This is a really great book, for anyone who is fed up with the rubbish that some of the people in the feel good, think positive industry, try to force on us and psychiatrists who try to heal with a. He sees the dark night as a challenge and an opportunity for healing. By using these trying times as an opportunity to reflect and delve into the soul s deepest needs, we can find a new understanding of lifes meaning. Mar 31, 2003 we all have used the title as an expression dark night of the soul but few of us have gone further. Thomas moore in the dark night something of your makeup comes to an end you may find in that darkness a key to your source, the larger soul that makes you who you are and holds the secrets of your existence. Moore salutes some important guides to the dark night of the soul. May 03, 2004 thomas moore does it with this book that looks at the spiritualpsychological experience st.
These times are not rare or extraordinary, reserved just for saints or spiritual adepts. Dark nights of the soul book excerpt by thomas moore. Moore now lectures extensively throughout north america. While imprisoned in a tiny prison cell for his attempts to reform the church, sixteenthcentury spanish mystic john of the cross composed many of his now classic poems of the souls longing for god.
While the term dark night of the soul is used broadly, its general meaning in the field of higher consciousness is a lengthy and profound absence of light and hope. Traditionally, spiritual directors identify three primary stages or ways of growth in holiness. Thomas moore, a dark night of the soul and the discovery of meaning the dark night of the soul is described by seekers of all mystical traditions as an important stage of the quest for deeper knowledge as unavoidable as confronting the dragon who guards the treasure in. In dark nights of the soul, he delves into the mystery of human suffering. Society tends to view these dark nights in clinical terms as obstacles to be overcome as quickly as possible. The dark night symbolises an obscuration, and soul usually refers to an individuals true essence. Dark nights of the soul isnt a howto book for getting oneself out of depression. Thomas moores extensive experience as a psychologist and theologian has taught him that the dark night is a challenge to restore ourselves and to become someone of substance, depth and soul. During the dark night there is no choice but to surrender control, give in to unknowing, and stop and listen to whatever signals of wisdom might come along.
John of the cross called the dark night of the soul. Thomas moores dark nights of the soul explores how times of depression, loss or illness can be catalysts for personal growth. Thomas moore on the nature of the soul thomas moore has written numerous books on spiritual topics, including care of the soul, dark nights of the soul, and care of. The passage of the dark night is all about death and rebirth. Free download or read online dark nights of the soul. What a beautiful translationstarr offers us an entryway and a path into this sixteenthcentury. Natalie goldberg, bestelling author of writing down the bones. Paradoxically, we all need to walk through the shadow of the dark night in order to discover a life worth living, according to psychotherapist and spiritual commentator thomas moore. Dark night of the soul is an instructional religious book used mainly by the roman catholic church. Many will recall the thrill of first reading the chapter on gifts of depression in care of the soul where thomas moore reframed this widespread experience in light of his spiritual reading of life. A dark night of the soul and the discovery of meaning.
Thomas moore does it with this book that looks at the spiritualpsychological experience st. Dark night of the soul symptoms what you should know. While moore begins the book comparing the dark night to the biblical story of jonah in the whale he draws on a wide variety of spiritual traditions and the works jung and hillman to explore how the dark night which he claims is not depression can teach about ourselves. While moore begins the book comparing the dark night to the biblical story of jonah in the whale he draws on a wide variety of spiritual traditions and the works jung and hillman to explore how the. A guide to finding your way through lifes ordeals during the dark night there is no choice but to surrender control, give in to unknowing, and stop and listen to whatever signals of wisdom might come along. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 329 pages and is available in paperback format. In this beautifullywritten and thoughtprovoking work he explores our contemporary anxieties and insecurities and shows how these metaphoric dark nights can become transforming rites of passage. Thomas moore is the author of the new york times bestselling book, care of the soul, and numerous other books on deepening spirituality and cultivating soul in every aspect of life. The first is the purgative way, where we break habits of vice, acquire habits of virtue and learn to live a catholic life. But moore shows how honoring these periods of fragility as periods of incubation and positive opportunities to delve the soul s deepest needs can provide healing and a new understanding of lifes meaning. Care of the soul embracing sadness and loneliness with. The dark night of the soul provides a rest from the hyperactivity of the good times and the strenuous attempts to understand yourself and to get it all right.
The dark night of the soul doesnt come at the beginning of ones journey to god. Becoming a deeper person by going through the dark night of the soul. His work is influenced by the writings of carl jung and james hillman. Dark nights of the soul, thomas moore shop online for. Written on a scroll smuggled to him by one of his guards, his songs are the ultimate expression of the spiritual seekers journey from estranged despair to blissful union with the divine after escaping his captors, john fell into a state of profound ecstasy and wrote dark night of the soul. Thomas moore born october 8, 1940 in detroit, michigan is an american psychotherapist, former monk, and writer of popular spiritual books, including the new york times bestseller care of the soul 1992.
Dark nights of the soul by thomas moore used very good. Moore was a catholic monk for twelve years and later became a psychotherapist, earning degrees in theology, musicology, and religion. Dark nights of the soul a guide to finding your way through lifes ordeals by thomas moore shows how creativity, anger, marriage, beauty, illness, and old age can serve as catalysts to transformation. Dark nights of the soul a guide to finding your way through lifes ordeals by thomas moore, ph. In his twelfth book, the author observes that the sadness, confusion, frustration, pain, suffering, loneliness, and loss that many people experience during a dark night of the soul can be. Dark nights of the soul by thomas moore overdrive rakuten. Using mythology and depth psychology, thomas moore explores how you move from one part of your life to the next, and how your rites of passage can become infused with wisdom and selfknowledge. Interspersed with glimpses of the beauty and humor of the monks life, each page suggests a way of finding spirituality and nurturing the soul that can be applied in any. He lived as a catholic monk for twelve years and later became a psychotherapist, with degrees in theology, musicology and religion. This is a guide exploring the concept of the dark night of the soul. This is a really great book, for anyone who is fed up with the rubbish that some of the people in the feel good, think positive industry, try to force on us and psychiatrists who try to heal with a steady dose of medication and psychotherapy, all to no avail. Every human life is made up of the light and the dark, the happy and the sad, the vital and the deadening.
