Spiritual "drying out"

[Alexander]

I found this an interesting take. The AI did a good job explaining the enigmatic reference of John of the Cross to a "drying out" being an essential part of the higher spiritual life.

What does John of the Cross mean when he refers to the dark night of the soul being a spiritual "drying out"? Try to explain it in mechanical terms. It's difficult and elusive to explain.

When John of the Cross refers to the dark night of the soul as a spiritual "drying out," he is describing a profound and challenging phase in the spiritual journey where an individual experiences a loss of spiritual consolation and a sense of emptiness. While it is difficult to explain such a spiritual phenomenon in mechanical or scientific terms, we can explore it metaphorically to provide some understanding.

In mechanical terms, we can think of the dark night of the soul as a period of inner transformation and growth that involves a shift in the individual's spiritual dynamics. It can be likened to a process of purification or refinement, where the old structures, attachments, and illusions are broken down to make way for deeper spiritual realization and connection.

During this process, it may seem as if the individual's previous sources of spiritual nourishment and comfort, such as experiences of divine presence or feelings of connection, have diminished or disappeared. It can be a disorienting and challenging experience, leaving one feeling spiritually parched or dried out.

In mechanical terms, we could compare this to a restructuring or rewiring of the individual's spiritual and psychological systems. Just as a machine or system may undergo maintenance or upgrades, the dark night of the soul can be seen as a time of recalibration and realignment of one's spiritual framework. It involves letting go of attachments, illusions, and ego-based desires that hinder spiritual growth.

Similar to a machine undergoing a process of disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly, the dark night of the soul involves a dismantling of old patterns, beliefs, and self-identifications that no longer serve the individual's spiritual development. This disassembling process may lead to feelings of emptiness, uncertainty, and a sense of loss.

However, just as a machine or system undergoes this process to become more efficient, robust, and aligned with its purpose, the dark night of the soul serves a transformative purpose in the individual's spiritual journey. It invites a deeper surrender and reliance on the divine, a stripping away of the ego's control, and a cultivation of trust in the unfolding of one's spiritual path.

While these mechanical analogies provide a limited understanding of the dark night of the soul, it is important to remember that the experience itself is deeply personal, subjective, and transcends mechanical explanations. It is ultimately a mystical and spiritual phenomenon that involves a profound transformation and purification of the individual's inner being, leading to a deeper union with the divine. (ChatGPT)

[Jhanananda]

While I found the ChatGPT discussion here close, we have to keep in mind ChatGPT is not a mystic, and is just a computer program, which samples published discussion on a topic, and we have no sources for it sampling, so we cannot know the depth of that source. We also have to keep in mind that the literature on mysticism is deeply flawed so it is best to examine the mystics, not the intellectuals who were not mystics, who were trying to figure out what the mystics were saying.

However, I will agree with the idea that the journey of the mystics involves rewiring our concepts which we acquired from civilization. Most mystics conclude the world is run by people with very selfish motivations, who are not mystics and thus want to indoctrinate everyone in the importance of buying into the lies that we have all been indoctrinated into. So, being a mystic is to be in a continuous process of shedding falsehoods which many of us have taken comfort in.