The Dark Night of the Soul is a profound spiritual crisis that forces individuals to confront their deepest fears and existential questions. It's a process that leads to spiritual awakening, but not without its intense struggles. Originally coined by the 16th-century Spanish mystic Saint John of the Cross, this experience is characterized by feelings of deep disconnection, emptiness, and the loss of meaning in life. It often feels like being in an emotional and spiritual void, where everything you once held dear seems to fade away. This experience is not merely about sadness; it’s a spiritual initiation that ultimately brings profound growth and transformation.

While the Dark Night of the Soul shares some symptoms with clinical depression—such as sadness, hopelessness, and despair—it is not the same. Depression is a psychological condition that requires medical attention, while the Dark Night is a spiritual crisis that ultimately leads to profound personal transformation. The main difference lies in the ultimate purpose: the Dark Night is a process of spiritual growth, not a sign of mental illness.

The Start of the Journey: Spiritual Desolation

The journey often begins with spiritual desolation, a feeling of complete disconnection from the Divine or any higher purpose. Everything that once provided meaning and comfort begins to lose its significance. You may feel alienated from everything, unable to find any external or internal source of comfort. At this point, the external world seems to lose its color, leaving you alone with your deepest existential questions.

Feelings of loneliness become almost unbearable. It can feel like no one understands you, and no matter how much you search for answers, they seem elusive. You may wonder, "What is the point of all this? Why am I here?" These existential questions swirl in your mind, but the answers remain out of reach. The key at this stage is to sit with this feeling of loneliness, feel it, and master it. It is essential to face this isolation, because only by embracing it can you move past it and into deeper understanding.

The Destructive Nature of the Ego

As the Dark Night progresses, the ego—the constructed sense of self—begins to disintegrate. This is perhaps one of the most painful and uncomfortable aspects of the experience. The ego clings to its identity, its attachments, and its beliefs, but as you move through this crisis, everything that once defined you starts to unravel. Dishonesty and manipulative behavior from others may become increasingly intolerable, and you may find yourself repelled by these actions more than ever before. This is because the ego can no longer tolerate the falsehoods that keep it trapped in illusions.

Yet, at the same time, the loving light of truth cannot reach you, because you have built so many barriers to it. These barriers—created by your ego—are what keep you from realizing that you are a divine being, having a human experience. The Dark Night of the Soul is designed to wake you up to this truth: the life you were living, filled with material pursuits and addictive behaviors, was all a lie. It was crafted to keep you distracted and unaware of your true purpose. The materialism, the pursuit of fleeting pleasures, and the attachment to egoic desires were all illusions that kept you from your soul’s greater purpose.

This part of the journey is about breaking free from the false sense of self and recognizing that your true nature is far greater than the egoic persona you've been attached to. The Dark Night serves to strip away these illusions and reconnect you with your higher spiritual essence.

Confronting the Past: Healing Buried Wounds

During this time, things you buried for years—unresolved emotions, past trauma, guilt, and shame—begin to rise to the surface. You may feel overwhelmed by the emotional weight of these resurfaced wounds, but instead of avoiding them, you are urged to face them. The Universe is giving you the opportunity to heal, to release the emotional baggage that has been holding you back.

The key is to use this time as an opportunity to discover what your soul really wants. The shamanic wisdom guides us to “sit down, shut up, and listen” to what your soul and the Universe are trying to tell you. These buried emotions and traumas are not there to break you; they are there to help you grow. As difficult as it may be, you must face and process these emotions if you are to move forward in your spiritual journey.

The Ego’s Death: The Rebirth of the True Self

The Dark Night of the Soul is, in essence, a kind of death. What dies is the egoic sense of self—the false identity you’ve constructed over time. This "death" can be incredibly painful, as it forces you to let go of everything that you once thought defined you. It’s a spiritual annihilation of the old self, but the beauty of this process is that nothing real has died—only the illusions that you clung to.

Death is always painful, but this type of death is not final. It's the death of an illusion, making way for the rebirth of your true self. As the ego dies, you emerge with a deeper sense of purpose and connectedness to something greater than yourself. You awaken to the reality that the pursuit of material success, addictive behaviors, and superficial pleasures were distractions keeping you from your soul’s higher purpose. The rebirth that follows is a reawakening to your true nature—a divine being here on Earth to experience life with greater clarity and purpose.

The Role of Loneliness in Spiritual Growth

Another profound aspect of the Dark Night is the feeling of total aloneness. This loneliness can feel suffocating at times, but it is crucial to sit with it and feel it. You must master this loneliness before you can be initiated into the higher realms of consciousness. Everything you experience during this period must be truly felt and mastered, as these feelings are the lessons that will ultimately guide you toward growth and enlightenment.

You will be tested during this period: Will you succumb to the darkness, or will you push through it and emerge transformed? It’s always darkest before the dawn, but trust that if you stay the course, you will emerge stronger and wiser.

Finding Support on the Journey

Navigating the Dark Night of the Soul is not a journey you need to take alone. There are practitioners—shamans, energy healers, and spiritual guides—who can assist you in navigating this process. They have the wisdom, experience, and tools to help you move through the darkness and find your way to the light. These practitioners can support you in clearing energetic blocks, integrating the lessons from the Dark Night, and facilitating your spiritual growth.

If you’re seeking guidance during this difficult time, there are skilled professionals who specialize in helping individuals through the Dark Night of the Soul. They provide personalized support that aligns with your unique journey, offering you comfort, clarity, and wisdom as you walk this challenging path.

Conclusion: Embrace the Transformation

The Dark Night of the Soul, while profoundly challenging, offers an incredible opportunity for spiritual growth and personal transformation. Through the process of facing the darkest aspects of yourself—the disintegration of the ego, the confronting of buried traumas, and the dissolution of old beliefs—you emerge with a deeper connection to your true essence and purpose.

It is important to remember that you are not alone on this journey. Shamans and energy healers can guide you through the darkness, helping you clear away the obstacles that stand between you and your true self. With their support, you can navigate this transformative experience with greater ease and awareness, emerging stronger and more aligned with your soul’s greater purpose.

As you move through the Dark Night, trust in the process and remember that on the other side of this darkness lies a new, more authentic version of yourself—a version that is deeply connected to the Divine and ready to live a life of higher purpose.