The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped

Fiona Robertson
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Spirituality

Welcome to the The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped, a podcast for anyone who is going through or curious about spiritual emergency, existential crisis, or the dark night of the soul. Fiona Robertson and her guests share their experiences of being in - and emerging out of - this lonely and sometimes terrifying terrain, without glossing over the realities. They discuss - amongst many other things - how it relates to trauma, illness, embodiment, spiritual teachings and ideas about awakening, and the state of the wider world. Expect openness, honesty, love, groundedness, nuance, laughter, and a lack of dogma. New episodes on the first of each month. You’re welcome to contact The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped via email: darknightunwrapped@gmail.com  

  1. 1d ago

    43. "You're like the goo in the cocoon right now." With Carmen Lau

    Carmen’s dark night began after a significant spiritual shift. After a period of ecstasy, grief, and the dissolution of her sense of self, there was “a big readjustment process” during which she had “the embodied experience” of all the psychological content that hadn’t been felt at the time. She spent months journalling, “grappling with reality and what is,” seeing her defences and delusions, and feeling rage, grief and primal fear. Now, “nothing looks the way it used to look.” Amongst many other things, we talk about riding the storms on a flimsy raft; letting our hearts break all the way; being shredded; and dying many times over. We touch on having the insides of our psyches rearranged; having to give up everything we knew in order to get through the gates; being a hermit; and opening up a gap where the light can come in. We discuss grieving the loss of our innocence, and how innocence, ignorance and naivete shield us; working through the psychological knots that previously contorted us; and becoming comfortable with awkwardness. We also mention having “an increased capacity to hold paradoxical emotions”; seeing god but also your demons; and the “striking aliveness that comes from living unarmoured.” Carmen Lau is a San Francisco–based writer exploring meditation, consciousness, and the inner life. She has practiced meditation for a decade, including periods of intensive practice and profound shifts in experience. Her writing on advanced meditation has recently appeared in Asterisk Magazine. Her article on the dark night of the soul is on Substack. Fiona Robertson is the author of The Dark Night of the Soul: A Journey from Absence to Presence, and Eve Was a Realist: Poems for the Untamed Heart. She works one to one with people who are going through a dark night or spiritual emergency, accompanying them in this challenging terrain as they rediscover and deepen into their real selves. She also offers a monthly dark night gathering group, and occasional workshops for therapists and counsellors. Connect with Fiona Mentions Carmen mentions The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Lispector. She also mentions the Buddhist conception of the six realms of Samsara, which includes the realm of hungry ghosts, which was not mentioned in the episode. More details can be found here. Thank you for listening. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share – your support is much appreciated! You’re welcome to contact The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped via email: darknightunwrapped@gmail.com Music by James Waring / Design by Adam McKillop / Artwork by Stefan Armoneit

  2. 1d ago

    42. "It was like I'd stepped into another realm." With Lizzie Bryher

    Lizzie’s dark night began with a panic attack on a plane. She became claustrophobic, and “went into terror about the terror.” She had no idea what was happening, and fought it strongly. Gradually, she came to understand that she’d spent a lifetime suppressing and trying to cover up who she was, having been severely bullied as a child. She slowly began to move towards and be with her experience, and started to touch into a beautiful and sacred space. Amongst many other things, we talk about how being in a safe and profoundly loving partnership opened something within her; the visceral power of the sensations and energies that emerge in the dark night; and becoming dedicated to the unravelling. We touch on fawning, pleasing and pretending to be okay; meeting the young, terrified part of ourselves with tenderness; and the cruelty of spiritual teachings. We discuss how the sense of authority shifts from outside to inside; the treasures that comes from being in this place; and being stuck in “shame pits.” We also mention fighting, kicking and screaming, and being at war with ourselves; doing ancestral work; being fully alive even amidst grief; and being “tenderised” by the dark night. Lizzie Bryher is a somatic trauma informed practitioner. Her work involves tuning into the many layers of a person’s experience, sensing the connections between body, mind, personal history, ancestral influences, and what is unfolding in the present. She moves between what is spoken and unspoken, what is felt and suppressed, earlier experiences and present-day patterns, as well as what she notices in the relational space between herself and the person she is working with. As underlying patterns become clearer, Lizzie draws on the modalities best suited to what is emerging, supporting the process of feeling, integrating and releasing what has been held. Her approach is holistic, recognising that body, mind and spirit all hold important information. By working across these layers, Lizzie helps bring awareness to not only what is showing up in the present, but also the deeper patterns that may be keeping it in place. Her work is shaped by training in EFT, Havening, IEMT and NARM, and rooted in the relational approach of Thomas Hübl’s teachings. She is also the host of the Alchemical Meanderings podcast. Connect with Lizzie Fiona Robertson is the author of The Dark Night of the Soul: A Journey from Absence to Presence, and Eve Was a Realist: Poems for the Untamed Heart. She works one to one with people who are going through a dark night or spiritual emergency, accompanying them in this challenging terrain as they rediscover and deepen into their real selves. She also offers a monthly dark night gathering group, and occasional workshops for therapists and counsellors. Connect with Fiona Thank you for listening. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share - your support is much appreciated! You’re welcome to contact The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped via email: darknightunwrapped@gmail.com Music by James Waring / Design by Adam McKillop / Artwork by Stefan Armoneit

