The idea of the darkish night time of the soul was first coined in a poem by Saint John of the Cross, a Sixteenth-century Spanish mystic and poet. The thought of a religious melancholy, nevertheless, is part of many various religious and spiritual traditions, together with Buddhism, the place it is known as “falling into the pit of the void.”
According to Anna Yusim, M.D., a psychiatrist and the writer of Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Live a Happier, More Meaningful Life, “The darkish night time of the soul is actually any time when our darkness involves the forefront. It’s as if we’re doing all the pieces we are able to to remain afloat, and it appears as if the universe, the world, and life is in opposition to us.”
Yusim provides that the darkish night time of the soul will typically contain struggling, setbacks, and obstacles. Nevertheless, she says, “Oftentimes, a darkish night time of the soul is a crucial a part of individuals’s religious evolution.”
As Shannon Kaiser, religious trainer and writer of Return to You, tells mbg, “It typically occurs to information us to search out our objective in life, pay again or steadiness karma, and perceive deep karmic and religious classes. The darkish night time of the soul is a breaking away from the illusions of concern and ego to shift our alignment and values to what’s actual and true, the connection to the divine, and in the end pave the way in which to your life objective and mission right here on Earth.”