According to St. John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila, humans have an inborn longing for completion. This completion cannot be achieved by worldly pleasures. So, instead, we must go within, to reach the inner core of our soul in which ‘the divine’ lies hidden.
Through spiritual awakening, we adopt a different perception of reality. Our predicament becomes clear. Knowing that our past way of life never fills the void, while not knowing where to turn next, can leave us in despair.
According to John and Teresa, we must undergo a transformation that happens in the darkness of our unconscious, to reach the light. This mysterious and confusing transitional experience is called the dark night of the soul.
