Jan 12 2008
Dark Night of the Soul - God’s Rite of Passage
St. John of the Cross is one of the major founders of Christian mysticism, his book “The Dark Night of the Soul” exhaustively outlines the spiritual process all who seek a deep mystic experience with God must go through. Basically, the book explains a period of “darkness” that all who travel the mystic path experience at some point as their own sinful nature and worldly attachments must be purged in order to continue toward enlightenment and communion with God. This experience is testified too by later mystics such as C.S. Lewis in “A Grief Observed”, and John Bunyan describes it in “A Pilgrim’s Progress”. The “darkness” is caused us having to face the sinful and perverse reality of our true self and the world around us. During this time we feel lonely, depressed, discouraged, and overwhelmed. As St. John of the Cross would explain, the darkness is not from God but from the light of God exposing our own darkness. The Dark Night of the Soul is the point at which most people give up, and usually take medication. For those who preserver, God rewards them with the secrets of His Kingdom.
In the world of mystics and mysticism, these virtues set Christian mystics apart: mourning and the perseverance of suffering. Much of “pop-mysticism” is about avoiding suffering and “thinking happy thoughts”, while Christian mysticism takes a more head-on approach. The perseverance of suffering is required because much suffering is caused by our own misplaced desires and worldly attachments, so therefore, much suffering takes place as God purges us of those attachments. Secondly, if suffering is not being caused by our own sinful state, then it is caused by the corruption of the world around us, in which case we endure to show the love and light of Jesus Christ. This virtue is related to my previous article “Being a Masculine Mystic” (I tend to write in streams of thought), as those who refuse to suffer cannot continue the mystic life.
The other virtue I mentioned, mourning, is a part of the Christian mystic mind. Unlike suffering, which comes and goes, mourning is ever present in the mind of those who walk with God in this life. Mourning and Joy walk hand-in-hand as rain and sunshine work together to grow crops. A Christian mystic maintains a constant vigil of the heart by keeping his eyes open to the evils in the world around him, and the sinfulness of his own heart. Sometimes, those who open their eyes to the world become overwhelmed and shut them forever living in a self-maintained delusion (usually one that looks like a Thomas Kinkade painting). Mourning builds strength of heart, allowing a mystic to look at the world head-on and in all reality. Mourning then produces Joy as those with the strength of heart to see the world as it is become capable of seeing God work in it.
The world tells us that sadness and pain is an unnatural state of being that we must escape at all costs (Prozac anyone?). The mystic heart knows that sadness and suffering are often the gateways to discovering the light of truth. Don’t run from the darkness, for it brings the light.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, youLament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and double-minded. your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” - James 4:8-10
Buy “Dark Night of the Soul” - http://www.catholiccompany.com/catholic-books/1003227/Dark-Night-of-the-Soul
It came out really well Chris.
I have a brain disorder and have to take medication to balance my moods. It has nothing to do with the outside world or my lack of willingness to suffer for Christ. If I could take his place I would but I can’t and yes I feel sorrow for the fact he was tortured for me. I see my darkness and am taking steps to change it.
Making a sweeping statement like that can be dangerous for people who sincerely need these life saving medications. I ask you to please remove this statement or temper it with the facts of mental health disorder.
Victoria,
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I realize my statement can seem cold, but I stand by reasons for putting it there. We live in a culture that believes we are entitled to be happy. Instead of seeking out the root causes of depression or sadness, we to often resort to popping pills.
I recognize that you are upset because you feel forced to take medication because of a diagnosed condition. To be honest with you, I am a great skeptic concerning “brain disorders”, especially those supposedly effecting our ability to seek genuine spirituality, (i.e. inner peace, joy, faith, etc.).
I can also tell you I have seen many people cured of so-called “brain disorders” by willingly deciding to endure the suffering and trust God to guide them through. This includes, severe depression, ADD, ADHD, bi-polar disorder, and even certain physical conditions such as Fibromyalgia.
Even more so, I have witnessed first hand how medication inhibits the spirit from healing. I believe many mood adjusting drugs numb the connection to the soul, preventing the mind and spirits natural abilities to heal.
I spend much time discussing this amongst my other peers who are involved in counseling or intervention. While my views are probably extreme, most of my peers believe medication should only be used as a last resort or as a temporary emergency solution. Considering that most people lack the guidance or true spiritual help to overcome the darkness of the world, I can understand the need to emergency medical use…. but only as a lesser evil.
I don’t know the details of your condition, but you do say something that strikes me as odd: “It has nothing to do with the outside world or my lack of willingness to suffer for Christ. If I could take his place I would….” Even Peter, the Apostle, denied Christ, at first, when faced with suffering or “taking his place”. I myself, don’t know if I can make the claim being readily willing to suffer for Christ. In fact, most of the suffering I have done has been while kicking and screaming.
I believe the brain is a sacred place, the connection between our body and our spirit (just talk to a Christian brain surgeon). The world wants you to believe that sadness, depression, and fear are symptoms “chemical imbalances” or physical causes. And while those condition may have physical manifestations (like serotonin levels), they are caused the spiritual sickness of our own sinful nature.
In the end, no one can tell another person what decisions they should make. I don’t know you, nor the reality of your problems. If my opinions seem foolish to you, then you should just ignore them.
Sincerely,
Yaholo