Have I finally lost my marbles, or is it a Dark Night of the Soul?

In the times in which we currently live, the truth about many of our world's situations, which have long since been hidden, are now rising to the surface of our conscious awareness. As this is now happening faster than ever before, so too is the rate in which people are waking up.

Although, it must be noted, that not all awakenings are created equal…

While some of us are born awake, or experience our awakened state unfolding naturally with ease and grace, the vast majority of us are likely to experience an awakening that is sudden and dramatic. This tumble-dryer-like awakening experience, which throws us into the depths of confusion, is referred to as Dark Night of the Soul.

In traditional psychiatry, the symptoms of Dark Night of the Soul, are more commonly referred to as ‘altered' or 'dissociative' states of consciousness. As the process itself produces states in which a person feels as if they are 'going crazy' or ‘losing their marbles’ as it were, it is clear how professionals assign these clinical distinctions.

Dark Night of the Soul itself, is quite an epic period of shock, where people describe it as having their whole lives turned upside-down and inside out. It is where things in the person's reality drastically start to change, as they are quite literally ‘awakening’ to life and who they truly are.

Another way of conceptualizing this process is, as if the person is waking up from their life as if they were under anaesthesia, or, as if it were all just a dream.

Most triggers of Dark Night of the Soul reside within major life transitions, illnesses and/or traumas, which create a deep psychosomatic response in the person. This response results in direct physiological changes throughout the mental, physical and spiritual bodies, which is referred to as Kundalini, in Sanskrit. When these changes begin, the person senses that something is not quite right and starts to question old beliefs, ideals and habits. This questioning ultimately leads to the awareness, that there is much more to life than what they had previously been taught.

It is wise to note that the symptoms of Dark Night of the Soul are quite similar to those of depression, however, there is a distinct difference between the self-centric nature of Depression and DNS's more existential essence.

Depression itself is usually psychological, biological and neurological in nature and, upon completion, there are minimal changes in their life in terms of beliefs, values, and habits. In contrast to this, Dark Night of the Soul is accompanied by deep existential reflections such as “What is my purpose in life?” and “Why am I here in the world?” These reflections tend to produce a deep change within the individual, changing their life completely.

This change is where the mind releases the person's old identity and slips into a stage of renewal, while simultaneously unleashing an intense hunger to find a greater meaning in one's life and a 'higher state' of being. This deep occurring change is known as 'Spiritual Transformation' and, mark my words, can be anything but pleasant!

This period in a person's life can be shocking, painful and extremely unsettling, placing them in a state of dissociation, as the mind attempts to process multiple realities at once.

As a person's old consciousness begins to die off, inner knowledge and outer experiences that are anything but ordinary expose them to side of reality that others are oblivious to. Phenomenally though, when this psycho-spiritual emergency has come to an end, everything in their life is transformed and their life becomes a rich and pleasant experience once more.

If you are still uncertain if you are experiencing Dark Night of the Soul, below are the hallmarks of this process:

· A painful feeling of powerlessness and hopelessness.

· The constant feeling of being lost or enslaved to a life of suffering or emptiness

· Feeling an acute sense of unworthiness.

· Your will and self-control is weakened, making it difficult for you to move forward.

· Feeling a deep sense of sadness, often verging on despair (this particular sadness is often triggered by the state of your life, humanity, and/or the world as a whole).

· Lacking interest and the absence of joy in things that once excited you.

· Yearning over the loss of something intangible; a longing for a distant place or to “return home” again.

Once this internal shift has begun and a quest for a sense of wholeness has been initiated, it leads a person to embark on continual deep inner work. This is where deep emotive states and learned patterns of behaviour need to be brought into their awareness and transmuted to assist the person to this sense of wholeness or completion. Each step of this immense journey to wholeness, is honoured by following the wisdom of one's own heart, braving the unknown and choosing a deeper knowledge in contrast to following the crowd.

If you are experiencing the symptoms of Dark Night of the Soul and require support through this transition, support sessions can be found at www.thisvibrantsoul.com.

Did you like this article or know of someone who might benefit from reading it? Share the love! We never know who may be suffering in silence and are needing to feel seen.

- With deepest gratitude, Jessica.

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