Are you wondering ‘what is spiritual depression’ or what causes spiritual depression? A spiritual depression is more commonly known as ‘the Dark Night of the Soul’ and is a part of the spiritual awakening journey.
Spiritual Depression is difficult and confusing
During the awakening journey it is very normal to ask yourself ‘what is spiritual depression?’.
If you suspect you’re going through a spiritual awakening and you’ve entered a prolonged period of sadness, you’re probably wondering what’s happening to you.
This is especially true as a spiritual depression typically occurs right after a phase of intense connectedness to the universe and your guides.
We go from high to low in a matter of days (sometimes hours), with no warning or (seemingly) reason.
In fact, this phenomenon  – a spiritual depression or the Dark Night of the Soul – is a standard stage of awakening.
You can think of it as a rite of passage.
It occurs at around 50% integration with our higher selves and ends at around 65-70% integration.
(The integration of the soul and higher self is the primary purpose of awakening – watch the video below to find out more.)
Unfortunately the Dark Night of the Soul is not well understood at this time in the Earth’s history.
So at exactly the moment we need information most, we can’t find it.
(I know, I’ve been there.)
That’s why I’ve written this blog post – to explain exactly what a spiritual depression is, and what causes it.
What is spiritual depression?
As I have already mentioned, spiritual depression is a standard stage of spiritual awakening which almost every awakener will experience.
(It’s also known as the Dark Night of the Soul.)
What makes it particularly difficult is that it comes after a blissful period of connectedness, where everything seems to just slot into place.
During this happy time, you will normally have become aware of your spirit guides.
You should have been able to communicate with them, often in meditation, or through the use of signs.
You may also have developed enhanced psychic powers, such as the ability to intuit future events.
Then, without warning, everything is cut off.
You go from feeling high on life and at one with the cosmos, to feeling entirely alone, empty, and bereft.
Your powers have disappeared and you are unable to connect to ‘the other side’ even in meditation.
There is a sense of deep isolation.
You may also experience sadness, frustration, and irritation.
This is a spiritual depression.
At this point it is also normal to start to question the nature of your previous experience.
Perhaps you even start to believe you suffered a psychotic episode.     Â
(Don’t worry, you didn’t.)
The good news is that a spiritual depression is totally survivable.
Once you understand what causes it, you will see that you already have all the tools you need to get through to the other side.
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Spiritual depression and religion
You do not have to be religious to go through a spiritual depression, or Dark Night of the Soul.
You might be religious, or you might not.
In fact, anyone who is awakening – and there are a lot of us at this time – is likely to experience this stage of the spiritual journey.
The connection to religion, and Christianity in particular, is historical.
St John of the Cross gave us the term ‘the Dark Night of the Soul’ in his 16th century poem of the same name.
He connected his experience of spiritual depression to a journey towards union with God.
Other famous instances of the Dark Night are those of Teresa de Avila and Mother Teresa, both also Christian figures.
However, whether you believe in God, or the Universe, and however you choose to phrase the experience, the principle is the same.
Spiritual depression (the Dark Night of the Soul) is a key part of the journey towards full integration with our higher selves/the Universe/God (however you choose to experience it).
It occurs irrespective of religious belief.
The two types of Dark Night of the Soul
In this article I am talking about a true ‘spiritual depression’ – the stage of awakening which occurs halfway through integration of the soul with the higher self.
But there is another type of Dark Night of the Soul, which can happen at any time, but most frequently comes earlier in your life, before your ‘conscious’ awakening.
(By ‘conscious awakening’ I mean that you are aware you are going through a spiritual awakening process.)
This type of depression has a similar root cause to a spiritual depression (which I’ll explain in the next section), but is ‘growth-oriented’.
The universe is encouraging you to grow and change.
It’s not a ‘hard-wired’ part of the awakening journey and can be avoided, unlike the spiritual Dark Night of the Soul.
You can read in detail about each type of the Dark Night of the Soul, or depression, here.
What causes spiritual depression?
The root cause of spiritual depression – indeed, any depression – is constriction or blockage of the chakras.
The seven main chakras – root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown – are our means of connection with the wider universe.
Not just in this dimension, but all of the dimensions.
During the period of connectedness we experience just before a spiritual depression, our chakras are opened to their fullest extent.
That is why we feel completely ‘at one’ with the universe.
During a spiritual depression, all of our chakras are constricted.
That’s why we feel ‘cut off’ and disconnected.
This is the root cause of spiritual depression.
The amount by which they are constricted or blocked depends on the individual, how much they need to learn, and their ‘mission’ in this lifetime.
But they can be reduced to as little as 5% energy flow, which is the minimum a human being needs to function in this 3D reality.
The severity of symptoms is directly correlated to the degree to which energy flow through the seven main chakras is limited during a spiritual depression.
A growth-oriented depression or Dark Night of the Soul is slightly different in that only some of the chakras may be blocked, and to varying degrees.
This is why a growth-oriented depression may take many forms and have greatly varying symptoms, emotional, mental, and physical.
How to survive the Dark Night of the Soul
As I mentioned earlier in this article, a spiritual depression ends at around 65-70 percent integration with our higher selves.
Integration takes place when we take part in what are traditionally considered ‘right brain’ activities, for example:
- Making art
- Creating or playing music
- Spending time in nature
In particular, meditation and yoga are vital tools of integration.
The quickest, surest way to survive the Dark Night of the Soul and progress to the other side is to meditate every day.
This will be difficult, because you will not feel any connection to the other side during your practice, as you are used to doing.
Rest assured, your team are still there, and the process of integration is ongoing, you just can’t feel it.
At this time it is important to ‘keep the faith’ and continue with your practice, no matter how disconnected and low you feel.
Unless you move forward, you will move backwards – a process of ‘disintegration’.
This is fine in one sense – you will come out of your spiritual depression, however you will do it by reverting to your previous state.
The problem here is that, assuming you continue with some kind of spiritual practice or integration protocol, you will keep entering a period of spiritual depression when you re-reach 50 percent integration.
So it is preferable to keep pushing through, however hard it may feel at the time.
Watch the video below for a super-easy daily meditation practice that anyone can do in just 5 minutes.
How long does the Dark Night of the Soul last?
Assuming you keep moving forward with integration using the methods I mentioned above, it is possible to exit the spiritual Dark Night of the Soul in 3 months or so.
This feels like a long time when you are in it, but in the context of the entire spiritual awakening journey it really is no time at all.
The good news is that, once you are through this period of spiritual depression, all the good things come flooding back.
You will once again feel connected to the universe, although typically not to such a great degree.
(The ‘honeymoon’ phase of intense connection is a special ‘gift’ from the universe, to show us what life could be like for us if we fully commit to the awakening process.)
Please don’t worry if you don’t manage to get through the spiritual Dark Night of the Soul the first time around, sometimes it takes a few attempts.
Each time it gets easier, so after a short rest, please try again.
It’s so important that those of us due to awaken in the next few months and years commit to the awakening journey.
We have been especially selected to lead the way for others, towards the age of global enlightenment, which will transform the world we live in – for the better.
We can only do that if we fully awaken ourselves.
I promise you, YOU CAN DO IT. Just keep focused and take it day by day.
Not sure if you’re having a spiritual awakening? Discover the 7 major signs of awakening here.