  3. Oct 1

    41. "You go even a couple of layers deeper than you thought possible." With Anneke Sips

    Anneke has experienced several dark nights, the first after an accident when she was sixteen. She has worked in mental health for many years, including in hospital settings and as a community psychiatric nurse, and has accompanied people on their descents as well as navigating her own. Amongst many other things, we talk about how the dark night pushes us into “a deeper something,” including previously unrecognised trauma; crumbling, and not having anything to hold onto; and how “some things must die before something else can be rebirthed.” We discuss the difference between depression and the dark night; the “innate aliveness” that comes “from deep inside, like a seed”; and connecting to the innate intelligence that is inherent in nature. We touch on discovering intimacy with ourselves and life during the dark night; clinging to our identities; and meeting the place where “ deep love, deep grief, and deep healing live.” We also mention the stigma of labels like psychosis and the centrality of curiosity, openness, innocence and vulnerability; the importance of myths, poems, and songs, and the dark nights of Persephone and Inanna; being stripped of our “garments” and becoming an anam cara; and finding oaks on which to lean. Anneke Sips is the author of The Wisdom of Psychosis, and an integrative trauma therapist. She pioneered the integration of yoga into psychiatric settings, and is a founding member of the Global Consortium of Yoga Therapy. Her work bridges psychiatry and embodied healing — exploring the deeper layers of human consciousness through an integrative and relational lens. Known for her grounded presence and clarity, Anneke supports individuals, families, and professionals worldwide in learning to meet altered states and lived experience with steadiness, dignity, and discernment. Connect with Anneke Fiona Robertson is the author of The Dark Night of the Soul: A Journey from Absence to Presence, and Eve Was a Realist: Poems for the Untamed Heart. She works one to one with people who are going through a dark night or spiritual emergency, accompanying them in this challenging terrain as they rediscover and deepen into their real selves. She also offers a monthly dark night gathering group, and occasional workshops for therapists and counsellors. Connect with Fiona Mentions We mention the myths of Persephone and Inanna. Fiona quotes from Anneke’s dark night of the soul guide. Thank you for listening. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share - your support is much appreciated! You’re welcome to contact The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped via email: darknightunwrapped@gmail.com Music by James Waring / Design by Adam McKillop / Artwork by Stefan Armoneit

  4. Oct 1

    40. "What have I not seen before that I'm seeing now?" With Monica Douglas

    Monica’s dark night journey has included periods of “dropping into deep, dark, contemplative spaces” and moments of expanded perception that, on one occasion, “could have been described as a psychotic episode.” She has experienced “a widening of spiritual perception,” and now understands the dark night as initiation; a landing in the body; and a movement of “compassionate discovery and reconnection to the whole.” Amongst many other things, we talk about neuroses coming to the surface; the death of “the old concept of who you are”; and opening our own Pandora’s box. We touch on turning the lens inwards; being with people who can “hold the fullness” of all that we are in any given moment; and “creating enough space to lay what’s there on the table.” We discuss the power of story, metaphor and image; how trying to push or “hack” the dark night can cause damage; and how the dark night, for some of us, is a natural part of the seasons of life, so can’t be sped up or slowed down. We also mention spirit – whatever that means for each of us; how simple rituals create pauses or spaces; and how we might co-create rituals for the dark night. Monica Douglas is an ordained Interfaith Minister and Relationship Coach with over 25 years of experience in professional and personal development. Certified in a range of coaching and wellbeing modalities, she supports heart-centred people to thrive in their relationships – at home, at work and within themselves. Her work is rooted in five core values: joy, love, alignment, collaboration and impact. Monica is currently developing Ten Good Men, a project dedicated to supporting responsible, caring fathers as they navigate significant relationship crossroads, including separation, divorce and rebuilding healthy, loving relationships with their children, partners and other loved ones. The project creates space for men to navigate change consciously, strengthen their relationships and thrive as fathers, partners and individuals. Connect with Monica Fiona Robertson is the author of The Dark Night of the Soul: A Journey from Absence to Presence, and Eve Was a Realist: Poems for the Untamed Heart. She works one to one with people who are going through a dark night or spiritual emergency, accompanying them in this challenging terrain as they rediscover and deepen into their real selves. She also offers a monthly dark night gathering group, and occasional workshops for therapists and counsellors. Connect with Fiona Mentions Monica mentions her mentor, the author and teacher Sobonfu Somé. She also mentions The Reach Approach. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share. You’re welcome to contact The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped via email: darknightunwrapped@gmail.com Music by James Waring / Design by Adam McKillop / Artwork by Stefan Armoneit

