There are some resources for people going through a spiritual emergency. These include websites, guides and therapists, online groups, books, and there used to be a center in California set up by Stanislav and Christina Grof. Some spiritual centers and monasteries may also be happy to receive people in a spiritual emergency, although their level of understanding and expertise may vary (it’s important that they have a good understanding of what’s going on).
It seems that there is a clear need for…..
Better and more comprehensive information about (a) types of spiritual emergencies, and (b) what is often most (and least) helpful for people going through them.
Guidelines for how to support people going through different types of spiritual emergencies.
International and national networks of people who can guide and support, and people going through it. It would be good with some sort of filtering or evaluation of those who guide and support, including client ratings and feedback.
Local support groups. Local, regional, national and international gatherings.
Centers for people going through spiritual emergencies. Places where they can rest, feel nurtured and understood, where they can receive helpful information and support. A sanctuary. They could stay for any length of time, from a day to several months. And it would be ideal if there was a scholarship or work trade option for those with little funds.
In my experience, and from what I read, it seems that these things can be helpful:
Nature. Rest. Nourishing food. Nourishing touch.
Feeling understood. Finding others who understand, from own experience.
Finding love for the process and its symptoms. Finding love for one’s life and what’s here.
Healing our relationship with life, ourselves, what’s here.
Trying gentle practices aimed at healing our relationship with what’s here…. Loving kindness (metta), ho’oponopono, Breema, natural rest / allowing, inquiry and more.
And also setting aside – at least for a while (or forever) – practices that aims at (a) manipulation or (b) increasing the energy. Practices that aim at manipulating and “improving” what’s here inherently assume that what’s here is “wrong”, and this may disturb the process and create an unpleasant backlash. And some practices may, if inadvertently, increase or “raise” the energy, while many forms of spiritual emergencies benefit more from relaxing and grounding the energy. Of course, this is a generalization, and what’s most helpful in each case will vary.
…………….
…………….
…………….
– a center for people going through spiritual emergency (Grof SF)
– where the “lid” has been removed from previously ignored/set aside material (wounds, traumas)
– high energies, highly sensitive, fatigue, unable to function very well
– dark nights
– support by people who have gone through it + professionals
– nature, community, good food, understanding, touch, movement
– a center – not for meditation or spiritual practice, but for healing our relationship with the process….. (wounds, traumas surfacing, high energies, high sensitivity, fatigue, unable to function very well etc.)
– can be more obvious kundalini and/or dark night, but can also be “lid removed” from wounds/trauma (without obvious kundalini etc.)