Spectrum of Development

The decisive crisis of the "dark night" is not resolved until a basis switch in direction takes place in the personality. Typically during the "dark night" one uses refined rational control (guided by a largely hidden type of spiritual  intuition) in one's attempt to negate attachment to conscious phenomena. This applies especially to the deeper conceptual structures that form the normal framework for ego existence. As we have seen this is associated with the transcendent aspect of spirituality (which unconsciously is associated with a degree of repression of primitive impulses). As remaining rational control is gradually eroded, the faint intuitive light associated with one's decisions fades completely and one is left alone in the dark with no sense of direction. Though existentially this provides the opportunity to truly act in faith, unfortunately it is associated with great potential danger. One may now have reached a state of physical and emotio...

We return here to providing a holistic mathematical perspective on the "dark night" stage. As we have seen the first level of the 3rd band (of which the "dark night" is the final and most important stage) is defined in terms of 2-dimensional interpretation. Thus starting with the dualistic phenomenal distinctions (that characterise the 1st dimension) one then attempts to approximate as close as possible growing nondual spiritual awareness through a process of dynamic negation of attachment to all conscious symbols. So this dynamic negation of conscious phenomena constitutes the 2nd of these two dimensions. So we posit conscious phenomena in a linear dualistic manner (+ 1). We then unconsciously negate such phenomena in a circular nondual manner (  – 1). Such positing and negating in experience leads to an ever increasing dynamic interaction as between the external (objective) and internal (subjective) aspects of experience. In this way, ever more refined d...

Perhaps the most characteristic experience of the "dark night" is an intense feeling of grief. In some ways this is very understandable. Grief is a response to loss. So, quite literally what causes the greatest grief is the loss of what matters most to us in natural and spiritual terms. And as the "dark night" entails the substantial negation of all conscious matter with respect to one's experience, this leads to great feelings of loss. Such grief is then greatly intensified through being tightly confined in considerable darkness within an extremely congested psychological environment with no means of distracting oneself from the situation. Some years later, when reading about physical black holes, I began to realise that they have strong complementary links with the psychological "dark nights". A black hole arises when a massive rotating star burns up all its energy and collapses inwards creating huge internal gravity. This is likewise asso...

The “dark night” stage usually culminates in crisis. Though one may with considerable good will conscientiously follow  for several years an extremely arduous spiritual path, it seems to lead to abject failure. One remains confined to an extremely dark oppressive underworld suffering an immense burden of grief and anguish. Worse still all signs that one is on the right road have now disappeared with everything suggesting that one is totally lost. Also, any remaining energy in the will seems to have evaporated. One now can become depressed in a pathological manner. The darkness that once was associated with a (hidden) spiritual light, may resemble a thick form of treacle in the mind slowly suffocating one’s remaining strength. Not surprisingly as one finds it more and more difficult coping with the world, external problems continually grow. In any case because of the development of one’s “higher “spiritual self one may have devoted little attention to co...

As I have stated, initially I derived great support on the “dark night” journey from the accounts of St. John of the Cross (which in so many ways intimately described my own experience). In the early days, there was a fairly consistent pattern where contemplative calm would reign on one day each week. So I would use this day to read over again his writings. These reassured me of the spiritual value of what was happening, while bracing me for the inevitable difficulties ahead. However I gradually became aware that this great bond in itself amounted to an important spiritual attachment, that would eventually have to be surrendered. And this eventual surrender came about through a growing disillusionment with his strong transcendent stance (which I began to see as potentially unhealthy and unbalanced). Indeed I would be now strongly of the opinion that an unduly transcendent emphasis characterises not only Western but also Eastern accounts of the mystical journey. And ...

There are really two distinct phases to the "dark night of the soul" or "the passive night of spirit" as St. John more precisely defines the stage. In my own terminology this relates to the deep negation of the formal supra-rational structures providing the intellectual framework for the (circular) holistic appreciation of reality. And as concrete perceptions have their roots in such deeper formalised structures, it likewise entails the continuing negation of holistic super-sensory perception. All this of course presupposes the substantial negation through the active nights of earlier (linear) analytic structures both perceptual and conceptual. So overall this stage leads insofar as is possible for the individual involved to the substantial negation of all conscious activity so that one is left operating more and more from pure faith. Now there are huge psychological dangers associated with this journey (which from my experience are not dealt with properl...

The "passive night of the spirit" in my terminology represents the negation of supra-rational type understanding. This entails a strong cleansing directly of the spiritual faculties relating to the deeper universal conceptual framework (both affective and cognitive) underlying customary conscious experience and also (to a lesser degree) of the conative aspect of will which represents the most fundamental and central part of the psyche. And as the more superficial concrete structures of sense have their deeper roots in these spiritual faculties, it also entails a renewed cleansing of (conscious) sense attachment. Though it does not represent the most advanced of the contemplative stages it certainly proved - at least from my personal experience - by far the most prolonged and difficult. As I have said before, every stage on the psychological journey in its own way is unique with intense revelations that are never quite replic...

Though the "Dark Night of the Soul" is a term widely employed in many different circumstances, it is originally associated with the Spanish poet and writer, St. John of the Cross in a specialised spiritual contemplative context. In common parlance it is now used to refer to a period of special difficulty in one's life. For example in my own country, many people would have therefore experienced a "dark night of the soul" in terms of dealing with severe aftermath of the recession here following the international financial crisis of 2008. However in the mystical literature it is used more narrowly to deal with an especially difficult transformation that an advancing contemplative must face before attaining stable union with God. However, even here the term can be somewhat vague, as several "nights" may be required along this journey. Indeed St. John refers to a whole series of such "nights". For example he refers to initial "activ...