How to Overcome a Dark Night of the Soul

The Dark Night of the Soul is more than anything an existential crisis, a crisis of faith that can envelop the mental, emotional and psychic realms of your being.

Dealing with a Dark Night of the Soul

 

 

Have you heard of the Dark Night of the Soul? Have you ever had an existential crisis? Only those who have lived through this crucial moment in their lives know how delicate and difficult it can be to get out of it. The Dark Night of the Soul is more than anything a spiritual crisis, a crisis of faith that can envelop the mental, emotional and psychic realms of your being. When it happens, you may have to find the assistance of a Health professional, because sometimes, existential crises can overpower our abilities to cope. We listed some suggestions to help you cope better with the impact of such a crisis.

Sometimes you can’t see your way out. The “dark night of the soul.”

 It’s a reality for many, many people.

~ Mariel Hemingway

 

Dark Night or Existential Crisis: How does it Happen?

The existential crisis happens to many people and consists of a moment of discouragement when we try to seek a real meaning for our life. It can be triggered by an event or appear without any apparent cause. Still, it is most commonly detected in a sad or losing moment. The existential crisis, according to psychologists, happens more frequently in people with high wisdom, intelligence superior to the others, which brings questions about the world differently. The absence of answers can, however, trigger the crisis.

When we are experiencing an existential crisis, everything seems to upset us, our feelings are on edge, no one seems to be able to understand us. Many people say they want to disappear and have time off when they don’t think about problems or anyone. The desire is just to stay in bed and do absolutely nothing. Some people confuse it with depression, others end up judging it as laziness, but it is neither, it is a moment of reflection that is difficult to face, but that needs to be met head-on so that it does not take more dangerous proportions.

 

The Eye of the storm – Get out of that Place

An existential crisis is a very delicate period, and there is no exact formula for getting out of it because everyone has their own crisis of different reasons and intensities. Our advice can help you not to let it sink you, affect you a lot, and get you out of it more strongly. But again, if you feel that you can’t cope alone, you should immediately seek professional help or a mental health hotline.

 

Recognize You Have a Problem

Many people find it challenging to recognize that they are experiencing an existential crisis. But understanding the problem is the first step in overcoming it. There is no shame in being experiencing an existential crisis, questioning the purpose of life is natural to human beings, including the most evolved human beings. Each of us has the power to choose the reason for our existence and give it meaning. This is the moment that your mind is asking you to reflect on. You cannot let yourself be overwhelmed by negative feelings.

 

Question Yourself, Answers are Within

You will not come out of the existential crisis if you do not find answers to your mind, so the best thing to do is to ask yourself questions. The answers are within, not in something or someone outside of yourself. Even if you don’t know the answers at first, look at yourself and ask, “Why am I feeling this way?”, “What caused this crisis for me?” By asking us, the answer that was on our mind, and we were unable to see can finally be clear. Do not be afraid of the solution, do not repress the answer or the feeling that will come with it, it is an important step for your life motivation and your exit from this problematic labyrinth.

A good idea is to try to take yourself out of the equation and, try to imagine what you would say if your best friend were experiencing this situation, what advice would you give. The answers to these questions will bring you self-knowledge, you will understand yourself better, accept yourself, develop self-love, and self-esteem. Keep this in mind, that this process you are going through will result in a more balanced and fulfilling life, however painful it may seem.

 

One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.

~Friedrich Nietzsche

 

Do Not Blame Others for Your Crisis

You must resist the urge to shift the blame of this crisis to someone else. It is necessary to take responsibility for this moment lived. Many people in crisis say, “my job depresses me,” “my boyfriend pisses me off,” “my family doesn’t understand me.” After all, are you living for yourself or for others? Take control of your life and your problems, only one person can get you out of this existential crisis: yourself.

Don’t play the victim, don’t think that everyone is against you, that the world conspires against you or that you’re unlucky, it doesn’t work that way.

These are traps of the ego.

Only you can take responsibility for your life, your path, and define how you will react to this situation. By taking power back over our lives to ourselves, we see that it is only up to us to get out of this distressing feeling, and the path becomes much more manageable.

Take a deep breath, count to 10, realize that this crisis is fleeting, and if your mind starts to fill with negative and victimizing thoughts, put them away immediately. Start taking control of your life, your actions, and your thoughts going forward.

 

Bringing the Darkness into Light: Path of Enlightenment

We know it is not easy, but it is necessary. Not everyone has existential crises, and they can live a life without any purpose or motivation because of it.

Not you, this crisis made you open your eyes to look for a more significant reason to live. Your mind is smart enough to warn you that you needed a change. It is time to look within yourself, to seek what really brings your happiness, your fullness as a person.

It is time to ask questions about your actions, your thoughts, your essence. I don’t have the answers, don’t be afraid of the changes that this existential crisis may ask of you, you just need to believe in yourself, to believe that a stronger and more complete person is able to come out of this crisis than he was before.

Do not be afraid of failure, you will only overcome it if you face it, there is only one way, there is nothing to invent. This experience can be painful, but it is also decisive, a watershed in your life, it will bring you more wisdom to evolve, grow, change, find success, and be genuinely happy.

To calm your heart in hours of anguish: remember, tomorrow is the brand-new day. Don’t hurry, not judge the pace of your healing, don’t punish yourself for it, everyone has their time to get out of the crisis, respect your timing.

 

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If you enjoyed How to Overcome a Dark Night of the Soul, you should read 5 Signs You are Facing an Existential Crisis

 

 

About the Author

Cathedral of the Soul intends to undertake the challenge of creating a multidimensional healing space that is dedicated to those who seek to enrich, enlighten, and heal themselves while serving and assisting in the healing of others. Cathedral of the Soul is one of the many spiritual outreaches of Humanity Healing International, a registered 501C3 nonprofit with Church status. https://cathedralofthesoul.org

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