  5. Oct 1

    39. "Focus on the next step." With Vincent Van den Broeck

    In 2024, Vincent was busy restructuring his restaurant business when he was hit by a car. He sustained a serious brain injury and was given a ten per cent chance of survival. He spent weeks in a coma, and then months in rehab, learning how to walk, talk, and feed himself again. Two years on, he is back at work, and is now sharing what he has learnt from his experiences. Amongst many other things, Vincent and I talk about how his priorities shifted after the accident and how spending time with people he loves is now “non-negotiable”; the many losses he’d sustained beforehand; and having people hold him accountable. We touch on our love of life, including the adversities and obstacles; simplicity and overcomplication; growing outside your comfort zone; and realising that “nobody is setting the rules but yourself.” We discuss improving our relationship with loss; taking the next steps, however small they may be; facing rather than avoiding; and asking, “Why not me?” We also mention doing, and making a commitment to yourself; body and mind being one; the co-existence of beauty and heartbreak; and the idea of putting things in a jar for the future you. Vincent Van den Broeck is a restauranteur, the author of Everything Feels Impossible Until It's Done: How the life you build becomes the life that saves you; and the founder of The Until It’s Done Club. He combines real-life experience with a simple, practical system designed to help people take control of their habits, decisions, and direction — and build a life they don’t need to escape from. He lives in Brussels, Belgium. Connect with Vincent Fiona Robertson is the author of The Dark Night of the Soul: A Journey from Absence to Presence, and Eve Was a Realist: Poems for the Untamed Heart. She works one to one with people who are going through a dark night or spiritual emergency, accompanying them in this challenging terrain as they rediscover and deepen into their real selves. She also offers a monthly dark night gathering group, and occasional workshops for therapists and counsellors. Connect with Fiona If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share. You’re welcome to contact The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped via email: darknightunwrapped@gmail.com Music by James Waring / Design by Adam McKillop / Artwork by Stefan Armoneit

  6. Oct 1

    38. "I don't want to play these roles any more that serve this system." With Rose Uncharted

    Rose has been in a “profound unravelling” for years, “shedding beliefs, systems, entire ways of life.” After a period of awakening, she came to a “screeching halt,” and found herself going into the void or “cavern of darkness” as she “finally faced the story she had been too scared to face” – her programming around marriage. She has since gone through a “complete stripping down,” dissolving the layers of false identities and conditioning and repatterning her nervous system. Amongst many other things, we talk about “diving into the unconscious layers to uncover the soul”; beginning to reckon with the pain of what we’ve done to ourselves; and realising that we “cannot do another person’s inner work for them.” We touch on revoking our participation in the crumbling old paradigm; seeing “behind the curtain”; trading in our souls for love and belonging; and being committed to the unfolding. We discuss “the centuries of repressed feminine rage” that are currently erupting; withdrawing our attention from the “old grid,” and the rage – or extinction burst – that follows; and seeing “the gold underneath.” We also mention the undoing of illusions; letting things fall; the nature of sovereignty; and how much our souls are “worth returning to.” Rose Uncharted writes on Substack at The Remembering. She is a voice and mirror for those rebuilding from soul memory, speaking from within the raw interior of dismantling and return. Her essay, The Withdrawal of Consent, outlines her experience of unravelling. Fiona Robertson is the author of The Dark Night of the Soul: A Journey from Absence to Presence, and Eve Was a Realist: Poems for the Untamed Heart. She works one to one with people who are going through a dark night or spiritual emergency, accompanying them in this challenging terrain as they rediscover and deepen into their real selves. She also offers a monthly dark night gathering group, and occasional workshops for therapists and counsellors. Connect with Fiona Mentions Rose mentions the Twelfth House, an astrological term referring to the final realm of the zodiac wheel. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share. You’re welcome to contact The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped via email: darknightunwrapped@gmail.com Music by James Waring / Design by Adam McKillop / Artwork by Stefan Armoneit

