Dark Night of the Soul vs Depression – What’s the Difference? | John of the Cross & real experience

In this episode we explore the difference between clinical depression and the Dark Night of the Soul, a concept rooted in mystical traditions such as the writings of John of the Cross. While modern psychology defines depression through symptom clusters like emptiness, cognitive fog, and emotional flattening, spiritual traditions often describe similar states as part of a deeper transformative process.We focus especially on the experience of emptiness, which can appear both in depression and in contemplative or spiritual development—but may have entirely different meanings depending on context. Is it a sign of psychological disorder, or a phase of inner restructuring and awakening?The episode also discusses how individuals can experience overlapping symptoms—loss of motivation, isolation, reduced thinking, and emotional numbness—yet interpret them in radically different ways depending on whether the framework is clinical psychology or spiritual philosophy.This is a reflection on the borderland between mental health, spirituality, and consciousness development, and why understanding both perspectives may be essential to avoid misinterpretation of inner crises.🔗 For more practical insights and shorter spiritual reflections find my page here: the-dark-night-of-the-soul.blogspot.comKeywords:#modernmysticism #JohnOfTheCross #ChristianMysticism #DarkNightOfSoul #spiritualmelancholy#SpiritualDarkness#DarkNightOfTheSoulPodcast#SpiritualCrisis#spiritualstruggle#mysticalself#DivineDiscontentExplained#SpiritualDespair