Please remember, this column is designed to help the consumer seeking behavioral-health information, and not intended to be any form of psychotherapy or a replacement for professional, individualized services. Opinions expressed in the column are those of the columnist and do not represent the position of other SelfhelpMagazine.com staff.

Question

I have recently been struggling with depression and a religiously oriented friend suggested I was going through "the dark night of the soul". Any idea what she was talking about?

Answer

"The dark night of the soul" is a term associated with St. John of the Cross (1542-1591), a Spanish mystic who wrote the classic work The Dark Night of the Soul. In essence what John described was the experience of utter and complete confusion and uncertainty, especially when one thought one had some answers spiritually. The Dark Night of the Soul involves the painful awareness of absence, particularly the absence of God. It can be a time of intense doubt around spiritual themes about which we previously felt certain.

From a strictly spiritual perspective, it is a very important experience, providing a foundation for humility. Further, how can we fully appreciate God's presence without experiencing God's absence.

Your bout with depression could certainly contain elements of the Dark Night of the Soul. When our spiritual perspective shifts in some significant way, we can experience a sense of loss. Further, the Dark Night experience calls us to some task of growth and change, another possible source of turmoil. While you didn't mention anything about your spiritual perspective and history, if you have been involved with the same tradition for some time and if you previously felt a sense of certainty at a spiritual level, then the Dark Night experience will be extremely important for you. Don't go through it alone. Find a spiritual guide who can keep you from sinking into confusion and discouragement. The outcome of your Dark Night experience may be a less rigid, more humble faith with perhaps more questions than answers.

03/14/98

Richard B. Patterson is a clinical psychologist in private practice in El Paso, TX. He is the author of three books on psychology and spirituality.