[openeyes]

"spiritual crisis, spiritual madness, spiritual emergency, divine madness, holy madness... these are various phrases that have been used to describe a unique experience - a profound test of faith and spiritual endurance - that seems to be a necessary part of walking the path home to God. You cannot find the Light unless you enter the darkness."

"It is ironic that along with the rapture of remembering our divine connection, there can be intense feelings of depression, madness, detachment, hopelessness and an extraordinary loneliness that is not only relentless but may last for months or years on end."

It's no surprise that meditation books don't widely advertise this.

Both I and a friend have had strong experiences of that. Funny how there's so little support in our culture for dealing with such things, even among spiritually oriented groups. People are mostly told about the rosy sides of the spiritual path, not all the stuff it can dig up that must be then dealt with. Serious work can get messy, but it's an adventure sport like no other.