After the honeymoon phase of awakening comes a period of reflection. This is referred to as “Dark Night of the Soul”.
If you’ve recently had an awakening and are now feeling dread and depression instead of bliss, you’ve come to the right place.
Below you’ll find out what triggers Dark Night of the Soul and how to deal with it.
If you’re ready, join me while we explore this phase of awakening.
Let’s begin!
What is Dark Night of the Soul?
Dark night of the soul is the period of reflection that occurs after the initial phase of spiritual awakening. Within this time, you’re forced to face difficult emotions and attachments to thoughts, beliefs and ideas that haven’t been dealt with.
It can be frustrating because for most, the initial phase of spiritual awakening is a blissful experience. You feel that nothing can go wrong and you’re at the most peace you’ve ever felt. And then..
BAM!
The rug is pulled right underneath your feet. It’s a shock to your system when it happens to you. From bliss to dread in an instant.
Once the honeymoon phase of awakening has diminished, what’s left is your previous self. Your prior identity, the “you” inside of the mind tragically trying to hold on and survive.
You know that deep down, you aren’t these thoughts and beliefs and yet, they still exist. You are questioning everything from your relationships to your sanity, wondering if you’ll ever be able to feel normal again.
It feels like you’re in this world but not of it. You’re trying to orient yourself but it’s too much.
This is the time that you need to soul search. Your awakening has brought you to this moment to carve out a new path. To realize what is truth and what isn’t.
I know how overwhelming this period can feel. Take a moment, breathe, and realize that you’re on the right track.
Dark night of the soul is necessary for the next part of your spiritual journey. If you didn’t deal with these emotions now, you’d only have to face them later on in life.
How Do You Deal with the Dark Night of the Soul?
You won’t want to hear this, but the answer is time. Dark night of the soul can last months upward to a few years.
My experience lasted for half a decade. I felt the most intense bliss I had ever experienced when I awaked and continued to do so for months. I was the happiest kid on the block and found beauty in every moment. Any negative feeling I felt was brushed away, I was “awakened” you see!
The irony in all of this is that the honeymoon phase is a trap. The bliss that I was immersed in slowly disappeared..
It felt like tears behind my eyes with no explanation. This cloud of dread that I was carrying around defeated me. I even turned to addictions to run away from these gnawing emotions I didn’t know how to handle.
Days turned into months and months turned into years. I had no where to run to, so I tried to hide.
My awakening was forcing me to witness the depression I had suffered from for most of my life. You might have something similar to deal with, and the important thing is that you do NOT run away from these tough emotions.
Your ideas, thoughts, and beliefs are illusions that are causing suffering. You can be awakened and still hold on to plenty of attachments. This is the purpose of dark night of the soul, to get you to see through your suffering.
What I want to remind you is that this all happens with or without your consent. If you try to hang on like I did, you’ll be dragged to the finish line whether you like it or not. I’m stubborn as can be, so I always choose the hard way — don’t be like me.
Give yourself time and patience. That’s the only way to deal with dark night of the soul. Being patient with an open heart to your difficult emotions is how you get through this phase.
How Long Does Dark Night of the Soul last?
Everyone’s experience will be different. Some will have years of trauma like I did to go through and others will have it easy and won’t have a long phase of depression.
While I know how difficult it can be to deal with these emotions right now, this is all a preparation for your path. You’re on a unique journey that is unable to be replicated. It will unfold in its own way, and will make sense in the end.
What I learned from my own experience is that you need to form trust with the present moment. The universe went to great lengths to get you to reflect, so reflect! Give into it, with all of your might.
I ignored my inner being for years. I was scared. Even after my awakening, facing my inner demons was the hardest thing I had to do. It involved admitting that I had an addiction problem and seeking help. Even though I had a spiritual awakening, it did NOT mean that I was above humanity.
The old me was still holding on, trying to exist. The pain was far too great for me to accept that I was changing and my old habits and desires were slipping away. I went down with the ship..
It felt like I had this predetermined image of myself in my mind and I was trying to live through it. I wanted to be a bodybuilder that had tons of money and was cool as heck.. but one day I woke up from that illusion. That. Wasn’t. Me.
And it was so, so hard having to find the new me in all of this dread. The climax of this story is when I had my back against a wall after years of trying, and failing, to force myself to be this person my ego wanted me to be. I lost everything. My clothes, my job, my career, my health, you name it and it went out the window.
The universe took everything away from me so I can realize what was important. It wasn’t all of these materialistic desires that I was illusioned by, it was the here and now.
Final Thoughts
Dark night of the soul can seem scary. At times you’ll feel that the pain is too immense and want relief, and it never comes. But the fact is, dark night of the soul is love. It wants you to reflect, to let go of what you’re holding on to so you can grow.
Nothing is more beautiful in the world than being broken down and picking yourself back up. Giving the universe your trust and letting go of your past. Breaking free will define your future.
If you’re going through a difficult time now, know that it will get better with time. I can’t tell you for sure when you’ll see the light, but you WILL. So, take a deep breath, relax, and meditate for a while.
You’ll be all right.
