Floyd McClung describes it: "You wake up one morning and all your spiritual feelings are gone. You pray, but nothing happens. You rebuke the devil, but it doesn't change anything. You go through spiritual exercises ... you have your friends pray for you ... you confess every sin. you can imagine, then go around asking forgiveness of everyone you know. You fast ... still nothing. You begin to wonder how long this spiritual gloom might last. Days? Weeks? Months? Will it ever end? ... it feels as if your prayers simply bounce off the ceiling. In utter desperation, you cry out, `What's the matter with me?"'

马弗乐(Floyd McClung)如此描述：「某天清晨你醒来，发觉没有任何属灵的感觉。你祷告，但毫无动静。你斥责撒但，却没有任何转机。你尝试各种属灵操练......朋友也为你祈祷......你承认自己所犯的每一项罪，四处请求每个你知道的人赦免、原谅你的过错，你禁食......仍然无效。你开始怀疑这个属灵的低潮究竟要持续多久。几天？几星期？几个月？或是永无止境？......你感觉你的祷告只到达天花板便弹回来。在绝望中，你大声喊叫：「我到底怎么了？」