The term “dark night (of the soul)” was originally used in Roman Catholicism for a spiritual crisis in a journey towards union with God, like that described by Saint John of the Cross. It has since been adopted by many spiritual practitioners across many modalities of spiritual practice and refers to a turbulent period of darkness encountered along the spiritual path.

“I reserve the expression ‘dark night of the soul’ for a dark mood that is truly life-shaking and touches the foundations of experience, the soul itself. But sometimes a seemingly insignificant event can give rise to a dark night: You may miss a train and not attend a reunion that meant much to you. Often a dark night has a strong symbolic quality in that it points to a deeper level of emotion and perhaps a deeper memory that gives it extra meaning. With dark nights you always have to be alert for the invisible memories, narratives, and concerns that may not be apparent on the surface.” – Thomas Moore, A Dark Night Of The Soul And The Discovery Of Meaning Continue reading RAM DASS ON THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL →