unconditional way, but discover that our heart is as hard rock.