If you’re on a spiritual path, perhaps you’ve heard the phrases “spiritual emergence” and “spiritual emergency.” These are terms used by meditation teachers and transpersonal-oriented psychotherapists and psychiatrists. But what do these things mean?
Understanding the Terms
Both phrases were coined by psychology pioneers Dr. Stanislav and Christina Grof. In their early research, they observed some clients going through transformative experiences which appeared to have been caused by a spiritual or transpersonal opening. Although mainstream psychiatry used to deem these experiences as signs of mental illness, the Grofs came to believe they constituted a positive step in an individual’s overall growth.
They called this type of opening or awakening spiritual emergence: “the movement of an individual to a more expanded way of being that involves enhanced emotional and psychosomatic health, greater freedom of personal choices, and a sense of deeper connection with other people, nature, and the cosmos. An important part of this development is an increasing awareness of the spiritual dimension in one’s life and in the universal scheme of things.”
What Triggers a Spiritual Emergency?
There is no single thing that gives rise to a spiritual emergence. It can be triggered in a variety of circumstances and settings. These include: psychedelic use, deep meditation, mystical or peak experience, near-death or out-of-body experience, psychic (PSI) opening, visionary or archetypal experience, past life memory, shamanic journey, kundalini awakening, or other spiritual/religious encounters.
Sometimes spiritual or transpersonal openings are so powerful and disorienting the individual has difficulty processing or dealing with their longer-term impact. According to the Grofs, the person is suffering a spiritual emergency, a “crisis related to sudden spiritual emergence during which the process of growth and change becomes chaotic and overwhelming. In such episodes, individuals often suddenly and dramatically enter into new realms of mystical and spiritual experience. However, they may also become fearful and confused and have difficulty coping with their daily lives, jobs and relationships.”
Support for Integrating Transformative Experiences
Complicating the therapeutic response to a spiritual emergency is the usual presumption by most mental health professionals that such experiences are always indicative of psychosis (and often treated as such with medication). A better approach is to avoid labels entirely and to assist clients in their transformative process. Of course, it’s important to intervene if the individual is doing harm to themselves or others. But overall, it’s best to establish a relationship of trust and support to help individuals see their experiences as opportunities for healing, growth and self-realization.
If you have suffered from a spiritual emergency, I can help you determine what has happened to you and how to process your experience. I can guide you towards the integration of your experience and help you release the anxiety and panicky symptoms you are feeling. I have offered assistance to many people who have had their own awakening experiences and are in uncharted waters about how to incorporate these openings into their daily lives through psychedelic experience integration.