Spiritual Afterglow & Discernment

#spiritualdiscernment #consolation #ignatianspirituality #spiritualdirector #spiritualpractices

Discerning the Effects of Spiritual Consolation

Have you ever had an amazing, out of the blue, spiritual experience that became a launching pad on your journey in life? Not to bust your bubble, but some of these consolations could guide you on the best path and some on a wild goose chase.

In Ignatian discernment these, out of the blue, or "consolation without previous cause" experiences can actually be the most authentic; they don't have a previous cause such as: scripture meditation, worship, or some other spiritual activity. While most spiritual consolation is a grace from God, "consolation without previous cause" can cut through our limited understanding, our will, and biases.

Even with these seeming authentic spiritual experiences wisdom would guide us to discern and separate the time immediately following the consolation from the experience itself. Saint Ignatius instructs us: (SpEx 336) "the soul frequently forms various resolutions and plans that aren't granted directly by God our Lord. They may come from our own reasoning on the relations of our concepts and on the consequences of our judgments, or they may come from the good or evil spirit. Hence, they must be carefully examened before they are given full approval and put into execution."

Gregory Cleveland, OMV has a memorable name for this time following our consolation in his book Awakening Love, An Ignatian Retreat with the Song of Songs as: "an (afterglow) experience...we continue to linger in the delightful feelings and memory of the encounter...we may introduce our own thoughts or be open to the influence of the evil one, all the while thinking the influence remains God's. We can only be sure about the feelings and ideas introduced in the consolation itself. If we blur our consolations with our afterglows, then we can easily make the mistake of assuming God sanctions all our opinions and plans." An example of this from scripture would be Peter's response on the mountain of Transfiguration when he wants to build three tents. (Luke 9:28-36)

I find it helpful to relish and sit with the initial consolation sinking further into God's presence and seeking the Holy Spirit's filling and wisdom before moving into reflection and action. This isn't easy to do, especially, if you are like me, a curious, reflective person or like many, a person of action. This method could apply to many ways you sense God's guidance, such as: words of knowledge, wisdom, dreams, prophecy, circumstances or signs, etc.

Another good idea is to reach out to a trained spiritual director in your times of discernment. "When my thoughts take me down a rabbit hole or have me chasing squirrels, a spiritual director helps me refocus on the actual issue and solutions. In short, we are not always our best counselors - sometimes we need outside perspective to keep us on the right track." Come Find Space with God, Guidelines for Life through Spiritual Practices, Leoma Gilley & Carol Mullen

Carol Mullen Spiritual Director, CLC, CSC

Soul's Sanctuary Spiritual Direction & Coaching

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