The ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ is a stage in personal development and transformation, where a person undergoes a difficult and significant transition to a deeper perception of life and their place in it. It is a type of spiritual depression, also known as existential crisis. One that requires a deep and painful period in life that must be experienced as a prerequisite to accelerated spiritual awakening and growth.
The dark night of the soul is a purging process that calls us to release all that is unhealed or unnecessary, to help us grow. It can be uncomfortable and challenging as it is an intense time of personal growth.
The four phases of a dark night of the soul include:
- identity crisis
- shattered belief systems
- withdrawal
- transformation.
During the dark night of the soul, a person can struggle with their sense of meaning in the world. Everything can seem purposeless and it may seem that there is no place where they belong.
How long does the dark night of the soul last? This is very much an individual thing. It could be 7 days, 3 months or up to a year and a half. For some people it can last for a couple of years or decades.
You can delay the dark night of the soul - in a world that caters to your every sense with addictive pleasure or engage in over-analysis - by resisting what is happening. Instead of surrendering to the process and facing all the fears and illusions coming to the surface, you might want to analyse it and hold on to the old way of life.
However, the beginning of the way out is to be conscious where you were once naive, as well as letting go of the old parts of you that were conditioned, assumed or habitual that really isn’t in alignment with who you are. This usually must be accompanied by personal realisation that can only come through contemplation, meditation and relaxation. Some people dive deeply into this divinely guided process and then step into their soul purpose more boldly.
During the dark night of the soul, your soul calls for your attention in the most sensitive spot. Slowly you unplug from the illusions of the 3D reality. By emptying yourself of the false beliefs, you are creating space for the new you. The new you is aligned with your soul and your higher self.
The hardest part of the dark night of the soul is to face your shadow which contains the repressed parts of yourself such as your fears, desires, traumas and beliefs.
As you start getting to the other side of the tunnel, something in you will guide you to embody your soul and this is the beginning of self-mastery. After the dark night of the soul ends, you become a new person and start transitioning to your new life. Now you can’t fit into the old world anymore. The piercing pain has awakened you to the true capacity of your heart and you can see the world with a restored inner vision.
After the dark night of the soul you will continue going through spiritual tests and learning, and your soul will guide you to the next level. As long as you maintain a conscious connection with your soul and keep your heart chakra opened, you will grow fast.
The dark night of the soul brings you the possibility to emerge out of the most painful period of your life as a transformed being with a heightened level of consciousness.
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