In the Christian mystical tradition one of the great texts is Dark Night of the Soul by Saint John of the Cross, in which he talks about the periods of loneliness, fear, and doubt that one goes through after the initial awakenings into the light. Evagrius,

Such obscurity and attachment, followed by God-given clarity, liberation of love, and deepening of faith, are consistent hallmarks of the dark night of the soul.9 Often, this liberation results in a remarkable release of creative activity in the world. This is especially obvious in Teresa’s case. Once paralyzed by uncertainty and self-doubt, she we