Consolation & Desolation
A Guide to Ignatian Spiritual Discernment
What Is Ignatian Discernment?
St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), developed a rich framework for spiritual discernment through his own conversion experience and his work guiding others in the Spiritual Exercises. At the heart of this tradition is the practice of attending to interior movements – the subtle shifts in thought, feeling, and desire that arise within us as we pray, make decisions, and live our daily lives.
Ignatian discernment teaches that God communicates through these interior movements, drawing us toward life, love, and authentic service. The two primary categories for understanding these movements are consolation and desolation.
Consolation: Movement Toward God
In Ignatian spirituality, consolation refers to any interior movement that draws the soul toward God, increases faith, hope, and love, and produces a deep sense of spiritual vitality and rightness. Ignatius describes consolation in his Spiritual Exercises (Rule 3) as:
“I call it consolation when an interior movement is aroused in the soul, by which it is inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord, and as a consequence, can love no creature on the face of the earth for its own sake, but only in the Creator of them all.”
Consolation does not simply mean feeling happy or comfortable. It is a deeper orientation — a movement of the whole person toward truth, goodness, and God. It may come in quiet moments of peace or in the midst of tears. What defines it is its direction: toward life, toward love, toward God.
Desolation: Movement Away from God
Desolation, in contrast, refers to interior movements that draw the soul away from God – states of darkness, confusion, restlessness, or spiritual aridity that leave one feeling cut off from love, meaning, or purpose. Ignatius describes it as:
“I call desolation what is entirely the opposite… such as obtuseness of soul, turmoil within it, an impulsive motion toward low and earthly things, or disquiet from various agitations and temptations.”
Desolation is not simply sadness or difficulty. A person may feel sadness and still be in a state of consolation if that grief moves them toward God (as in compassion, repentance, or solidarity). Desolation is marked by a turn inward and away from God, love, and community.
Practicing the Examen: The Daily Rhythm of Discernment
Ignatius taught the Examen – a brief daily prayer practice – as the primary tool for developing sensitivity to consolation and desolation. The traditional five movements are:
| 1. Gratitude – Give thanks for the gifts of the day. | |
| 2. Awareness Ask for the light to see clearly. | |
| 3. Review – Walk through the day, noticing moments of consolation and desolation. | |
| 4. Response – Bring whatever you find to God with honesty and openness. | |
| 5. Renewal – Look to tomorrow with renewed intention. |
Key Principles for Discernment
• Neither consolation nor desolation is permanent – both are temporary states to be noticed, not clung to or fled from.
• Never make major decisions in desolation. Ignatius counsels holding course and waiting for clarity.
• Consolation is a gift, not an achievement. It cannot be manufactured, only received with gratitude.
• Even consolation can be deceptive. Ignatius warns of “false consolation” – movements that seem good but lead away from authentic love and service.
• The goal is not to feel always consoled, but to grow in sensitivity to the Spirit’s movement in all seasons.
“In the time of desolation one should never make a change, but stand firm and constant in the resolutions and decision which guided him the day before.”
~ St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises
✦ Words of Consolation ✦
Interior movements that draw the soul toward God, love, and life
“I call it consolation when the soul receives an increase of faith, hope, and charity, and when all interior joy invites and attracts to what is heavenly.” – Ignatius of Loyola
Affective & Relational States
These words describe the felt quality of consolation – the interior texture of a heart drawn toward God:
| Alive | Anchored | At home |
| Attentive | Awake | Belonging |
| Blessed | Breathable | Called |
| Calm | Centered | Clear |
| Close to God | Compassionate | Connected |
| Content | Courageous | Desirous of good |
| Directed | Energized | Enlarged |
| Enlivened | Faith-filled | Fervent |
| Flowing | Focused | Free |
| Full | Gathered | Generous |
| Gentle | Gracious | Grateful |
Spiritual & Dispositional Words
These words point to the deeper orientations and postures characteristic of consolation:
| Grounded | Guided | Hopeful |
| Humble | Illuminated | In love |
| Inspired | Integrated | Joyful |
| Keenly aware | Known | Loved |
| Luminous | Merciful | Open |
| Ordered | Oriented | Peaceful |
| Prayerful | Present | Purposeful |
| Quiet | Receptive | Reconciled |
| Renewed | Resolved | Restful |
| Rooted | Safe | Seen |
| Serene | Simple | Soft-hearted |
Words of Movement & Desire
Consolation is not static — it has direction, energy, and longing:
| Steady | Still | Strengthened |
| Surrendered | Tender | Thankful |
| Transparent | Trusting | Truthful |
| Unburdened | Unified | Untroubled |
| Warm | Whole | Wide-open |
| Willing | Wise | Worshipful |
| Yearning for God | Yielded | Zealous for love |
Reflection prompt: Which of these words describes your recent experience of God’s presence? Which feel most foreign right now?
✦ Words of Desolation ✦
Interior movements that draw the soul away from God, love, and life
“In time of desolation one should never make a change, but stand firm and constant in the resolutions and decisions which guided one the day before the desolation.” – Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises
Emotional & Relational States
These words name the felt experience of desolation – what it feels like in the body, heart, and relationships:
| Abandoned | Absent | Agitated |
| Alone | Arid | Ashamed |
| Bitter | Burdened | Closed off |
| Cold | Complaining | Confused |
| Contracted | Cynical | Dark |
| Dead inside | Defeated | Deflated |
| Despairing | Disconnected | Distracted |
| Divided | Doubtful | Drained |
| Dry | Dull | Empty |
| Faithless | Far from God | Fearful |
| Flat | Foggy | Forgetful of God |
Spiritual & Cognitive Patterns
These words describe the thought patterns and spiritual postures characteristic of desolation:
| Frantic | Frozen | Grasping |
| Guilty | Hard-hearted | Heavy |
| Hopeless | Hypercritical | Impatient |
| Indifferent | Inward spiral | Irritable |
| Isolated | Joyless | Languid |
| Listless | Lost | Mechanical |
| Muddled | Numb | Obsessive |
| On edge | Oppressed | Paralyzed |
| Petty | Preoccupied | Purposeless |
| Questioning God | Resentful | Resistant |
| Restless | Rigid | Scattered |
Words of Withdrawal & Contraction
Desolation draws us inward and away – notice these contracting movements:
| Self-absorbed | Self-condemning | Shrunken |
| Silent (but not peacefully) | Skeptical | Sluggish |
| Striving anxiously | Stuck | Suspicious |
| Tense | Tired of praying | Troubled |
| Turned inward | Unmoored | Unworthy |
| Vague dread | Withdrawn | Worthless |
| Yearning for control |
Remember: Desolation is not failure. It is information. The desert fathers say: sit with it, do not act from it, and wait for God.
Reflection prompt: Which of these words describe where you have been recently? What might God be doing in that space?
Some of you came in desolation–
tired… foggy… carrying questions you don’t say out loud…
wondering if what once felt alive has gone silent.
And here’s the truth Ignatius gives us – both matter.
Both are places where God meets you.
Consolation is not a reward for doing it right.
And desolation is not a sign that you’ve failed.
They are invitations.
In consolation, God says:
“Pay attention to what gives life. This is who you are becoming.”
In desolation, God says:
“Stay. Don’t run. I am still here, even if you cannot feel me.”
Final Word
You carry weight that most people will never see.
You discern for others. You lead through complexity. You absorb pressure.
But beneath all of that… you are first a soul before God.
And the invitation is not to manage your soul—
but to pay attention to it.
Because God is not only present in your clarity…
He is present in your confusion.
Not only in your strength…
but in your weariness.
Not only when you feel Him…
but also when you don’t.