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Dark night of the Soul
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- Even the dark night of the soul is really only an emotional state. It is a state of feeling totally cut off from God, the Self or anything that can help us feel joy. It is state of darkness, which is only the absence of light. In these states we feel hopeless, that it is pointless to continue, that we will never "get it" or get back to the joy and love we once felt.
All emotions are trying to tell us our own story if we can listen. Fear tells us "I am not safe! The world is a dangerous place and I am vulnerable". Grief tells us "I lost that which I hold dear and I cannot live without." Anger tells us "It is not fair, I cannot get what I want and I should have it, life should not be this way". Guilt tells us "I have done wrong and I should know better, I should not be how I am and someone, or God, will find out soon!" We could tell the story of each emotion but we do not usually want to look or listen. We believe that if we listen we will find the story is true. The greatest of healing will come when you begin to see that the very moment you really listen to the story you immediately can see that it cannot be true and it never was. This is the basis of self-forgiveness. Even the worst dark night of the soul can be lived through this way. The dark night is really an emotion of apathy and it wants to tell us "There is no point in continuing, it is hopeless. I will never get what I want (to be in union with God/Self). I might as well just give up. Even God doesn't love me anymore". In the darkest of times comes the greatest light of courage to look and receive even this story. The moment you listen is the moment you turn on the light again. Helen Hamilton |