What is Spiritual Emergence?
In her book, “In Case of Spiritual Emergency”, Catherine G. Lucas explains spiritual emergence as,
…above all a process; a process of exploration and unfolding; a process of learning and growth, of healing and purification. It involves the whole of our beings and works on all levels, physical, emotional, and psychological, as well as spiritual.
Spiritual Emergence can occur when people start seeking or experiencing themselves beyond their own personal, societal, or familial identity. Many things can precipitate a spiritual emergence experience. A few possibilities are a major life change, illness, near death experiences, a devotional religious or spiritual practice, drug induced experiences, or an out-of-body experience just to name a few. However, there are cases in which there was no apparent precipitating cause. In a Canadian study it was discovered that only 43% of experiencers had some form of spiritual practice. This has been discovered to be true in many other studies of the topic. Clearly it can happen to anyone at any time for unknown reasons.
Emergence into new experiences of identity and understanding can be upsetting and disorienting as well as joyful, beautiful, calming, and nurturing experiences. Either way, they change the way a person interacts with the people and world around them. Support and education is key in helping people navigate the new world uncovered by their experiences and to integrate the new information many receive as a result of their experiences. And this is where the life coach can come in and play an important role in a team of people that someone steeped deeply in their spiritual emergence or emergency may need to help them integrate back into daily living.
People may be experiencing spiritual emergence if:
- They feel like they can’t relate to friends and family anymore,
- They are yearning for more meaningful interactions,
- They are beginning to question the beliefs they were raised with,
- They feel “homesick” and don’t want to live on earth anymore,
- They are having Non-Ordinary Experiences,
- Meaningful Visions and Hallucinations,
- Telepathic Communication with other beings,
- Emptiness and Loss of Self in the experience,
- Unitive and Mystical States of Consciousness,
- Near Death or Out of Body Experiences,
- Past Life Memories, and
- Energy Moving Through Your Body
The American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences (ACISTE) found in their research that the potential benefits are as follows:
- Strengthened spiritual or religious views,
- Improved behavior and attitude towards others,
- Changes in values,
- Greater empathy and compassion for others,
- A greater sense of well-being,
- A more positive outlook on life,
- A greater desire to learn,
- Increased creativity,
- Increased psychic awareness,
- Greater sense of purpose, and
- Loss of the fear of death
What is Spiritual Emergency – Danger or Opportunity?
A spiritual emergence experience becomes an emergency when the experiencer can no longer function emotionally, mentally, physically, or goes into a “dark night” experience on a spiritual level. Depending on the level of emergency the experiencer may need support from many different disciplines. If handled inappropriately it can easily slip from being an opportunity for self-discovery and self-knowledge into becoming a life threatening danger. ACISTE states:
Depending on the response to or meaning ascribed to both distressing and light-filled STEs (spiritually transformative experiences), that response or interpretation might give rise to health-related challenges such as anxiety, depression (50%)(ACISTE, 2011a), substance abuse (10%)(ACISTE, 2011a), suicide attempts (6.7%)(ACISTE, 2011a), divorce (65%-76% of whom were married at the time of their near-death experience) (Christian, 2005; Stout, Jacquin, & Atwater, 2006).
Dr. Stansilov Grof and his wife Christina have identified 10 states of spiritual emergency:
- Ego-Death/Dark Night of the Soul
There is a dissolution of the self and a consequent loss of reference points. Symptoms may involve feelings of pressure, claustrophobia, oppression, tightness, restlessness, or struggle, or an unbearable endless repetition of “dying” experiences.
- The Awakening of the Kundalini Energy
Some symptoms are tremors of energy rising up the spine, sensations of extreme hot and cold, the experience of flashing lights, and experiencing powerful waves of emotions. The body can move into strange yogic postures or become contorted and twisted if the energy becomes blocked.
- Shamanic Crisis
This typically involves a quest or journey to the underworld where demons or animal spirits are often encountered, culminating usually in experiences of death, dismemberment, and annihilation.
- Episodes of Unitive Consciousness
An experience of transcending the ordinary distinction between object and subject and experiencing ecstatic union with humanity, nature, the cosmos and God.
- Crisis of Psychic Opening
This may involve channeling, telepathy, clairvoyance, out-of-body experiences and meaningful coincidences.
- Past Life Experiences
People can behave irrationally because they are experiencing something from the past as part of their current life, or else a person can be haunted by physical feelings and emotions that are seemingly connected to anything.
- Near Death Experiences
These experiences often involve an unusual and profound shift in the experience of reality. This usually includes an out-of-body experience can involve profound lessons about life and universal laws.
- Possession States
This is characterized by an uncanny sense that one’s body and psyche have been invaded and are being controlled by an alien energy or entity that has personal characteristics. It can be another type of Crisis of Psychic Opening.
- Psychological Renewal through the Central Archetype
Some distinguishing features are themes of death and rebirth, battles of opposing cosmic forces (e.g. good and evil) and conviction that the outcomes are critical to the future of the world.