Can depression be considered a part of the dark night of the soul in spiritual transformation?

Yes!

Night of the Soul implies things have reached their lowest. And when things have reached their lowest, in all probabilities, light is waiting at the end of the dark tunnel. It’s not easy, but most of the time, this is an essential part of spiritual transformation. Because when life is passing through one of the most difficult and painful states; when surrounded by challenges from every side and drowned in problems, one automatically drifts away from the material world and its pleasures. One on the way learns some hard-fought lessons, which otherwise wouldn’t have come. And these lessons draw one into spiritual transformation. Therefore, yes… depression can be considered a part of the night of the Soul in spiritual transformation that ultimately leads one into spiritual awakening.

Depression impacts various aspects of a person's life, including their relationships, home life, work life and their mental and physical health too. Depression is characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, loneliness or emptiness, often accompanied by a loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed. Our interest in the material world and the pleasure in material activities is what keeps us away from a spiritual transformation. The ego is in its full form, and therefore its tendencies are locked in acquiring pleasure from the five senses or doing worldly activities all the time. But when depression comes, the interest in the outer world begins to die, and the quest for pleasure and happiness also dries. The ego loses its natural form. And as a result, the spiritual transformation gets the scope to usher in and have the needed attention.

Depression affects how a person feels, thinks and handles daily activities. Depression describes a period of profound inner turmoil, doubt, and loss of faith in one’s worldly self. Now during such a period, if one is lucky enough to get the knowledge of their real Self, then spiritual awakening is not far away. Therefore, it is said that depression is an opportunity to get to the Soul; it gets us ready for the spiritual transformation.

One does not experience any depression or crisis of faith after a spiritual awakening because regardless of what happens in life, the Soul has always remained in a state of bliss. The inherent nature of the Soul is eternal bliss and hence it does not undergo any fluctuations or shifts due to external circumstances, which means that the Soul never experiences depression. The Soul is aware of its identity, which does not change, across all periods, whether past, present or future. Also, the Soul remains unaffected by the circumstances surrounding the body, name and ego.

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, the founder of Akram Vignan says, “The true meaning of Atma is the Self, one’s Real form. Eternal happiness, bliss, is within you. Your real Self, i.e., the Soul is an abode of infinite bliss and yet you are looking for happiness in temporary things!”

Depression is experienced by the ego, not the pure Soul. So, who are you really? What is your true identity? That’s what we have to find out, and that’s what we call spiritual awakening or spiritual transformation.

To find out, you can attend a Self-realisation ceremony (Gnan Vidhi) led by the current Spiritual Master, Pujya Deepakbhai Desai. This ceremony uses a scientifically proven process to differentiate the permanent 'I' (the true Self or pure Soul) from the temporary 'My' (the ego). By following this scientific approach, one can overcome any sort of internal or external struggle and learn how to conquer depression.

After attaining Self-realisation, by following Gnani’s (the Enlightened One) words, the soul's experience is protected and nurtured while simultaneously carrying out all our worldly interactions with the right understanding.

Self-realization will support you in not succumbing to depression in any circumstance. This is because a blissful state emerges spontaneously within you after the separation of the ego from your true Self, the pure Soul, during the ceremony, which prevents feelings of depression.

Upon realizing your true identity, your perception of negative situations will instantly shift. Following a spiritual awakening, you will come to understand that feelings of depression and crises of faith are attributes of the ego, not of your true Self. It is the ego that experiences doubt, highs and lows, and loss of faith, and when it does, it gets ready to move towards the Soul, which has no doubts, no highs and lows and no loss of faith. And hence, depression can be or is considered a part of the night of the Soul. Without this night, it is difficult for the Soul to leap forward into spiritual transformation.

To read more: https://dbf.adalaj.org/yz0UNjr5