Michael Hansen SJ shares how we recognise the movements within us that draw us towards greater freedom, love and life with God.

If the wind is the Spirit of God, then the good spirit feels like sailing free on the ocean, hand trailing in the water, leaning into the breath of God.

The identification of the two spirits and spiritual consolation is the very beginning of Ignatian discernment. When St Ignatius become aware of these spirits, and learnt to name them, he realized he could always choose to move in the direction of the good spirit or in the contrary direction of the bad spirit.

This insight gave him a way forwards to God. He then developed the guide below and desired to teach it to as many people as possible.

Two Spirits

For Ignatius, there are two spirits that move within us. The good spirit is of God and moves us towards better love and service. The bad spirit is from the enemy of our human nature and moves us towards apathy and less service. We may feel both in prayer, each contrary to the other.

Feelings of the Good Spirit

I feel peace, tranquility and quiet, a growth in courage, strength and self-confidence. I feel lighter and more free. I have a sense that obstacles have been removed so that I can move forward. I am led more deeply into relationships with others and Jesus.

Feelings of the Bad Spirit

I feel disturbed, harassed and sad, increasingly burdened and oppressed. I feel heavier, imprisoned and stuck. Obstacles appear that impede my progress forward. I am led away from relationships with others and Jesus, burrowing into self-pity, cynicism or alienation.

Spiritual Consolation

I feel Inflamed with love of my Creator and all creation. I feel a compassion for others, an increase of hope and faith. I have greater clarity. I have an interior happiness that calls and attract me to spiritual things. My soul is quiet and at peace in her Creator. In short, I feel more liberated, whole and alive.

Spiritual Desolation

I feel cut off from my Creator and all creation. I feel lost. I am without love and lukewarm in action. I do not care much about others. I am losing my sense of worth, full of anxiety and growing confusion. I have an interior darkness and disquiet, and my soul is disturbed and distracted by many things. In short, I feel more unfree, fragmented and de-energized.

Touch of the Two Spirits

In general, the good Spirit will touch me gently and lightly, like a drop of water going into a sponge. The bad spirit is noisy, like a waterfall on a stone. Ignatius once wrote that we should never forget our ultimate destination, that when we sail with the good spirit we sail to our home port, eternal life with God.

With thanks to Michael Hansen SJ, adapted from his Ignatian Ocean Retreat. Michael is the founder of JISA’s First Spiritual Exercises ministry, a Jesuit, creator, author, speaker, and spiritual director.