Dark Night of the Soul

John Bunyan, in his "The Pilgrim's Progress", mentions the obstacles the Pilgrim has to face in his journey to "The Celestial City." These are appropriately called "The Slough of Despond", "Giant Despair" & "The Valley of Humiliation."

The Spanish Mystic St. John of the Cross also mentioned the "Dark Night of the Soul" when the illumination of God is experienced but His presence is not yet felt.

St. Therese of Lisieux also experienced this dark night when she wrote "God permitted this thickest darkness to invade my soul whence the thought of heaven, up to then a thought so sweet, suddenly became a struggle & torment."

During the last days of Sri Ramakrishna's fatal illness, Narendra (later known as Swami Vivekananda) told 'M', the author of "The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, that "There is no God. Even if Sri Ramakrishna tells me there is, it may be his hallucination." It should be remembered that by this time, Narendra was well ahead in the spiritual path & was also vouchsafed many spiritual experiences by his Guru.