Book II, Chapter VI Summary and Analysis

There are three kinds of pain that result from the extremes of the divine and the human meeting in one. Attachments are stripped away by the divine and the man feels as if he is being eaten by some huge beast. Almost as if the spirit must die a spiritual death and be resurrected as a new being. The soul only feels the spiritual pain of being chastised by God and fears this chastisement will last forever. A person going through this dark night believes his friends have abandoned him, which causes further pain. Another sort of pain is caused by the soul's recognition of its deep poverty and wretchedness. These feelings of poverty are are necessary to completely purge the spirit. Additionally, God also causes this part of man to be consumed as metal...