Donald Mitchell 
My Dark Nights 
Encounters with God

My Dark Nights: Encounters with God was written from the author’s notes taken during his experiences of encounter during two Dark Nights. St. John of the Cross wrote his famous work on “the dark night of the sense” and the “dark night of the spirit.” Each person’s experiences of the two Dark Nights are unique. This book, written by a layperson, presents his encounters of God’s purifying and enlightening grace and transformation brought about in each Night. In the Darkness of the first Night, he received the graces of healing and contemplation that opened him to a deep relation with God as Love, and with Jesus. This prepared him for a life of dialogue with Buddhism, especially working for the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. The Darkness of the second Night was much longer and more painful, leading to the peeling back of his false self and the discovery of his true self. Along with this discovery, he also found within the center of his soul the divine presence of God, the Word of God/Jesus and Mary. Finally, he experienced God in all of humankind and nature by Whom we are all brothers and sisters. My Dark Nights is the first published work on the actual experience of the Dark Night of the Sense and the Dark Night of the Spirit. It is required reading for anyone interested in learning about this unique experience.