The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth

Dr. May's book provides an easy to understand introduction to the Dark Night of the Soul works of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. The book is infused with humor and practical ways to interpret dark night concepts. Readers who have 12-step experience will appreciate the references to compulsions and addictions.

Gerald May in this book helps the reader to appreciate the spiritualities of both St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. Rather than looking at the dark night of the soul as something negative, the author looks at it from a very positive perspective. He says, "The dark night is a profoundly good thing. It is an ongoing spiritual process in which we are liberated from attachments and compulsions and empowered to live and love more freely." There is a strong liberation perspective in the whole book. Again and again, the author looks at this phenomenon as liberation for freedom and this freedom is freedom for love. The author identifies some misunderstandings that people have about the dark night and tries to correct them. He says it is not negative or sinister; there is no need for a big and dramatic tragedy for authentic spiritual growth to take place; and that the dark night of the soul is not something that occurs once in a lifetime. Attachment is a compulsive condition that robs us of our freedom. He describes unpleasant attachments as those we consider as being bad habits. He says when these hinder our love, they become addictions and in spiritual life, the objects of our attachments and addictions become idols. He says our attachments are very successfully when we live in denial. The problem with spiritual denial is that it makes us unaware of our idolatry and enables us to believe we have a full and free capacity for love. The author says for St. John of the Cross, the dark night of the soul is "a secret way in which God not only liberates us from our attachments and idolatries, but also brings us to the realization of our true nature. The night is the means by which we find our heart's desire, our freedom for love." Though the dark night is meant to liberate us, it may not feel pleasurable. One feeling certain in the experience is that of obscurity and a sense of loss. Even when this experience seems to be pleasant, they would still be some sense of grief because of the loss involved in the liberation. The freedom experienced in the dark night of the soul is a freedom to love. It is not just freedom from, it is a freedom for love. The author says, "Human beings exist because of love, and the meaning and goal of our lives is love. ... Liberation from attachment is only a means to this end." In this sense then, the dark night experience helps us to become who we truly are, to realize our true nature and capabilities as that of love. In this experience, we are no longer blurred by our selfish desires, nor are our lives veiled in denial. We become the person God created us to be. I find chapter six of the book, "The Dark Night Today" as the most important chapter in the book. He uses the dark night experience to discuss depression, addiction, personality and gender, spiritual companionship and social systems. I highly recommend this book. It is clear, well written and practical.

This book put together and explained the dark night so clearly and simply that I recommend it to anyone who is interested in understanding it from a modern perspective. G. May gives very concrete examples and clears up many points in the writings of St. John of the Cross and his soul friend St.Teresa of Avila. A good solid introduction that doesn't skimp on the poety and genius of these great spiritual masters.

Pray-ers who have experienced the rich silence of quiet prayer typically find themselves feeling strangely unsatisfied after praying this prayer for a while. The sense of God's presence and love wanes and a growing sense of one's being somehow off track increases. This beautifully written and highly informative little book by one of the present time's most eloquent and knowledgeable mystics is a trustworthy guide to what lies ahead. It's central message is that the prayer of quiet is God's doing, not one's own, and that one's emotional and psychological responses are transitory and not of God. The call is to wait patiently, trustingly, and faithfully, and know that in the dark mystery God is working to bring the soul closer to God. Dr. May's decades of reading and praying with John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila shine forth in this book.