In the Western Esoteric Tradition it may be more correct to consider the dark night of the soul as occurring after the first stage enlightenment.
So the initiate, having learned to control the soul body (higher mental subplanes) is now deliberately prevented from receiving advice from the soul intelligence (solar angel). The new initiate is now alone with no advice and must make his/her decisions without any help.
The situation forces the initiate to find his own authority. Eventually the solar angel departs and the independent initiate finds his/her way amongst the brethren that went before
There are lower level analogues that may be mistaken for the real dark night
So the initiate, having learned to control the soul body (higher mental subplanes) is now deliberately prevented from receiving advice from the soul intelligence (solar angel). The new initiate is now alone with no advice and must make his/her decisions without any help.
The situation forces the initiate to find his own authority. Eventually the solar angel departs and the independent initiate finds his/her way amongst the brethren that went before
There are lower level analogues that may be mistaken for the real dark night