When God desires to bring the soul forth from its ordinary state–that is, from its natural way and operation–to a spiritual life, and to lead it from meditation to contemplation, which is a state rather heavenly than earthly, wherein he communicates Himself through union of love, He begins at once communicate Himself to the spirit, still impure and imperfect and has evil habits, so that each soul suffers according to the degree of its imperfection; and at times this purgation is in some ways as grievous to the soul whom it is preparing for the reception of perfect union here below as is that of purgatory, wherein we are purged in order to see God in the life to come. [healing] Living Flame of Love

St. John of The Cross, A former Spaniard