Dark Night of the Soul
What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Survive It
Have you ever felt like the light disappeared from your life? As if the path you once followed has vanished, leaving you standing in darkness with no clear direction? You might be experiencing what mystics and spiritual seekers have long called the Dark Night of the Soul.
The Dark Night of the Soul is not just a spiritual concept—it’s a deeply emotional and existential experience that often follows major life upheavals such as narcissistic abuse, divorce, loss, or burnout. It’s a spiritual initiation disguised as despair.
As someone who has walked through this darkness multiple times, I want to share what it really means to experience a Dark Night of the Soul, how to recognize it, and how to navigate it with grace.
What Is the Dark Night of the Soul?
The Dark Night of the Soul is a period of deep inner transformation. It often begins after a triggering event—such as a relationship ending, the death of a loved one, financial collapse, or a health diagnosis—that completely shakes your foundation.
It’s not just sadness or depression. It’s a soul-level unraveling where all your old identities, beliefs, and attachments begin to fall away.
You feel disconnected. Lost. Emotionally raw. Like everything that once gave your life meaning has dissolved—and you don’t yet know what will take its place.
Signs You’re Experiencing a Dark Night of the Soul
Here are some of the most common dark night of the soul symptoms:
🌑 Emotional Symptoms
-
Deep sadness or despair with no clear cause
-
Feeling disconnected from others
-
Loss of joy or interest in things you used to love
-
Emotional overwhelm or numbness
-
A heavy, aching heart
🧠 Mental Symptoms
-
Identity crisis: “Who am I now?”
-
Brain fog and difficulty focusing
-
Obsessive thoughts about purpose and mortality
-
Feeling like you’re stuck in limbo
🧘♀️ Spiritual Symptoms
-
Feeling abandoned by God or the Universe
-
Loss of faith or spiritual beliefs
-
Desire to withdraw or isolate
-
A deep yearning for truth and authenticity
🌀 Physical & Energetic Symptoms
-
Fatigue or sleep disruptions
-
Changes in appetite
-
Aches in the heart or solar plexus
-
Heightened sensitivity to energy and people
One of the most unsettling aspects of the Dark Night is the feeling of being stuck—you can’t go back to who you were, but you also can’t see the path forward. This liminal space can feel like a void… but it’s actually a cocoon of transformation.
My Own Journey Through the Darkness
I’ve experienced four major dark nights in my lifetime. Each one felt like a spiritual death—where the life I once knew dissolved, forcing me to go inward and rediscover who I really am.
Most recently, I entered a dark night after my business of twenty years dried up, my savings were stolen, and I found myself isolated and directionless. I felt invisible. Uninspired. Stuck.
But something began to shift when I stopped trying to force my way forward. I surrendered. I let go of needing anything to work—and in that surrender, things began to work. New opportunities appeared. The heaviness lifted. And I began to trust again.
Surrender Is the Way Through
The ego—what I often refer to as the Black Wolf—wants certainty, control, and recognition. But the soul—the White Wolf—asks for surrender, authenticity, and faith.
When we stop fighting the darkness and start listening to the still, small voice within, we begin to follow the soul path—the path of truth, freedom, and inner peace.
“The only way out is through.” And the soul always knows the way.
Are You in a Dark Night of the Soul?
If anything in this article resonates with you, know that you’re not alone. The Dark Night of the Soul is a sacred initiation. It’s messy, uncomfortable, and deeply painful—but it also opens the door to spiritual awakening and soul transformation.
If you’re feeling lost or uncertain, I invite you to begin reconnecting with your true self by joining me in my Free 7-Day Soul Path Email Course. It’s a gentle and powerful way to begin listening to your soul’s wisdom again.
👉Get the Free 7-Day Soul Path Email Course Here…