The Dark Night of the Soul is one of the most painful, isolating, and destabilizing experiences in life. Yet it is also a tremendous blessing in disguise.
As a primordial process of death and rebirth, the Dark Night of the Soul is a period in life where we are stripped of everything that is false.
The veils of illusion are torn from our eyes. We suddenly see the fragility of ourselves, other people, and existence itself.
Out of nowhere, we start asking big questions such as “What is the meaning of life?” “What happens after death?” and “Why was I born?”
The more we start to question our lives, the more deception we come across. We see the lies perpetuated by society.
We see the ways we have become wounded and behave dysfunctionally. And we may even notice a sense of emptiness inherent in our lives. Something feels missing. But what?
For many people, the Dark Night of the Soul heralds big life shifts. We may quit our jobs, leave our marriage, and seek out something more meaningful and aligned with who we truly are.
For some, the Dark Night is a call to begin the spiritual wanderer’s journey toward self-actualization, spiritual illumination (or enlightenment), and reconnecting with the Soul.
Dark Night of the Soul Questions
When people first enter this dark period of life, they often have many questions.
It can feel scary to lose interest in what you once valued and have your life turned upside down. Due to its destabilizing effect on our lives, the Dark Night is synonymous with what is known as the spiritual emergency.
Here are some commonly asked questions which might help to relax your mind a bit:
Most people who go through the Dark Night feel a sense of loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and depression. It’s common to crave solitude and quiet, comforting environments. While some describe the experience as a death and rebirth, others describe it as the feeling of disintegrating or falling through a void.
The Dark Night of the Soul is an experience that is unique to everyone (although it does share many common characteristics). For one person it may last a few months, for others, it may last a year or many years. Most importantly, please understand that this is a temporary experience, and many people can relate to what you’re experiencing. You’re not alone, although it might feel that way.
There are many ways to answer this question, but it’s crucial to understand first and foremost that the Dark Night is a natural and organic process. Just as trees go through a period of losing their leaves in Autumn/Winter, so too do we as humans (metaphorically speaking). We all go through cycles of death and rebirth – periods where we are full of life and energy and then periods where we need to slow down and go within. The Dark Night helps us to stop and tune into our inner selves. It is a process that goes hand-in-hand with the spiritual awakening process and finding our true life purpose.
Good question! Think of the Dark Night of the Soul as entering a prolonged Winter period. What comes after Winter? Spring! After the Dark Night, we emerge refreshed, renewed, and ready to walk our true life paths. This is known as the ‘Illumination‘ stage on the spiritual wanderer’s journey. In this period, we have gained clarity, wisdom, tenderness, and the ability to tune into ourselves thanks to the Dark Night period. These qualities we then bring into our lives. It’s quite common to start big projects, make powerful life changes, and explore our newly found gifts after the Dark Night of the Soul. It’s a blessing in disguise.
Dark Night of the Soul Test
Are you experiencing symptoms of loneliness, isolation, depression, and soul loss? Does it feel as though you’re cut off or totally disconnected from the Divine?
If so, you may be experiencing a Dark Night of the Soul. Take our free Dark Night of the Soul Test to confirm (or challenge) your suspicions below:
What result did you get? Feel free to share your results in the comments as well as any reflections.
If you need more in-depth guidance, see our Dark Night of the Soul Journal for more help.
What has your experience during the Dark Night been like so far? I’d love to hear from you below. Your words might inspire or support someone else on this difficult journey.
I think this is awful. I’m wanting spiritual enlightenment,but i didn’t ask for this. Now i find out it could last years. I thought i was having a midlife crisis. I can’t go back to the way i was I’ve tried. I guess I’ll read as much as i can on this. It’s making me a better person but i thought i was happy being a selfish superficial bitch. Why did it just happen? Nobody can relate to me anymore.
Hello, I know I am going through the dark night of the soul.I have never felt like this before… I have most of the signs! I can’t wait to get through it… I am 73 years young, and my wife and son think I am developing either dementia, or Alsheimers…ugh! I doubt it…more like Dark night of the soul..I hate feeling this way….
I feel completely empty, alone, detached and a deeply inconsolable sorrow that I cant escape or hide from. I’m stretching out my hand longing for someone to pull me out of this dark place my mind and soul has taken me. Is it normal to find comfort in the fantasy of death during the dark night of the soul?
I feel like this every time clocks go back in October and I die with the leaves and plants. I have been diagnosed with S.A.D. many years ago but no anti-depressant or anxiety medication helps. Everything that describes Dark Night of the Soul is within me every winter and with extra light with longer days in spring and summer I feel good to get out in the light and appreciate how I feel like a different person.
I’m 18 years old but I’ve felt the dark night since I was around 14 years old. I thought there was something wrong with me but then I found this article and now I feel like there a light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you Luna and The Lonerwolf team! I feel like I have hope again, which is something I’ve never felt in a long time.
I have lived in the Dark Night for as long as I remember. I’m very familiar with the Welsh concept of Hiraeth… the longing for a home that is long lost or perhaps never actually existed.
F. Scott Fitzgerald said that in a true dark night of the soul it is always three o’clock in the morning.
3 AM, known in more distant times as the witches hour, when the veil between worlds grows thin.
This is my life, since I was a small child. Being now in my 50s, I feel the curtain is about to finally draw back.
I feel that personally, Dark night of the soul is uncomfortable but necessary. I have been on a road of twists and turns for some time now. I just mentioned to my boyfriend today that I felt … withdrawn. Now, I have experienced great loss in my life , all of my family. I truly feel that while I am going through what feels like a heartbeat… there is something on the other side that I cannot wait to see.
My Dark Night began just about a month ago and i am a very high energy person so when my family started noticing this they got worried so now i finally know whats going on. Thank you so much Luna & Sol!
I began my awakening journey after my first heart attack in June 2017. My dark night started in April of 2018 and I thought I was truly losing my mind I cried for 5 days and nights and had no clue what was wrong with Me. It was worse than any depression I had ever felt in my life. I kept asking God what was happening to me and out of nowhere somethi g Spirit I’m sure told me to go to my tarot to find out what I was going through. I had NEVER even thought about listening to tarot readings I barely knew what my signwas at the time(Pisces). So I went to YouTube and started looking at all the different readings until one caught my attention. It was called Sometimes You feel like a Scorpio by the reader Eyez wide open 1111. It was 2 and a half hours long and she hit the nail on the head through the whole reading and explained to me exactly what was happening to me. I was going through the Dark night of the Souls and healing emotional trauma I had suppressed since ci was a child. She talked about… Read more »
I never ever cried so much and I feel broken and just want it to be over . I was asking for help a month ago and I had a vision of a black lonely wolf . I did not understand it at the time and it makes sense now.
Thank you for true guidance.