Ignatian Discernment Institute

Spiritual consolation and spiritual desolation are mutually exclusive experiences: they do not blend but rather succeed each other in time.

To quote Fr. Tim: "There is no shame in experiencing spiritual desolation! It is a garden variety tactic of the Enemy."

As we consider this lie of the Enemy, we see the attempt to equate our desolation with our identity: the lie tells us this is who we are, and this is the only thing we deserve to experience. The burden lifts when we reject this lie.

Spiritual desolation grows very heavy when we believe the lies... when the Enemy tells us that our entire self, our identity is tied to the desolation that we are feeling, the weight only grows. Reject this lie.

Spiritual desolation may bring a sense of irreparable disaster. This is a lie of the Enemy. Spiritual desolations can be overcome using Ignatius's Rules.

Another experience of dryness results from solid growth in prayer. In this situation, God may be calling us to a more simplified form of prayer. In these cases, dryness can be a sign of growth.

Once we see the hallmarks of spiritual desolation in an experience of dryness, we can recognize the Enemy's work and actively reject it.

At its essence, dryness is a lack of the same warmth that we experienced in spiritual consolation.