Michael Holme
What is the "Dark night of the soul" ?
The follow statement was found high in Google's search results on the subject;
"'The Dark Night of the Soul', is one of the most painful, isolating, and destabilizing experiences in life. Yet it is also a tremendous blessing in disguise."
Coupled with “that which does not kill us, makes us stronger”, attributed Friedrich Nietzsche, and speaking from my own life, this will lead you to your suicide, but for remarkable fortitude, humility, and action taking. Personally, I began classical piano from nothing, at the age of 21, and I achieved a college level; but piano led to further diversification in my life, and more. My mother maintains the instrument saved my life.
This experience represents a total breakdown of everything that is you, and most basic. It doesn't mean you dissociate from your family, or lose your sense of gender. In a greater part though; identities, and group affiliations, etc., or the things we don't need to hold so much store in, are especially vulnerable to it. We lose them all. That is very painful, but vanities such as our notions of our attractiveness and confidence, also go, and perhaps more painfully. Also, this means we need to build and/or begin everything again (and better next time ???!)
Having pointed out that I experienced such a misfortune, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, that my primary book: "I am", is strongly against us forming identities, accepting labels, and entering into the mindset of groups.
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Most things involve shades of grey, and are not about blacks and whites alone. It would be crass for me to suggest people attempt to achieve mitigations, just in case they have a "Dark night of the soul" !!! They are not so common. Instead, I think that we are stronger, less vulnerable, and more genuine, if we avoid these identities, labels, and anything else which removes our individuality.