Consider the idea of the dark night of the spirit and/or soul. Choose a person, either from the Bible or modern times who you think has experienced this dark night. Explain why you think they've experienced this night and how it has changed them.

Taking into account your religious background, do you think the soul travels through these dark nights as St. John as described? Why or why not.

One point that St. John makes concerning the dark night of the spirit is that the soul cannot be united in love with God until it finds itself to be contemptible. In your opinion, what do you think St. John means by this. Is the soul really supposed to hate itself? Or just the evil things it does? Explain your answer.

Consider souls in purgatory. In what ways are these souls like those going...