Aspekt negatywny doświadczenia mistycznego u Dionizego Areopagity oraz św. Jana od Krzyża. Różnice i podobieństwa
A comparison of the understanding of the negative aspect of the mystical experience according to Dionysius the Areopagite and Saint John of the Cross

Summary/Abstract: When we talk about mystical experience, we often use such words like nothingness, emptiness, darkness and lack of knowledge. Different schools of spirituality understand these terms in different ways. This article is trying to analyze the meaning of these terms used by saint John of the Cross and Dionysius the Areopagite. For John of the Cross nothingness is produced by the acts of supernatural faith, hope and love. Dionysius, contrary to John of the Cross, stresses purification of our reason only, while John of the Cross embraces in the process of purification of the will other faculties, too. For John of the Cross the impression of darkness in the mystical experience at the end of the process of purification is getting milder and a person gains some knowledge of God. For Dionysius the darkness cannot be overcome. The final reason of the difference between these two masters of spirituality is different understanding of the degree of the transcendence of God.

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