We've all been through the Dark Night to varying degrees at some point, whether we knew it or not at the time, and I know from my own experience that the stages from Dissolution to Re-Observation, while often difficult, are always the source of some profound insights. I'm posting this as an encouragement to those traversing this territory and to see what everyone else gains from this stage rather than dwelling on the dark side of things.
For me the main focus of this stage is about surrender, just letting what happens happen and cultivating acceptance of even the most difficult of situations. I've found that to fight Dark Night is a waste of energy which can be better directed towards practice which, particulaly during this stage, seems to go from feeling very laboured and pointless to creating an incredible clarity which cuts through the "rawness". What's most interesting for me is the ability to watch pre-conditioned emotional reactions play out with no attachment, nowhere for them to "detonate" so they just kinda drift up, they're there, then they're gone.
I hope that more people will find these stages to be rewarding and beneficial in the long-term, and find the strength to just let them happen as they do, realise that change is the only guarantee in life and see the Three Characteristics as the blades which cut through the illusion.
What's your take on this folks? Show's y'er insights.....