While we have been discussing the dark night of the soul on other threads, I thought I might discuss why mystics become mystics. After reflecting upon the history of the major mystics it came to me that the Dark Night of the Soul is the motivation of the mystics to become mystics. After all we should be asking why so many mystics came from wealth and power, and gave it all up to become recluses, mendicants and otherwise completely impoverished and dedicated to becoming enlightened, which we will define here as becoming a mystic?
My guess is they all experienced some serious trauma in their life, which so broke them internally that they could not otherwise function in life. I am reminded specifically of one of the first Sufis at the time of the Islamic expansion out of Arabia into what is now today Afghanistan. The ruling monarch of the region known as Afghanistan today were apparently devout Buddhists at the time of their defeat by early Muslim conquerors. One of the young sons of the ruling monarch became a mendicant preaching very Buddhist like lifestyle and philosophy within the context of Islam. His ruling family being conquered surely would have been a deeply traumatic experience. In my study of history I have read some accounts of conquests and these were particularly horrific accounts, so this Sufi mystic was most likely so deeply traumatized there was no moving forward in life without complete renunciation.
I am also reminded of Francis of Assisi. His dad was a wealthy merchant. There is a war between city states that Francis gets caught up in. He returns home an emotional wreck, and ends up bed-ridden for a period. He meets Claire, and brother Leo at that time, and begins to recover and leaves his status of wealth and becomes a mendicant, and mystic.
And, since the primary focus of this forum is based upon early Buddhist doctrine and contemplative arts, then we should be asking why Siddhartha Gautama left his fathers wealth to become a mystic? And, right off we need to recognize that before Siddhartha set off to become a mendicant (samana) he sees suffering among the people on the road he traveled with his cherioteer. And, while we are at it, Siddhartha's father, and Francis of Assisi's father do not fit into the story after the son becomes a mendicant.
Also, as stated on other recent threads: Teresa of Avila came from a powerful and wealthy Jewish converso family shortly after the reconquest of Spain, and her grandfather had been burned at the stake for secretly practicing Jewish mysticism, so her family put her into a convent to prove their conversion to Christianity.
And, Teresa's genius student, John of the Cross, was a Moor, and grew up in an orphanage, so he surely had some trauma as well.
In conclusion I would say we have some strong evidence of trauma being the inspiration for why someone gives up the material life and wholly dedicates themselves to the spiritual life. So I agree with Alexander when he wrote the following:
We all have trauma. Trauma is the vehicle. All you have to do is get in the car 
