The Dark Night of the Soul (Losing Who We Thought We Were)

According to St. John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila, humans have an inborn longing for completion. This completion cannot be achieved by worldly pleasures. So, instead, we must go within, to reach the inner core of our soul in which ‘the divine’ lies hidden.

Through spiritual awakening, we adopt a different perception of reality. Our predicament becomes clear. Knowing that our past way of life never fills the void, while not knowing where to turn next, can leave us in despair.

According to John and Teresa, we must undergo a transformation that happens in the darkness of our unconscious, to reach the light. This mysterious and confusing transitional experience is called the dark night of the soul.

Cuts, voice, footage, script by Einzelgänger. I also used Creative Commons, licensed material from Storyblocks (links available upon request).

Support the channel:
✔️ Bitcoin: 3HQnEz1LQ4G6dqN2LdZgzc7qoJjJCyWjTC
(Donated BTC and want in the credits? Send me an email with the amount/address)

Purchase my book (affiliate links):

Merchandise:
🛍️ Merchandise design by Punksthetic Art:

Music used:

Doug Maxwell - Pink Flamenco
Doug Maxwell - Cantus Firmus Monks

Other music tracks are licensed and paid for.

#darknightofthesoul #theshadow #spiritualawakening

[cyntthiaprince]

I am a Christian and I have never viewed God as a bearded man. God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). God is neither masculine or feminine, but simply all and everything. I have really enjoyed listening to your videos, however, please don't marginalize Christianity as if our God is merely Santa Clause. Thank you and may God bless you.

[matthewemmanual]

He is correct, Do not fight it. Let it be and be patient with yourself. Don't bother yourself with trying to explain it to others. When the light shines you will know. You will glow.

[nifercosta]

The dark night of the soul is the deepest feeling of sadness I have ever experienced in my life. It is confusing time and a lonely time .

[aprilstevenson]

I’m going through this right now. I’m allowing myself to feel every hurt, every pain, every negative energy and then I release it.
It was so strong earlier that I literally had to ground myself and sit on the floor and even that wasn’t good enough, I ended up laying on the cold floor and let it all out.
I cried until I felt like it was all gone.
I know there will be more days/nights like this and I just want to allow everything to come out so I can move on in peace.
I honestly feel like I have no person that would understand what I’m going through but I’m going to keep going because I want to be able to help someone too if they’re going through it.
Whoever is reading this, I hope you find your peace 💜

[arnavvaishnav]

“At some point, If you’re lucky, You realise you’re not the story. The story is much bigger than you” - Maynard james

[Nasengold]

I experienced this after I broke in myself after several years of severe depression. It got so bad that it just pressed a restart button in me.
My ego died within seconds and something new came out of the shadows of myself that got pushed there long time ago.
I remember how I cried at the simplest emotions watching youtube videos. Just the recognition of emotions in someones face.
I'm glad that I did not had to have a "regular life" in that time frame.


Living authentic in yourself is the best thing you can do and I would never go back.

[QuestionEverythingButWHY]

“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”
― The Nightingale

[fergulikodelmondo]

“Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.” – Rumi

[richs]

I feel as though I'm experiencing this currently. Something feels empty within me. Lifes old pleasures dont do it for me any longer. The only thing that I have found so far that brings any sense of joy is a connection with nature and viewing the night sky

[kirstyanne_]

I’m so comforted by the comments section, I am in the dark night which has felt never ending and so painful. My life literally fell apart completely and I’m still grieving but I don’t belong there anymore, and I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that it is more aligned with who I truly am. At times I want to fast forward through this to get to the good parts but I know this in between phase is where the magic lies. The dawn always follows ✨

[KRIS-shwp]

02:57 Depression is like living in a BODY that fights to SURVIVE with a MIND that tries to DIE.

[RubberJunk]

I went through this, I realised I was causing the problems in my life because I subconsciously believed I wasn’t worthy of love.
It was like being forced to turn around and look at something you have been avoiding all your life that is unbearable to face, but you have no choice.
Totally worth it.

[elysianfields]

I will not say it is impossible, but it is difficult to get to know who you are if you don’t dive deep into yourself. But that’s not all of it. Sometimes you need the crisis in order to fall apart before you become strong and stable.

[veronicachristopher]

Before I faced my demons and facing the dark night of the soul, i deflected my sadness onto others. Once I died inside, and truly faced it and did the internal work, I was reborn. I'm now soft and quiet and feel what I feel without shame.

Every time I wanted to die- as in, off myself- I ran to nature. Mother Earth nurtured me. Every time I felt I couldn't carry on anymore, she gave me some of her breath so i could carry on. I'm not done with the work yet. But I faced it. I don't cry daily anymore and I'm kinder to my faults.

I see everything so colorfully now. I appreciate every coincidence in life. I just live so much deeper now. I'm grateful for that pain that almost killed me. That heart break taught me so much ❤

[AdamMiceli]

The Dark Night of the soul is also known in Buddhism in the 16 stages of insight. On the path to enlightenment, the seperate ego realizes that it will soon be destroyed and fights back in the form of depression, misery, anger, and craving.

These negative conditions are a purging of your own weakness and selfishness.

I've experienced many of these during meditation retreats. They are not fun. But of course, the light always follows. :)

[dulcejocelyn]

This is exactly where I am. I’m so gracefully thorn between the past and the new me. I know I’ll become who I’m meant to become, I don’t have to rush things, just surrender

[AstralMarmot]

Lost my job today. So many frustrations for months on end, from outside me and inside me. When this happened in the past I used to drink, blame others, and inevitably I'd end up repeating the same thing again later. Stopped drinking a few years ago, but that didn't change me overnight. I've had to face so many parts of myself I'd been ignoring or rejecting because I was ashamed of them. Today, I am deeply aware of my pain right now, but at the same time I feel total equanimity. I know, in a way I never knew in the past, that it is out of my hands and, somehow, it will be okay; that the pain does not define me or my life, and that it will eventually leave once I've received what it's trying to give me. Just have to be strong enough to accept it.

This video is very timely for me. Thank you for making it.

[themindvitamin]

"If you don't love yourself, you cannot love others"

- Buddha

[solomonkamara]

The Dark Night of the Soul is the gateway to the bright day of the soul.

[CHLOEOGX]

"There is no way to control what you cannot comprehend" 😩 That hit hard.