Dark Night of the Soul

During spiritual initiation or active kundalini stages, there are four main types of the down-cycle which could variously be associated with what the mystics call the Dark Night of the Soul. They are unavoidable, as the "living death" or Ego Death and must occur for resurrection of the "spiritual" body mind. All must enter the Dark Night, perhaps many times during the cyclical process of evolution during the spiritual ascension process.

The deeper one goes into a die-off stage, the greater the resurrection. Similarly the more one allows the influx of spirit phase during the heart expansion, the deeper one goes into the die-off. The die-off is either acute or chronic depending on the person and phase of awakening. It happens after the Influx of Spirit, as the flesh transmutes there is a die-off of the conventional conditioned structures. For every influx of spirit, there is an accompanying catabolic breakdown of the former pupael body or cellular die-off. Only those people that have the kundalini flow up the spine, and the experience of extreme bliss/influx or massive "opening" events are going to die-off. Die-offs are distinct periods of catabolic breakdown in which there is no operative ego, other than that which is sufficient to drag one off to the bathroom when appropriate.

There are four main types of down-cycle events in metamorphosis that need to be clearly understood to prevent unnecessary suffering and secondary backlash:

LIGHTNING: This is a terror event of intense energy pouring up the body similar to a euphoric inner-conjunction, but in this case it is a dysphoric inner-conjunction. Here it seems we descend deeply into our matter and experience great fear with no apparent cause. This "negative" inner-conjunction mostly occurs during one's first awakening, as the polar flip to the spontaneous bliss awakening in a neophyte-body that is unfamiliar with such intensity of consciousness and energy.

SHOCK: White Death, or autonomic shock that occurs immediately after mystic ecstasy or Sex with Eros. That is the contraction and toxic overload after a significant opening to the extreme bliss of a euphoric inner-conjunction event.

SELF-DIGESTION: Then there are the die-offs which are a catabolic breakdown of the former structures through apoptosis due to oxidation by free radicals and then phagocytosis by the macrophages.

BURNOUT: Lastly there is the exhaustion phase of the overall awakening cycle where the body's resources of neurotransmitters, hormones, and nutrients have been used up in the climb to the heights of the awakening peak. During exhaustion depression arises, yet there is permanent bliss giving the sense of being dissociated from depression.

See Also

Pineal Gland