Are you going through the dark night of the soul? Read on and find out!
Do you feel like the world doesn’t have the same colors anymore? All of the things that once brought you joy now hold no spark. If you are experiencing deep feelings of hopelessness and feel empty and disconnected from everything and anything, you might be in the midst of a dark night of the soul.
Once you start questioning your very purpose, there is usually no way to turn back. But even if this is a challenging period, it is also a transformative one. Once the dark night of the soul ends, you will feel like a new person. Things will make more sense, and you will finally know what your purpose is.
We want to offer you this little guide that should make things more clear. Times like this can be confusing, and if you really want to know if you are struggling with the dark night of the soul or not, it would be helpful to know the signs.
1. From “Look at me!” to “Tell me about you”
When the dark night of the soul starts, it will strip away any sign of inauthenticity, and this can dramatically change the way you look at relationships.
Your self-constructed identity, which is based on social expectations, will start to crumble, and this whole questioning and searching for meaning will make the natural need for self-validation seem hollow.
This existential crisis will make you crave some genuine human connection, and you will no longer feel drawn to superficial social interactions. You will try to connect with those around you, and you will want to create meaningful bonds with them.
This will be a time for brutal honesty, and you will no longer be able to hold that mask you used to wear all these years. It might feel like you want to be the tourist version of yourself, and you will try to build all of your connections based on this new foundation.
2. You start discovering your inner child
This is a sign of the dark night of the soul that might seem quite paradoxical, but it is true. In that vortex of existential anxiety, your inner child will try to signal their presence.
This is a time when you will learn how to reconnect with all your lost parts, and this can bring back many suppressed memories and emotions, many of them coming from your childhood. Being forced to deal with all of the pain can make you want to get in touch with the more innocent and carefree spirit of your young self.
The dark night of the soul is a period of intense introspection, and all the burdens of adult life can sometimes feel like too much. But when you try to reconnect with your inner child, you are on your way to learning how to enjoy simple pleasures. Maybe you will feel more creative, or maybe you will finally begin to see life’s beauty.
So if you feel drawn to your inner child, don’t resist it; follow their lead and see where they take you. Try to integrate these experiences, and things might change for the better.
3. You start to realize what true suffering feels like
The dark night of the soul is a time when you feel like the suffering is unbearable and will not stop any time soon. Generally, we live our lives in a bubble that keeps us at a certain level of emotional distance from the world. But when the dark night of the soul starts, it will destroy all of these barriers, and you will become more sensitive to the feeling of suffering.
This whole turmoil will make you more empathic, and you will also feel the suffering of others. While you are confronting your own pain, you will also begin to disregard the shared human experience of suffering. And this is not easy. Feeling the struggle of those around you can feel overwhelming.
This is the time when you will need to face your “shadow self.” It is not pleasant; it will cause great pain, but in the end, it is totally worth it. Acknowledging these darker parts of yourself will help you understand what causes the suffering, and finally, you will be able to put an end to it.
4. Synchronicities all around
Synchronicities are meaningful coincidences, and when you are in the midst of the dark night of the soul, you can encounter more such coincidences than ever.
First of all, your intuition will be more powerful during this time. It will be sharp, and you will be more sensible to the messages of the universe. All of those random occurrences have a personal meaning, and they might try to help you move in the right direction.
When you feel out of hope and meaning, you might feel a powerful need to search for guidance. And this is what synchronicities are about. They are here in this world to act as guideposts. All of the recurring symbols—unexpected encounters and overheard conversations—are closely tied to your current struggles.
This is a dark period that can feel isolating and stressful, but these synchronicities can often offer you a sense of validation if you want to see them. You are not alone in this journey. Keep this in mind. Synchronicities can link you with opportunities, resources, or individuals who share your newfound purpose and objectives.
5. Intense dreams and memories about your past
The dark night of the soul is all about getting out those buried memories, experiences, and emotions. Imagine it as a spring cleaning for the soul. It is a lot of work to do, but in the end, the results will totally change your life.
This is why it is not uncommon to have vivid dreams about long-lost memories, past lovers, childhood experiences, and other past events that meant something to you. This is a time when you are forced to re-evaluate the past, and this is the reason why forgotten memories might resurface.
But this is not something bad. Yes, it can be painful, but this re-examination can give you valuable insight and will show you who you are and how you got to this point in your life. Also, you will have to deal with all of the business you have left unfinished. You will need to process old emotions and, in the end, find the closure that you need for your emotional healing.
The key to overcoming the dark night of the soul is to be patient and explore your inner world. Yes, it will be the most unpleasant experience of your life, but it is for your spiritual evolution.
There will be ups and downs, there will be pain, and there will be tears, but don’t forget to give yourself the self-compassion that you need. After all of this, you will be finally connected to your inner world, and you will feel like you have a purpose in life.
Also, don’t forget about gratitude. Practicing gratitude can shift your perspective and offer a sense of hope and optimism.
If you want to find out more about this, the following read might be helpful: The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth
You should also read: 6 Easy Spiritual Ways to Find the Love of Your Life
