TREATMENT OF SPIRITUAL CRISIS

I will be away next week and there will be no blog 

In indigenous societies life was simple. There were (and still are) four basic archetypes; Healer, Teacher, Warrior and Visionary.  Healing always occurred in the context of the community. 

Today, however, each one of the archetypes can take on many manifestations; the warrior rather than being a soldier could be the C.E.O of a company, the visionary a shaman, spiritual leader, musician, artist, movie maker, the healer a massage therapist or nurse, the teacher working in I.T. The primary gift of the spiritual crisis is to help one who is lost find their God given unique archetype or destiny. The process though sometimes catastrophic can prove to be transformational if channelled in the right way.

The Treatment will depend on the cause although the general measures are usually applicable to all. The transformation has the potential to turn out LIGHT or DARK depending on many variables and especially on how the crisis is supported, accepted and not judged or discriminated against. 

In my limited experience the two primary mechanisms seem to be:

 1. Kundalini by opening up the Sixth chakra or Third Eye can allow access to the Cosmic Field. The Field can be divided into Knowable and Unknowable aspects - mostly it is an Unknowable mystery but the spirit world is real and can comprise many forms of spirit entities; human, non human, cosmic, terrestrial (tree or plant) water, mythological, light or dark. 

The psychotic personality may be overwhelmed by the presence of these intrusions as we would all, if the Veil was totally permeable. 

2. Dissociation due to severe trauma which often involves soul sickness or soul loss can facilitate Field access in a functional or dysfunctional way.

There is often a protective amnesia of the horrendous event that needs to be brought forward with forgiveness and even gratitude. This may require shamanic or other assistance. 

 Drugs and entheogens (mind altering plants used in sacred ceremony) can also allow the veil to open.

Entheogens used in sacred ceremony usually have more to do with the Kundalini mechanism. Drug and alcohol abuse more to do with soul sickness/loss.



Part of the healing process involves forgiveness for the trauma that caused the dissociation as well as forgiveness of self.

Buddhists and Yogis that are expert in channelling a Kundalini crisis may be difficult to find in the West. However, when there are no such resources there may be sangas, ashrams or similar spiritual retreats where the sufferer can find support and a sense of community.

In indigenous societies the energies would most likely be channeled into initiating the person to become a shaman even if they were schizophrenic, bipolar or other. These psychoses have the advantage of enabling the potential shaman to easily access the spirit world and cosmic Field. The initiate would be trained to facilitate the positive and exclude the negative energies. 

In a Western society, however, they would be given medication - often appropriately but many times not which would suppress any transformation. In the movie "A Beautiful Mind" John Nash a genius mathematician and paranoid schizophrenic  eventually figures out how to do this and manage his life and destiny effectively in spite of the visions and voices in his head.

Not everyone who undergoes sangoma initiation in South Africa becomes a healer. Sometimes for those in a desperate crisis the initiation becomes a way of channelling the energies in the right way. The person may become a musician or an artist. A C.E.O. of a company may go back to being a C.E.O. but in a different way. A psychotherapist may go back to his/her profession but now with some shamanic skills. Its all about integration. 

Spiritual intrusions are best managed shamanically. Spirit possession is extremely difficult to treat but some specialists in the Catholic church and a few powerful shamans are able to exorcise these malicious intrusions. Sadly the prognosis for this is often poor. 

Patients with a history of severe abuse or trauma would need careful treatment by a myriad of alternative effective methods currently available. Eventually once stabilized they could also become channels, psychics or healers because of their unique abilities.

Grounding methods are essential initially and include; discontinuing spiritual practice and substituting exercise, jogging or working out. Eating meat and somatic therapy are helpful in bringing the spirit back into the body (in SouthAfrica this is often done for a shaman in trance to facilitate their return to the body.) Mindfulness meditation under supervision can be helpful and music soothing.

The therapist trained in this type of work would allow full expression of the experience which will reduce the possibility that it will surface later in a dysfunctional way. There should be no judgment surrounding the manifestations and if at all possible the process should not be suppressed by medications. When the catharsis is very intense it should be expressed with the therapist's help. 

There are instances where the process is so severe that it cannot be handled on an out-patient basis. There are few facilities offering supervision twenty-four hours a day without the use of  suppressive medications. 
Trained assistants who take shifts in the client's home for the duration of the episode can help or even supportive family members or friends. Sometimes the crisis may demand extraordinary measures. Episodes can last days or weeks and may be associated with a lot of physical activity, intense emotions, loss of appetite, and insomnia. There is a danger of dehydration, malnutrition and exhaustion all of which can aggravate the problem.

 Sadly facilities for treating these sufferers are lacking in our society. However, with support, acceptance and unconditional positive regard or love where the concept of "normalcy" is viewed in a different way there can be remarkable healing and positive transformation. U.S.A. is also a mnemonic for universal self acceptance.

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