Thomas Keating's Dark Night with Cynthia Bourgeault | Centering Prayer Summit 2022

Cynthia Bourgeault explores Thomas Keating's Dark Night of the Soul and
Whereas the Dark Night of the Sense is the "deconstruction of the false self system," Fr. Thomas describes his experience of the Dark Night Soul as such:
"My soul desire is you
and you are always absent.
Can one love absence so intensely
that even your presence feels like an intrusion?
...
The God I thought I knew,
no longer exists."
This video is from 2022 Centering Prayer Summit hosted by Closer Than Breath.
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[@leepeterson2134]

I am touched by this little sharing. Thank you.

[@christopherscotellaro]

The dark night isnt meant just for clerics, but a common existential split n dissolution of self in the universe. A complete loss of everything you thought held your soul n persona together. I stand with anyone suffering through this path. I love you. Thrive in patience n listen to the great mystery.

[@luciamixon4156]

Thank you. 🙏

[@BG-fh5me]

Normally it’s a transitioning into a deeper state of awareness. From first person, to 3rd person perspective and so on and it occurs to dry out the senses/spirit so that a new understanding can take place. Everyone goes through it in their spiritual journeys but not everyone will have the dark night in this lifetime.

[@fhanincik]

Such a helpful video for understanding the dark night ! 0:01

[@closerthanbreath]

Thank you, Frank

[@ivanvincent7534]

Appreciate your explanation. Chronic fatigue is something I can relate to in your description. It’s like a return to the vulnerability of a new born.

[@green-eyed_girl88]

Thank you for sharing this. I think most of us on the spiritual path experience this at some point. Great appreciation for Keating’s honesty.

[@Sunny25611]

Keating was brilliant and I had the privilege of meeting him in the’90’s during the opening of a new Centering facility in St. Paul. In my experience the dark night is far from “elusive”. Spiritual attacks are crippling in every way possible and one just wants to give up everything that they’ve built for years to rid themselves of the intensity of unease. This is an excellent and timely video my distant friend. Thank you 🙏

[@closerthanbreath]

Thank you for your insightful comment, Sunny

[@liammeates6231]

I don't think dark night is that uncommon. Its a period that shapes one and is transformative in ones capacity and resolve. There a depth to it. But I don't think it's just for the 'saintly'

[@kipling1957]

I’ve always heard the phrase “dark night of the soul,” not spirit. Have I been told wrong all these years?

[@BG-fh5me]

Both one in the same

[@cherylmburton5577]

His dark night experience, appears to even have caused him to distort Scripture completely when interpreting a verse from Scripture. I heard him while being interviewed on video. Since there is a lot of compromising of videos, it is always possible that it was actually just a voice that sounded much like his and was capable of fooling people. Another possibility I have considered is that he is technically an intellectual, even though he usually sounds identifying with people with little or no higher education, so that maybe his interpretation would be acceptable to an intellectual but was not understood by me. Although that particular interpretation was way far away from what most Bible commenters say about it. I am still not very familiar with him but a little more than last year and understand him a little better.

[@colinfoster7655]

dangerous mystic hogwash

[@beatrizcristinagil5273]

Too much light for some.