The dark night of the soul
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The dark night of the soul
What is the Dark Night of the Soul? It is a term long used by mystics to denote a certain emotional and psychological state, as well as to indicate a period of testing that every mortal goes through at some point in his life. This Dark Night of the Soul is characterized by a series of failures; the individual experiences many frustrations. Anything the individual sets out to do seems fraught with uncertainties and obstacles. No matter how hard he tries or what knowledge he applies, the individual feels tied down. When about to materialize, opportunities seem to slip out of your hands. Things he relied on a lot don't come true. Your plans become static and do not materialize. No circumstances offer you a solution or encouragement for the future. This period is fraught with disappointment, discouragement and depression.
During this period, the individual is strongly tempted to abandon his most cherished ideals and hopes, becoming extremely pessimistic. The greatest danger, however, is his tendency to abandon all those things to which he attached great value and importance in life. He may find it futile to continue his mystical studies, his cultural activities, and his affiliation with philanthropic entities. If you give in to these temptations, you are really lost. According to the mystical tradition, this is the period when the fiber of the soul-personality is tested. Your true convictions, your will power and your deserving of greater enlightenment are put to the test. If the individual succumbs to these conditions, although frustration and despair may abate, he will not know the joy of true achievement in life. Thereafter, his existence may be mediocre and he will not experience true inner peace.
It is not some kind of punishment imposed on the individual. As evidenced by the mystical teachings, it is not a karmic condition. It is, rather, a kind of adaptation that the individual must make within himself to evolve to a higher level of consciousness. It is a kind of challenge, a kind of demand that the person resort to introspection and promote a re-evaluation of his ideals and goals in life. A demand that the person abandon superficial interests and decide on the way in which he should use his life. It does not mean that the individual should abandon his job or livelihood, but that he should restructure his future life. The Black Night makes him wonder what contributions he can make to humanity. Makes him discover his strengths and weaknesses.
If a person does this self-analysis during the Black Night instead of just fighting his frustrations, the whole situation will change for the better. She takes control of events that she finds to be meritorious. Sooner or later, then, comes the condition that mystics have long called the Golden Dawn. Suddenly there seems to be a transformation: the person becomes ebullient with enthusiasm. There is an influx of stimulating and constructive ideas that she feels she can turn to benefits for her life. The whole new course of your existence is promising. In contrast to previous conditions, your new life is truly golden at the dawn of a new period. Above all, there is enlightenment, keen insight, understanding of yourself and situations you didn't understand before.
Those who are unaware of this phenomenon, but who nevertheless persevere and overcome the Dark Night of the Soul, become somewhat confused by what seems to them an inexplicable transformation in their duties and obligations. Particularly strange to them is what they believe to be some external energy or combination of circumstances that produced the change. They do not realize that the transformation has taken place in their own psychic nature as a result of their thoughts and will.
When does the Black Night of the Soul begin? At what age or period of life does it occur? We can answer that it usually follows the end of one of the seven-year cycles, such as 35, 42, 49, 56, 63… years of age. It most often occurs at the end of the 42- or 49-year-old cycle, and very rarely at 63 or beyond.
How long does it last? In fact, no one can answer this question because its duration is individual. It depends on how the person has lived; of your thoughts and actions. However, we emphasize once more: The Dark Night does not come as a punishment for what a person may have done in the past, but rather as a test of the worthiness of entering the Golden Dawn. Perhaps the more circumspect the individual is, the more sincere he is in his quest to realize noble ideals, the sooner his determination and true character will be put to the test by the Dark Night of the Soul.
How long does the person have to endure this experience? This also varies with the individual. If he resists, if he does not succumb to the temptation to abandon his meritorious habits, practices and customs, the Night is soon over. If, however, he succumbs, gives in to deep stagnation and abandons his best way of life, then the Night can continue at different intensities for the rest of his life.
It must be understood, we repeat, that this is not an experience or phenomenon that occurs only to students of mysticism. In fact, it has no direct relationship with the theme of mysticism, except for the fact that it is a natural, psychological and cosmic phenomenon. Mystics explain it; the others don't. Psychologists, for example, will say that it is an emotional state, a temporary depression, a mood that inhibits a person's thinking and action, which explains failures and frustrations. They will try to find some thought, some subconscious repression to explain that state. As we said, the Black Night occurs in everyone's life, regardless of whether the person knows something about mysticism or not. It is very likely that you have met someone who went through this period. Things for such a person seemed to turn out to be failures, no matter how much effort he made. Then, some time later, this person became successful, happy, appearing to have a different personality.
However, the individual, through his own negligence, can bring about conditions similar to those of the Dark Night. A lazy, indolent, careless, indifferent and impractical person will bring many failures to his own life. She may bemoan her fate to others, and if she knows something about it, she may even say that she is going through the Dark Night. But you will know that the fault lies within you.
The difference between this person and the individual who is actually going through the Black Night is that the latter, at least at first, will sincerely try to face each situation and apply his knowledge until he comes to understand that he is blocked by something greater than his own capacity. . The lazy person, however, always knows that he is lazy, whether he admits it or not. The negligent person always knows that he has neglected what he should have accomplished. The careless person who is like this out of habit knows that he doesn't get very far and that he makes many mistakes.