Sensual vs Spiritual

[dean24us]

Hello! I am reading Dark Night of the Soul by Saint John of the Cross. He makes frequent references to the “sensual” and the “spiritual”, but I’m having a hard time determining the difference between the two. Can anyone shed light on this? Also, how does one go about discerning between the sensual and spiritual?

God bless,
Dean

 

[Lady_Love]

I think it is hard to make distinctions because what is spiritual is intangible and very difficult to describe, if you can describe it at all.

The sensual is a little easier because you feel and perceive but ultimately in the end the goal is to integrate the sensual and spiritual in perfect alignment with the will of God. Both are essential to the human experience and our relationship with God.

I can guess that the sensual is a number of things such as being able to “see” God working in your life and feel Him present during prayer or even other times. Often there is a “high” of sorts from the practice of spiritual things. I think of marriage when you are infatuated with your beloved and it gives you such a great feeling to be in love. The feeling is NOT actually love. The love is in its infancy and getting much TLC from heaven, a lot of floods of passion, even heart flutters, you can devote a lot of time to prayer because it is rather enjoyable. All good stuff.

But the chemicals die down and the senses aren’t as stimulated, you might not feel as eager to devote so much time and attention because there isn’t much in it for YOU. But here is where love is made pure and real. You stop seeking an experience rather than sharing or giving an experience.

I’d say the spiritual is that connection that you don’t really “feel” but you just “know.” It’s something deeper and so real you take it for granted. Kind of like air. Now we don’t really perceive air but if you didn’t have it, you would suddenly become aware of the lack of it’s presence. Going through the dark night of the soul would be like climbing to the top of a mountain where the air gets thinner and harder to breath until you get acclimated.

That’s my shot at it!

 

[irishOntarian]

That seems about right. Things like the intellect and will, for instance, are spiritual properties, though they pass through the brain to achieve physical articulation. Remember that our body and soul are complexly integrated, so nothing is present to one and completely separate from the other. At least, that is my understanding - it might be argued that one’s soul doesn’t get directly involved in his digestion

 

[Marocchino]

I just completed Dark Night of the Soul recently. Sensual refers to those experiences / pleasures gained from the senses. Night of sense is therefore the mortification of the senses through fasting and other similar works. Spiritual refers to those experiences / pleasures gained through spiritual practices. Night of the soul refers to when God deprives a person of the spiritual consolation usually attained through prayer and other spiritual practices. This causes aridity in the soul, which no longer derives sweetness / pleasure from prayer and other spiritual practices. So now, instead of doing these things for pleasure, the soul does them out of pure love for God, which is why God strikes souls with the night of the soul. It is like a mother weaning a child in order to bring that child to greater maturity and accustom him / her to eat solid food. I hope my explanation helps. God bless you.

 

[fred_conty]

That was a good explaination.

There is a constant struggle between body and soul, of doing good or doing evil. The body is attracted to all sorts of sinful pleasure which the soul knows better than to give in. The soul should be in control but is harrassed by the body’s lower nature.

To bring the body under control, the saints practised fasting and other mortifications. When viewed, two reactions occur. Either the denial that the body’s desires are not wrong and that a person who holds this view is wrong. Or approval of the saints’ actions to subjugate the body to the control and lead of the soul thru practices of self denial.

Notice that these practices are not performed as an end in themselves, but as a means of allowing a greater focus on doing the will of God by weakening the impulse of the body’s desires which lead away from God.

Just a thought.