2007-04-20 10:53:48 · 7 answers · asked by wiser 1 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
These nights are spent worrying over the meaning of your life, injustice, failure etc., without having any "spiritual" ground to stand on. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Night_of_the_Soul
"The "dark night" could generally be described as a letting go of our ego's hold on the psyche, making room for change that can bring about a complete transformation of a person's way of defining his/her self and their relationship to God. The interim period can be frightening, hence the perceived "darkness". In the Christian tradition, during the "dark night" one who has developed a strong prayer life and consistent devotion to God suddenly finds traditional prayer extremely difficult and unrewarding for an extended period of time. The individual may feel as though God has suddenly abandoned them, or that their prayer life has collapsed.
Rather than being a negative event, the dark night is believed by mystics and others to be a blessing in disguise where the individual extends from a state of contemplative prayer to an inability to pray. Particularly in Christianity, it is seen as a severe test of one's faith. The Dark Night comes in two phases: a first "Night of the Senses," and a second "Night of the Spirit.""
Though many use this term about a particular religion, or that a religion is necessary for this to occur, it is really about your personal journey towards meaning and growth, and it is about those moments when your heart or your mind is at the breaking point. If you continue on these moments can lead to a larger vision than the one you had before, partially or completely setting you free. So, the dark night is in reference to a dark night along the way, with dark referring to how bleak it looked at that moment.
2007-04-20 10:58:23 · answer #1 · answered by michaelsan 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you read St John of the Cross specifically, he wrote a classic book called the Dark Night of the Soul about Christian contemplation. In short, the dark night refers mainly to dryness in prayer and feelings as if God is not present with you. It is not clinical depression, because the persons who have true dark nights are mentally stable but just experience a SPIRITUAL dryness.
2007-04-20 18:01:02 · answer #2 · answered by * 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It comes from teachings of Juan de la Cruz, a Carmelite priest. John of the Cross if you use the English corruption of his name.
In the life of any aspiring saint there will come times when the presence of God withdraws from us. We feel empty, unworthy and utterly alone. It can be a time of despair. But it should not be.
This is a dark night of the soul.
It is a challenge to our Christianity. Do we remain faithful even though we cannot feel God? Or do we give up the ship?
It is my deepest conviction that if more Christians were really on their spiritual journey looking to grow closer to God then many would have experienced the "dark night." If they had, they would have a lot more compassion for our Atheist cousins who do not feel the presence of God.
2007-04-20 18:02:18 · answer #3 · answered by Max Marie, OFS 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dark night of the Soul is a term used to describe
a phase in a persons spiritual life. It is used as a Metaphor to describe the experience of lonliness and desolation that can occur during spiritual growth.
2007-04-20 18:04:58 · answer #4 · answered by Catswoman1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The senses are in a unwilling situation.
2007-04-20 17:57:31 · answer #5 · answered by johnkamfailee 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This is normally associated with depression or melancholia--a feeling that there's no hope.
2007-04-20 17:56:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think that it means that you are depressed, or something.........
P.S: sorry if this didn't help!
2007-04-20 17:57:48 · answer #7 · answered by Swirlz 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