Jul 12, 2012 thomas moore s extensive experience as a psychologist and theologian has taught him that the dark night is a challenge to restore ourselves and to become someone of substance, depth and soul. A guide to finding your way through lifes ordeals pdf epub book. During the dark night there is no choice but to surrender control, give in to unknowing, and stop. The dark night of the soul audiobook by fiona robertson. Oct 05, 2017 cj interviews ny times bestselling author thomas moore on his book ageless soul.
Thomas moore, bestselling author of care of the soul and soul mates, draws on the twelve years he lived as a monk in this insightful book of a hundred onepage meditations. A guide to finding your way through lifes ordeals by thomas moore a dark night of the soul is not a psychological syndrome, but a quest for meaning during lifes darkest hours. Apr 03, 2011 thomas moore is the author of the new york times bestselling book, care of the soul, and numerous other books on deepening spirituality and cultivating soul in every aspect of life. The first edition of the novel was published in may 3rd 2004, and was written by thomas moore. A guide to finding your way through lifes ordeals by thomas moore. A masterpiece in the literature of mysticism by st. Dark nights of the soul by thomas moore waterstones. A dark night of the soul is not a psychological syndrome, but a quest for meaning during lifes darkest hours.
The dark night or spiritual emergency is the underbelly of awakening, an aspect of inner transformation that is often minimized, misunderstood, or denied. By using these trying times as an opportunity to reflect and delve into the souls deepest needs, we can find a new understanding of lifes meaning. Its a time of enforced retreat and perhaps unwilling withdrawal. Unlike depression, which is more of an emotional state, moore calls the dark night a slow transformation process, which is fueled by a profound period of doubt. Dark night of the soul isbn 9781573229746 pdf epub john of. Jun 16, 2005 dark nights offer potential for growth, for soul expansion, and thomas moore is the one to lead us on this important journey. A guide to creating a personal spirituality in a secular world thomas moore. The dark night of the soul is a term that goes back a long time. Thomas moores extensive experience as a psychologist and theologian has taught him that the dark night is a challenge to restore ourselves. Dark nights of the soul by thomas moore, 9780749942038, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. Starr offers us an entryway and a path into this sixteenthcentury mystics mind, and gives us a fine, personal introduction to begin our luminous journey.
Thomas moore s extensive experience as a psychologist and theologian has taught him that the dark night is a challenge to restore ourselves. He writes and lectures in the fields of archetypal psychology, mythology, and imagination. It is a term used to describe what one could call a collapse of a perceived meaning in life an eruption into your life of a deep sense of meaninglessness. The author himself did not give any title to his poem, on which he wrote two book length commentaries. The dark night also occurs to those who do not seek relationship but immersion or unity in the higher consciousness. Cj interviews ny times bestselling author thomas moore on his book ageless soul.
Thomas moore is one of the profound spiritual writers of our time. The classic story of the night sea journey is the biblical tale of jonah. Dark nights of the soul book excerpt by thomas moore beliefnet. Dark nights of the soul by thomas moore, 97815924038, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook.
Excerpted from dark nights of the soul with permission of gotham books. Weve all been discouraged by neat, tidy selfhelp dogmatism and moore refuses to succumb to the commercialism of simplistic, superficial, and subjective solutions. The premise of the book is that there are two dark nights, or times of spiritual bleakness that a person must travel through in order to come to a completely mature and perfect union with god. Oct 19, 2018 the dark night symbolises an obscuration, and soul usually refers to an individuals true essence. Imagination plays a significant role in the souls expression, and it is emphasized throughout this book. What is the best way to deal with melancholy and loneliness that can be part of aging. It is not enough to relay on the brilliance of your learning and intellect. The healing power of melancholy the sexual dark night and the mysteries of matrimony. Dark nights of the soul has its roots in a favourite chapter in thomas moores million copy bestseller, care of the soul. If you enjoyed his earlier work, you will appreciate his latest effort, and no doubt, will notice that he too is growing as a writer and giving us more to think about. In this article we explore what exactly this experience is, the symptoms one may exhibit while going through, as well as looking at the benefits that one can receive by facing such a.
Dark nights offer potential for growth, for soul expansion, and thomas moore is the one to lead us on this important journey. Dark nights of the soul presents these metaphoric dark nights not as the enemy, but as times of transition, occasions to restore yourself, and transforming rites of passage, revealing an uplifting and inspiring new outlook on such topics as. Thomas moore is the author of the phenomenal bestseller care of the soul. Access free dark nights of the soul thomas moore dark nights of the soul thomas moore dark nights of the soul the term dark night of the soul in roman catholic spirituality describes a spiritual crisis in the journey toward union with god, like that described by st. In this profound and intelligent book, fiona robertson acts as companion and guide through the dark night of the soul, one of lifes most challenging experiences.
The dark night or spiritual emergency is the underbelly of awakening, an aspect of inner transformation. He now lectures extensively throughout north america. Later, he added an important commentary to his poem. Thomas moore s extensive experience as a psychologist and theologian has taught him that the dark night is a challenge to restore ourselves and to become someone of substance, depth and soul. Ascent of mount carmel subida del monte carmelo and the dark night noche oscura. The main characters of this spirituality, self help. Dark nights of the soul by thomas moore, audio cd barnes.