A “Dark Night.” Extended Concepts in Homo Mysticus for Translational Sciences

Abstract

The paper aims to grasp a contemporary phenomenon known as depression from another, i.e. spiritual angle. The experience described by a Carmelite monk and mystic John of the Cross as “dark night” requires a new scientific panorama with reference to contemporary mental disorders. It constitutes a highly complex physical, mental and spiritual phenomenon. Therefore, it cannot be defined without in-depth, credible, responsible and well-justified interdisciplinary research. In this paper, we propose a new model of diagnosis, therapy and treatment of the “liminal spaces” states regarded as depression with the use of quantitative and qualitative mixed-methods and tools in social sciences and humanities, including digital humanities and applied linguistics. Further research may and should lead to a common model developed also with medical scientists. We also see a great and very promising potential of our model developed together with the achievements of medical informatics, narrative and translational medicine and translational sciences in general.