Dark Nights of the Soul

A Guide to Finding Your Way Through Life's Ordeals

By: Thomas Moore

Narrated by: Thomas Moore

Every human life is made up of the light and the dark, the happy and the sad, the vital and the deadening. How you think about this rhythm of moods makes all the difference.

Our lives are filled with emotional tunnels: the loss of a loved one or end of a relationship, aging and illness, career disappointments or just an ongoing sense of dissatisfaction with life. Society tends to view these “dark nights” in clinical terms as obstacles to be overcome as quickly as possible. But Moore shows how honoring these periods of fragility as periods of incubation and positive opportunities to delve the soul’s deepest needs can provide healing and a new understanding of life’s meaning. Dark Nights of the Soul presents these metaphoric dark nights not as the enemy, but as times of transition, occasions to restore yourself, and transforming rites of passage, revealing an uplifting and inspiring new outlook on such topics as:

• The healing power of melancholy
• The sexual dark night and the mysteries of matrimony
• Finding solace during illness and in aging
• Anxiety, anger, and temporary Insanities
• Linking creativity, spirituality, and emotional struggles
• Finding meaning and beauty in the darkness

©2004 Thomas Moore; (P)2004 Penguin Audio and Books on Tape, Inc.

Best book on the dark night of the soul so far

Plenty of quality jungian literature has a chapter or two about the dark night, but this book focuses on this very topic. It’s rich and helpful. It’s a good complement to Hollis’ chapter 3 “the swamplands” of “Through a Dark wood”

Highly insightful and reflective.... Very applicab

Highly insightful and reflective...... Very applicable to my life. Brought me out of my self pity and helped me to reengage living life fully

lots of good things to ponder

While I don't think every part of it was applicable to me, I did feel profound ideas shining through. I am going through a dark night myself and this has helped me feel so much more confident about getting through it and having it change me for the better. Wise man. Thank you for this book Thomas Moore.

Content and delivery

Excellent work, very thorough analysis and good execution of the content. I could listen to this many times.

Thank you for your work.

Did I set my expectations too high?

I picked this book based on the glowing reputation it had in reviews and the media. So many people have found this book to be a rich spiritual resource to help find their way back from dark times in their lives. Maybe I was hoping for too much. Somehow it just didn't seem to have the depth I expected. I love the concept by the way: dark times are an opportunity to reevaluate our lives and reemerge with a deeper understanding and appreciation of why we are here. Maybe someday I'll give it another try. For now, I think I'll stick with The Road Less Traveled.