May 19, 2023 - It may be caused by the evil spirit or brought on by a variety of other causes, but it is always purposeful, namely to withdraw a person’s affections from dwelling on creatures and bring them closer to the Creator.” Catholic Dictionary · In a spiritual attack, desolation is distorted by the devil. It is amplified and used as a weapon against the person. So in this context, desolation is a sign of a spiritual attack.

October 17, 2024 - And now, we’re pivoting to the concept of Spiritual Desolation, an experience characterized by a feeling of disconnection and distance from God. ... A deeper understanding of the natural ups and downs of the spiritual life so you can have more steadiness in your practice and inner peace. The ability to recognize and be aware of the signs of Spiritual Desolation.

March 17, 2017 - In fact, sometimes when I am doing precisely what God is leading me to do, I might feel negative pressure from others, or I might find the experience a challenge because I’m growing and learning. Yet if I sense in my spirit that I’m going the right way, this spiritual reality consoles me whether the day is bumpy or smooth. A person dwells in a state of desolation when she or he is moving away from God’s active presence in the world.

September 12, 2011 - Ignatius tells us that times of spiritual desolation are a normal part of the spiritual journey for those moving towards God, ebbing and flowing between periods of consolation. The spiritual desolation of which he speaks should not be confused with psychological or medical conditions, which bring on depressive feelings and sometimes require professional help.

August 21, 2024 - Desolation = from the Latin desolatus, “to leave alone,” “is a condition of affective heaviness that instills sadness and depletes energy for living.” · Spiritual Desolation = an affective heaviness that directly impacts my relationship with God.

January 14, 2026 - In Catholic spirituality, spiritual dryness or desolation is a lack of spiritual consolation in one's spiritual life. It is a form of spiritual crisis experienced subjectively as a sense of separation from God or lack of spiritual feeling, especially during contemplative prayer.

July 15, 2022 - Desolation is the feeling of disconnectedness, dryness, and distance from God. An in-turning, focus on self or the inability to go beyond our limited perception of the moment. I don’t claim to know much about Ignatian Spirituality, but since my spiritual director is a Jesuit, I have come to have a rudimentary understanding of the terms.

July 22, 2025 - Simply because you sat down one morning and didn’t feel much in prayer is not a sign that you are in desolation. That may simply be regular, day-to-day or week-to-week dryness. Nor is it depression. Desolation is not simply feeling sad. You can be quite sad (say, after the death of a loved one) and still feel a powerful sense of God’s presence in your prayer. So what is it? In an article for America called “The Seven D’s of the Spiritual Life” (that is, darkness, dryness, desolation, doubt, disbelief, depression and despair), I offered this definition, building on insights from St.

June 15, 2021 - Ignatius of Loyola to the inner state characterized by darkness, dryness, torpor, agitation, melancholy, earthly-mindedness, and an acute sense of distance from our Lord and Creator.

October 29, 2025 - It is important to note the power of healthy spirituality in healing. When desolation occurs, the soul is also wounded as well as its overall outlook. It is important to identity possible depression or cases of intense anxiety that can exist in individuals. If not already a licensed counselor or healthcare professional, then pastoral counselors should identify signs ...

April 23, 2024 - Teresa used to say, “our lot is not to enjoy God, but to do his holy will.” And again, “Love of God does not consist in experiencing his tenderness, but in serving him with resolution and humility.” And in yet another place, “God’s true lovers are discovered in times of aridity and temptation.” · Let the soul thank God when she experiences his loving endearments, but let her not repine when she finds herself left in desolation. It is important to lay great stress on this point, because some souls, beginners in the spiritual life, finding themselves in spiritual aridity, think God has abandoned them, or that the spiritual life is not for them; thus they give up the practice of prayer and lose what they have previously gained.

March 30, 2023 - A kind of mist that clouds the soul and takes control of your life. There is no joy, and nothing is good or satisfying. You walk around in a haze, unaware of the world around you, your senses deadened.

October 28, 2025 - First, we have to have a quick review of what we mean by “consolation and desolation” in the spiritual life. Usually, these terms refer to the felt presence of God in our soul (consolation), or the absence of that feeling (desolation). By faith we know that God is always thinking of us, with us, interested in our lives, and loving us with a personal, determined love.

April 26, 2013 - The soul feels sluggish, slothful, sad, and separated from God. The spiritual life is tepid or lukewarm and does not bring joy or peace.” (58) Ignatius offers three reasons why a Christian might experience desolation.

September 27, 2017 - This runs contrary to the movement of desolation; for in desolation, the world feels meaningless. And the experience of meaningless suffering tends to erode our hope and confidence. Whereas, if we see meaning in our suffering, if we choose to see it as a trial permitted by God, it can give us strength. Rule eight gives us a glimpse of the spiritual boldness of Ignatius.

January 21, 2019 - 1. DARKNESS of soul—imagine being spiritually in a dark tunnel, or a dungeon, or a cave. There you have it, but within your soul! 2. ...

It is an interior movement of the soul to love God first, and all other things in Him. It is a growth in virtue or joy which lead a man to strive for love of God. Spiritual desolation, on the other hand, is the de-motivation of the soul which makes one apathetic, feeling separated from God, darkness of soul.

July 2, 2024 - Desolation refers to those interior motions produced in us by the evil spirit. Included under the umbrella of desolation are things like gloominess of soul, confusion, disquiet, distrust, tepidity and sadness (Spiritual Exercises [317]).

April 1, 2022 - And what’s worse is that desolation–feeling distant and dry in matters of the spirit–leads to a cycle of more desolation, since apathy causes a lack of desire to take up our practices. An analogy I like to use is comparing our spiritual lives to physical health.

August 6, 2022 - The third common way that a desolation can set in is when God is allowing me to experience dryness in pray so that I can grow. Often times I relate this to working out. Muscle growth only happens when the muscles are stretched, tested, and pushed to a new limit. Working out is often also accompanied by a physical soreness. The same is true in the spiritual life.