Book I, Chapter IX Summary and Analysis

Christians can experience the events of the dark night even if they are not actually going through the dark night, which is the presence of sin in their lives. There are several signs that tells a person s/he is going through a dark night or if s/he is just suffering with sinfulness. One going through the dark night do not find pleasure in anything spiritual or physical. Also a person experiencing this night will have one's full concentration upon God. Those not in the dark night will not have the mind completely set on God. During the dark night, the believer will feel God has switched off the sensual pleasure receptors, but switches on the spiritual pleasure receptors. It takes awhile to learn to enjoy spiritual pleasures. There is a time when God...