7 Signs You’re Going Through a Dark Night of the Soul
#4 You’re having physical symptoms you’ve never had before.
A dark night of the the soul is defined as a spiritual journey that forces you to shed previous beliefs, habits and relationships, so that you can make the transition to a more mindful, fulfilling life.
It shakes every aspect of your life. It makes you question every aspect of your existence. Basically, it drives you nuts.
The good news is, there’s a purpose behind it. I’ve been going through my own dark night of the soul for over a year now, and no matter how painful it has been, I can say with confidence that I needed it. I needed to let go of many people and beliefs that were not serving me anymore. I needed to change.
But change is hard. It’s distressing. That’s why we resist it — and that’s why we need such a transformative experience.
These are some of the signs you’re going through one.
1. You feel completely lost, powerless and hopeless
You feel like you have no sense of direction. You may have an idea of where you want to go, but you don’t know when or how to get there.
Besides, you feel overwhelmed by circumstances you can’t control and people you wish you could change. You feel like you’re too weak or too tired to face them and get out of the situation you’re in.
At the same time you’re slowly becoming more aware of your emotions, behavior and conditioning, and you find it difficult to understand how is it possible that so many of us spend so many years living so unconsciously.
2. You’re no longer interested in things you once loved
You used to love certain activities but now you’d rather stay home reading, meditating or watching documentaries. You used to love going out for drinks with your friends every weekend but now you just want to be on your own. Oh, and your circle of friends is probably changing too.
You now realize you never really loved any of it — you were simply living on autopilot and doing what you were programmed to do. You can no longer find fulfillment in life as you know it.
3. Your definition of success is not the same anymore
This was the catalyst of my dark night of the soul. I had finally got the internship I had dreamed about for years, and there I was, filled with a sense of emptiness.
We’re often so overwhelmed by our families and our society that we never really stop to question what we really want. We don’t stop to create our own definition of success. We don’t stop to make sure we’re following our own path, and not the path we’re supposed to follow.
Instead, we live a life based on accomplishments. However, a dark night of the soul will teach you that your worth is not based on your performance. You’re worthy just as you are, just because you’re here.
4. You’re having physical symptoms you’ve never had before
Anxiety attacks? Digestive issues? Irregular sleep patterns? These are called purging symptoms and they can be quite scary when you have no idea what you’re dealing with.
A more scientific approach would be that feeling so lost and stagnant makes you terribly anxious, and anxiety is linked to several health issues.
When my symptoms first began, I spent weeks trying to find answers. I couldn’t understand what was wrong with me or why I was suddenly having multiple health issues all at once. My eating habits hadn’t changed, yet my digestion was a mess and I felt like I simply could not function normally anymore (and I still do).
5. You’re having really intense dreams
The purging is not just physical — in fact, it’s mainly mental, emotional and spiritual.
Intense dreams happen when there are emotions from your past that you haven’t processed properly. Your subconscious mind is now forcing you to face all the pain you tried so hard to bury, so that you can heal and move on.
I know how frustrating and painful it is to have repetitive dreams about partners who have hurt you and friends who have left your life, but these experiences are trying to teach you to move through the pain and let the heaviness go.
6. You’re connecting with your inner child
The more conscious you become, the more you feel the need to acknowledge the presence of your inner child and listen to what she has to say. As a consequence, you get to know yourself better — your feelings, your wounds, your beliefs and your thoughts.
In a previous article, I wrote:
“When you give yourself permission to hear the child within you, magic happens. You not only become aware of your strengths and weaknesses — you gradually understand where they come from. This can be extremely healing, although it is a long, arduous path.”
7. Despite everything, you somehow feel more free and authentic
This is the most incredible part of your dark night, and it’s what gives you the strength to keep going regardless of the obstacles you encounter.
You know, deep down, that this is for your highest good. You know, deep down, that this is what you need to experience in order to grow and evolve. You feel it; you know.
You know the Universe has an amazing plan for you and that you’re going through a deep transformational process that will allow you to live in complete alignment with your authentic self. Perhaps this is the most important lesson of them all: to trust; to reconnect with your spirituality.
If you’re going through a dark night of the soul, I can only imagine how you feel. But I can promise you that you’re not alone.
It feels like a part of you is dying — and it really is. The part of you that chased instant gratification and external validation is dying. The part of you that ignored the pain and suppressed emotions is dying. But the part of you that craves meaning, love and purpose is coming up to the surface.
This is your chance to transform your life. This is your chance to heal and become the most beautiful, compassionate, aligned version of yourself.
And here’s a little secret: having no sense of direction is actually a good thing. It means you’re not following a script — you’re making your own.