Negative Rational Stages - Evolution

 

In existential terms, this is a very distressing time. Though considerable intuitive development takes place in darkness it is only revealed at a later stage.

Rather one is mainly aware of what is lost. Because consciousness is literally undone at this time one moves backwards in time losing touch with many former relationships and skills.

Purgation pertains mainly to the more superficial levels of concrete rational development. St. John of the Cross refers to this as the active night of sense. In religious terms one now dies considerably to the sensible world.

Thus, corresponding to both the affective and cognitive aspects of external concrete rational development, we now have - in the erosion of associated phenomena - the explicit development of the corresponding negative direction.

Purgation would also take place in relation to the internal self (practical feelings and judgements). However realistically at this time it would not be too intense. Psychologically it would be very difficult to support too much erosion of consciousness at this early stage.

Some negation of rational formal understanding would also take place mainly at the external level. In St. John's terminology this is the active night of spirit. However deeper conceptual understanding is likely to remain substantially intact. Again for psychological reasons, the dynamic erosion of consciousness, which involves much suffering and grief normally takes place gradually in several stages.