  7. Sep 1

    37. "I didn't know I could be my own authority." With Julie Freeman

    Julie’s dark night – or her “descent into the belly of the whale” – first began when she lost her mother while pregnant with her daughter. “It just snowballed from one bad event to another,” and she was diagnosed with severe post-partum depression. Eventually, feeling “lost and alone,” she began seeking, “looking for a way to find solace.” Believing herself to be fundamentally flawed – as she’d been conditioned to believe by an authoritarian Christian upbringing – it took many years before she realised that “seeking was taking me away from myself,” and slowly began to turn towards herself. Amongst many other things, Julie and I talk about being forced to stop; all the “good girl stuff” like keeping the peace and learning to perform; and the transgressive nature of carving out space and time for ourselves. We discuss eventually seeing the extent of our fawning; becoming aware of the pain of self-betrayal; and coming back to loving ourselves. We touch on knowing the inherent value of everything and everyone; the importance of calling back our rejected parts; and the need for stillness and slowing down. We also mention the “mystery larger than us that knows the way”; the sacredness of life; and loving weird insects. Julie Freeman is a semi-retired psychotherapist, artist, feminist, spiritual seeker, highly sensitive person, recovering codependent and would-be writer. Her article, Dark Night of the Soul in Three Acts, is on Substack. She is the co-founder of Speak Up Sister, an international organization dedicated to helping women and girls build confidence, safety, resilience, and assertiveness for the advancement of gender equality and human rights world wide. Fiona Robertson is the author of The Dark Night of the Soul: A Journey from Absence to Presence, and Eve Was a Realist: Poems for the Untamed Heart. She works one to one with people who are going through a dark night or spiritual emergency, accompanying them in this challenging terrain as they rediscover and deepen into their real selves. She also offers a monthly dark night gathering group, and occasional workshops for therapists and counsellors. Connect with Fiona If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share. You’re welcome to contact The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped via email: darknightunwrapped@gmail.com Music by James Waring / Design by Adam McKillop / Artwork by Stefan Armoneit

  8. Sep 1

    36. "Motherhood is a space of complete not-knowing." With Julie Reshe

    Julie was already a philosopher and psychoanalyst when her dark night began. In questioning her experience of depression, she came up with what she calls negative practice or negative philosophy, “installing places where negativity and suffering can be encountered without escaping into positivity.” Amongst many other things, we discuss depression as a perspective on and compassion to the world; trauma as an initiation into the knowing of the too-muchness and horror of reality; and the concept of social death. We talk about the importance of truly witnessing horror, rather than trying to find solutions to it; trying to unhappen the past; and the end of hope. We touch on the idea of motherhood, both existentially and physically; being blamed, and accepting blame; and the pain of our children’s pain. We mention the radical transformations of labour, menopause, and aging; the idea of the therapy session as a funeral for what’s being lost; and the dark night as a time during which “you hold the world for a while.” Julie cites the work of Susan Brison, and her account of rape; she “imposes” some of Heidegger’s philosophy, and describes her idea of being-with-towards-death; and she questions the philosophical notion of the subject. Dr Julie Reshe is a philosopher, and the author of a negative psychoanalytic approach. She holds the position of a Visiting Professor at University College Cork and University College Dublin, and is also a Director of the Institute of Psychoanalysis, Global Center for Advanced Studies. She is the author of Negative Psychoanalysis for the Living Dead: Philosophical Pessimism and the Death Drive; Death and Love: Psychoanalytic and Philosophical Perspectives (co-edited with Todd McGowan), and Negative Essays on Death, Love, and Depressive Realism. Her essay on Ukrainian war widows is on Aeon. Connect with Julie Fiona Robertson is the author of The Dark Night of the Soul: A Journey from Absence to Presence, and Eve Was a Realist: Poems for the Untamed Heart. She works one to one with people who are going through a dark night or spiritual emergency, accompanying them in this challenging terrain as they rediscover and deepen into their real selves. She also offers a monthly dark night gathering group, and occasional workshops for therapists and counsellors. Connect with Fiona Mentions Julie cites Susan Brison’s book, Aftermath: Violence and the Remaking of a Self. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share. You’re welcome to contact The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped via email: darknightunwrapped@gmail.com Music by James Waring / Design by Adam McKillop / Artwork by Stefan Armoneit

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to the The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped, a podcast for anyone who is going through or curious about spiritual emergency, existential crisis, or the dark night of the soul. Fiona Robertson and her guests share their experiences of being in - and emerging out of - this lonely and sometimes terrifying terrain, without glossing over the realities. They discuss - amongst many other things - how it relates to trauma, illness, embodiment, spiritual teachings and ideas about awakening, and the state of the wider world. Expect openness, honesty, love, groundedness, nuance, laughter, and a lack of dogma. New episodes on the first of each month. You’re welcome to contact The Dark Night of the Soul Unwrapped via email: darknightunwrapped@gmail.com  

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