Dark Night of the Soul

During spiritual initiation or active kundalini Ascension Stages, there are four main types of the down-cycle of spiritual crisis which could variously be associated with what the ancients and mystics have called the Dark Night of the Soul. These phases of spiritual development are unavoidable, as the "living death" or Ego Death must occur for resurrection of the spiritual body and mind. All must enter the Dark Night of the Soul or spiritual crisis, perhaps many times during the cyclical process of evolution during the spiritual ascension process. The planet is undergoing a global level of the Dark Night of the Planetary Collective Soul during the Ascension Cycle.

The deeper one goes into a die-off stage to drop density, the greater the spiritual resurrection. Similarly the more one allows the influx of kundalini spirit phases during the heart and Consciousness expansion, the deeper one goes into the die-off stages. The die-off is either acute or chronic depending on the person and the phase of awakening. It happens after each Influx of Spirit, the spiritual initiation stages as the flesh transmutes there is a die-off of the conventional conditioned structures as well as all potential toxins throughout the bodies, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritual-energetic. For every influx of kundalini spirit through spiritual initiation, there is an accompanying catabolic breakdown of the former body, apotosis or some form of die-off to release and transmute toxins. Only those people that have the kundalini flow up the spine, and the experience of extreme bliss or electromagnetic influx or massive spiritual opening events are going to experience the 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 the couch to the bathroom when appropriate.

Dark Night Metamorphosis

There are four main types of spiritual crisis 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 and into the body similar to a euphoric inner-conjunction of spiritual activation, but in this case it is a inner-conjunction of feeling great discomfort, anxiety, pain or fear. Here we descend deeply into our matter and flesh and experience inner fears or energy blockages, or experience external anxiety with no apparent cause. We may be accessing buried parts of our Unconscious Mind or cellular memories that are embedded in our bodies. This "negative" inner-conjunction mostly occurs during one's first initial awakening stages which can help to surface hidden fears or pain located in the Pain Body. This terror or fear is the polar opposite to the spontaneous bliss awakening in a neophyte-body at the early Soul initiations for those that are unfamiliar with such intensity of Expanding Consciousness and energy.

• SHOCK: White Death, or autonomic shock in the CNS that occurs immediately after a mystical or ecstatic experience with kundalini spiritual activation. That is the contraction and toxic overload after a significant opening to the extreme bliss of a euphoric inner-conjunction event or a spiritual initiation stage into a higher frequency or level of the Lightbody. Sometimes in this stage a person can feel numb, apathetic or in a void.

• SELF-DIGESTION: Then there are the die-offs of toxins or waste which are a catabolic breakdown of the former structures through apoptosis due to oxidation by free radicals and then phagocytosis by the macrophages. This is a physical event and a spiritual-energetic event. Thus, one can experience a cleansing cycle similar to a detoxification through the elimination channels of the body. Detoxification at all levels of the body occurs, including a mental and emotional detoxification of the Pain Body and Ego/Personality. Changes in the hormonal structure, and endocrine functions. This is also the process of Ego Death.

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

Suggestions to Support Ego Death

• Relax as much as possible in the down-cycle, Surrender and allow the process of the Dark Night.
• Make yourself comfortable without suppressing symptoms, without escaping to run away or propping yourself up with distractions and stimulants.
• A spiritual die-off is a free radical storm which may induce stress. De-stress and take good care of your body, potentially consume superfoods or doses of antioxidants for protection. Also if guided, take support supplements, essential oils that help the thyroid (kelp, nettle leaf), the adrenals (licorice, Vitamin C), the nerves (Vitamin Bs, ) and the hormones (ginseng, gotu kola).
• Drink at least 10 glasses of water a day, and take a bath to re-hydrate potentially in salt baths. The body has a huge demand for water and Biochemic Cell Salts during a die-off phase, detoxification and spiritual activation.
• If one is accelerated in full detoxification of toxin die-off, one may experience Ascension Symptoms like Ascension flu. The immune system is essentially dismantling the body and all one can do is rest in bed, and not eat much of anything. It's best not to eat while the body is in catabolic breakdown mode, or digestion will draw energy away from the transmutation of the flesh and your resurrection will not be as complete. One may create toxicity and tissue damage if you work against the natural break-down cycle and ignore the bodies request for rest, cleansing or fast.

Giving up the personality is the first stage of really living. Until we give up and surrender to our spirit, we have been trying to live from the concept of the Ego/Personality self, instead of higher spiritual or Christ Self. It is often the case with human action, that what we manifest through our ego efforts, turns out the very opposite of what we intended. The die-off is the most extreme experience of nature stepping in to help us move beyond the known experience of the ego and into the vast reaches of a mystic perception of the universe. The deeper the surrender to the living-death of the spiritual Ascension process, the more we can actually incarnate and embody spirit in the flesh.

Psychospiritual Crisis

The symptoms of psychospiritual crises represent a manifestation and exteriorization of the deep dynamics of the human psyche and Consciousness. The individual human psyche is a multidimensional consciousness and multilevel system with no internal divisions and boundaries. We cannot, therefore, expect to find clearly defined and demarcated types of spiritual emergency. And yet, our work with individuals in psychospiritual crises, exchanges with colleagues doing similar work, and study of pertinent literature have convinced us that it is possible and useful to outline certain major forms of psychospiritual crises, which have sufficiently characteristic features to be differentiated from others. Naturally, their boundaries are not clear and, in practice, there are some significant overlaps among them. I will first present a list of the most important varieties of psychospiritual crises as identified and then briefly discuss each of them.1. Shamanic crisis2. Awakening of Kundalini3. Episodes of unitive consciousness (Maslow's "peak experiences")4. Psychological renewal through return to the center (John Perry)5. Crisis of psychic opening6. Past-life experiences7. Communication with spirit guides and "channeling"8. Near-death experiences (NDEs)9. Close encounters with UFOs and alien abduction experiences10. Possession states11. Alcoholism and drug addiction

See Also

Where Can I Start?

ES Core Triad