In terms of faith, it's the story (and not the facts) that grips the imagination, impregnates the heart, and animates the spirit
within bringing meaning and integration into one's experience.
The dark night of the soul refers to an extended period of acute purification that a spiritual practitioner undergoes immediately before making the final transition to deep spiritual awakening. It emphasizes purification and the act of letting go of what no longer serves after many lesser trials have been navigated.