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any books on spirituality explicitly refer to that which the Spanish monk, St. John of the Cross (1542-1591), has called “the dark night of the soul.” Richard Foster writes, “To desire spiritual maturity without the dark night is like an athlete hoping to become a champion without training.” If a tree is not shaken by wind, it doesn‘t develop deep roots. If we cannot stand up under temptation, we won‘t mature.
According to my experience, that which St. John of the Cross describes as the “dark night of the soul” has a close affinity to what we have labeled, in the dry language of this book, “Level B growth.” Level B learning inevitably includes dark night experiences; in fact, it can directly trigger such an experience.
Have you ever had a "dark night of the soul" experience? If so, what came of it? Did it lead you to ultimately experience the light of God more fully?
Further topics in the above chapter of the full version of the book
The teaching of St. John of the Cross - Darkness due to an excess of light - Mountaintops and valleys - How to deal with this phase