Introduction: When Awakening Feels Like Breaking
Spiritual awakening is usually a path to enlightenment, peace, and happiness. But what people don’t speak about is the dirty, hurtful, and lonely part of the process—the Dark Night of the Soul.
If you’ve ever felt like your entire world is collapsing, your beliefs are falling apart, and you’re losing yourself in the process, you may be experiencing it. And trust me—you’re not alone.Dark night of soul is happening for you and not to you for your higher good.
What is the Dark Night of the Soul?
The Dark Night of the Soul is a period of profound inner change in which all that you previously held to be true—your identity, your purpose, your attachments—begins to disintegrate. It’s like a spiritual crisis, but actually, it’s a breakthrough in disguise.
Picture yourself waking up one morning and discovering that the things that brought you joy no longer do. Your previous ways of thinking no longer apply. You are lost, disconnected, and sometimes even hopeless.
That is the Dark Night. It is the killing of the old you—so that the true you can be born.
Every spiritual guru, awakened master had this dark nigh of souls. Every awakened master—Buddha, Jesus, Rumi, Eckhart Tolle—has faced the Dark Night of the Soul, a period of deep suffering, loss, and ego death before reaching enlightenment. This phase is not a punishment but a necessary transformation, stripping away illusions and false identities.Buddha endured years of suffering before his awakening under the Bodhi tree. Jesus faced his own dark night in the Garden of Gethsemane. Rumi’s spiritual crisis led to his profound poetry. Eckhart Tolle battled deep depression before experiencing a sudden awakening.
The Dark Night serves as a spiritual reset, forcing seekers to surrender everything they once knew. It feels isolating, painful, and disorienting, but it is through this darkness that true wisdom, inner peace, and enlightenment emerge.If you are going through it, know that you are walking the same path as the great masters. The darkness is temporary, but the awakening it brings is eternal
My Own Dark Night of the Soul Experience
I distinctly recall my first Dark Night. It struck me out of the blue like a tempest. One morning, I was on the spiritual journey, meditating, writing in my journal, and the next morning, I was flooded with emotions I did not comprehend.
I began questioning everything—my faith, my mission, my relationships. I had lost the sense of “self” that I had hung onto for so long. Those things that used to comfort me—spiritual wisdom, meditation, even gratitude practices—felt hollow.
It was frightening. But in retrospect, I think it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Slowly with time, I realized this is part of the spiritual process and I shouldn’t be resisting it. I got used to this mini dark night of soul which visited me along with moments of light.
Why Does This Happen?
The Dark Night occurs because your soul is peeling away old layers that no longer benefit you. Your ego—the aspect of you that is identified with old comfort zones and identities—does not want to change. This creates inner conflict, and you feel lost and broken.
Some of the causes of a Dark Night are:
•Loss of a relationship, job, or loved one
•A profound realization that your life is meaningless
•Feeling disconnected from your spiritual practices
•Questioning everything you once believed
Common Feelings During a Dark Night
If you’re going through this, you might feel:
✅ Lost and directionless
✅ Emotionally overwhelmed
✅ Lonely, as if no one understands
✅ Disconnected from your passions
✅ Anxious or even hopeless
It feels like rock bottom, but it’s actually a spiritual rebirth.
How to Navigate the Dark Night of the Soul
So how do you navigate this stage without feeling utterly lost? Here’s what worked for me and may work for you too:
1. Surrender Rather Than Resisting
The more you resist, the more it hurts. Allow yourself to feel everything without judgment. This stage is about releasing, not grasping.
2. Let the Old You Die
This is intense, but believe me—it’s a blessing. The identity you’re losing was never truly you. The deeper, wiser, and freer you is breaking through.
3. Find Comfort in Silence
In my Dark Night, I discovered that profound silence—whether through meditation, walking in nature, or simply sitting by myself—allowed me to connect with my soul beyond the turmoil.
4. Journal Your Thoughts and Emotions
Putting your feelings down on paper can clarify and assist you in making sense of what’s occurring. Your mind can feel jumbled with thoughts, but seeing them written out can make them more rational.
5. Release the Old Attachments
The Dark Night tends to serve up the distressing discovery that some thing—relationships, careers, beliefs—no longer match the being you are evolving into. Release is permissible.
6. Find Support
You shouldn’t have to do this alone. Speak to a trusted friend, a guide, or someone who gets spiritual awakening. All it takes sometimes is a quick chat to help you remember you’re not nuts—you’re expanding.
7. Trust That This Is Temporary
This is one of the most important things to remember: The Dark Night doesn’t last forever. It may take weeks, months, or even longer, but every storm eventually passes. And when it does, you’ll emerge with more clarity, wisdom, and inner peace than ever before.
The Light After the Darkness
The Dark Night of the Soul is an ending, but it’s really a beginning. The weight will pass, your mission will become clearer, and you’ll see that the person you are now is stronger, wiser, and more in touch with your true self than ever before.
If you’re in this stage currently, hold on. You are not lost, and you are not alone—you are waking up.
Have you ever gone through the Dark Night of the Soul? Write your story in the comments—I’d love to read your story.