The Dark Night Of The Soul. Aldivan Teixeira Torres

the soul). Opening it, a suffocating force pushes me inside and straight away I find myself in a large chamber, badly lit and sad, full of images of saints. I walk towards the Centre and I am able to read a phrase on the floor. It reads: Choose your saint and good luck. I have got several options: The saint of the desperate, the saint of impossible causes, and the saint of the oppressed, the saint of the travels, among others. I calmly analyse the situation and my needs. I am not desperate like the last time that I have entered the cave, nor I am wronged. These saints are no good for me. I was there precisely searching for a journey beyond the senses and trying to discover my real powers. Eliminating the unnecessary options, I decide to keep the saint of the travels. The choice made, I touch the respective saint and in so doing several doors open in front of me and on one of them was written: astral or spiritual travel. With no more doubts, I walk towards it and as I open it the unexpected happens. Suddenly, my senses are awaken and with a thrust my spirit wanders through distant times and spaces. On this journey, nothing seems very clear, but I can catch a glimpse of darkness, suffering, confusion and much pain. I see the bravery of a man fighting within himself an interminable war against his dark night of the soul. In this fight I see battles won and lost at the same time. I also see the dark night strengthening any time he slips up, and desperation falling on the miserable. Already in the spiritual plan, I see worlds battling for that man’s soul. There is a short passage of time and at the end of it I see a small light that can be his salvation. That light is intense and the dark night disappears with its presence, but there is lack of attitude on part of the man. Will it be that his repentance is really genuine? Did his dark night still remain in his heart? Before I could get the answers, the experience ends I return to my normal state. The door closes and I return to the same chamber. Without finding anymore, I decide to make my way back. After a few moments, I return to the galleries and walking rapidly and in 2 hours I walk the entire way of the cave. Getting out, I meet the Hindu again and I approach him for the first considerations.

      —And then? What happened? Did you find what you were looking for? – he asks.

      —The cave helped me in a certain way, but still has not answered the crucial questions. I think that I have to continue to risk, following this dangerous and tortuous path of darkness in order to reach the so desired final revelation. Are you going to carry on helping me?

      —Of course. With meditation and astral journey that we have perfected, I believe that you are already capable of passing the next stage, accomplishing another challenge tomorrow. For the time being, it is better to go back home to rest.

      I agree with my present master and we start walking at once. The initial steps are normal, reflecting the spiritual state of both of us, of someone who have just finished overcome another stage. What would be awaiting us from now on? I couldn’t even imagine, and it was that what was making our actual adventure as special as the first one. Despite all the doubts that I still had, I was absolutely sure of what I wanted and where I wanted to get to. With that conviction, I accelerate the steps and my master accompanies me on the track. In a short time, we covered the distance separating us from the humble house and upon arrival we cooked lunch and afterwards we rested on our uncomfortable beds. At this moment my thoughts were filled with the next day’s expectations, which would be decisive and definite in my career as a beginner writer.

Anger

      The first rays of sun appear, announcing the arrival of a new day. With the light, my senses are awakened little by little. I try to get up straight way, but the weight of the experiences of the previous day stops me doing so. Even so, I do not resign myself, I gather my remaining energies and with a thrust I am able to get up at last. Standing up, I stretch and go towards the improvised bathroom to do my morning ablutions. When I get there, I enter, close the door, undress and start throwing cold water over my body, kept in a container that I have filled in. The first contact with the cold water renews my mood and determination to carry on fighting for my dreams and objectives. I try to simplify things in the best way possible, giving a good and quick cleaning to my body. In a sequence of soap and water, I end up completely clean, put on some clean clothes, I leave the bathroom and go to have my breakfast. Arriving at the kitchen, I meet the Hindu again, who had prepared everything for our breakfast, I begin to help myself and start talking to him.

      —Have you recovered fully from yesterday’s exploits? – asks the master. Look, today’s challenge is not very easy, be careful.

      —To be honest, I haven’t really. However, I find myself very willing. Tell me, in short, how do I have to act to collect one more victory in this next challenge?

      —Firstly, you must keep your courage and fighting spirit. Second, use your knowledge and yesterday’s improvement as weapons to surmount all the adversities. Be strong and don’t lose faith at any time. Only this way you will win again and as a reward you will receive the complete knowledge about the fourth cardinal sin.

      —I understand. Thank you. Could you please also give me some clues about the place and the exact time of the realization of this challenge?

      —As far as the place is concerned, I cannot help you. Follow your intuition. Concerning the time, it will be 08h00 in the morning.

      With this answer from the Hindu, I look at my pocket watch and realise that is almost time. I feel a slight tremor in my body, but I prefer to believe that everything is going to be alright. I hurry up and finish my breakfast, say goodbye to the Hindu and leave at once to accomplish one more stage in my career. When I left, I begun to draw my plans and to ponder which direction to follow. Instinctively, I decide for the northeast due to the fact that I have never travel in those parts. The direction defined, it only remained now the attitude. With the intention of helping my mind, I recall the past knowledge (what I had absorbed since the previous adventure to the present time) and the improvement that I acquired under the supervision from the Hindu. Analysing carefully and impartially, I end up concluding that they had been and are very important for me to become the man who I was at that moment. For this reason, I should use them (whenever necessary) in my favour during this journey (the dark night of the soul) and the next ones that I may undertake. The reader, at this point, may ask: And will this be enough to achieve complete success? That question is extremely difficult and it would be absurd try to answer it, in my present state of evolution as a man and as seer. The only and absolute certainty that I had is that I would risk, no matter how difficult the obstacles were and the path that I intended to walk.

      With that assurance, I walk briskly on the track that I have chosen; sometime later, finally I arrive at the northeast side of the top of the mountain. I carry on walking and suddenly in front of me a mysterious clearing opens up and without thinking I get closer to it. Go into it and arriving exactly to the middle I find a tomb. On a cross by the side I read the following message: Here lies an oppressed one. Driven by a strange force that I cannot explain, I touch the cross. By doing this, the sky darkens, the forces are shaken, and the top of the mountain trembles and the dark night of the soul quickly concentrates around me. After a few instants, a tunnel appears above me and immediately a force sucks my fragile spirit. After that, a kind of astral travelling begins, and by its strength and power, I travel through distant times and spaces for some time until reaching a more visible place. At this moment, my spirit relaxes and as if it were in a film I have the corresponding vision to the fourth cardinal sin:

      “Jefferson and Wesley were two very close brothers, farmers at Pernambuco’s wilderness. Some of their typical characteristics were that they were two serious and honest lads. However, a certain day, at a city’s festival, they met a delicate lass called Andrea. At first sight, by coincidence, both became enchanted with her, getting close, they start chatting with her and both had the chance to dance with her and enjoy the festival together. After that moment, both felt a deep love for her and each one already thought of a prosperous and happy future. However, Jefferson (the wisest) forestalled and the following day managed got get in touch with Andrea. As the meeting, Jefferson wooed her and declared his love for her. She reciprocated and so they started going out together. Sometime later, it was Wesley’s turn to get in touch with Andrea. But when they met he found out what he had feared most: His brother, Jefferson, had stolen her from him. This was the best chance for the dark night to act and transform Wesley’s