​

Transformational Crisis & Metamorphosis

Shamanic or transformational crisis is a process by which human consciousness evolves. Joseph Campbell describes this universal process in “The Hero With a Thousand Faces” (see Shamanic Illness). Transformational crisis occurs today among modern-day shamans, who are initiated by a variety of intense stressors. Experiencers emerge from the ordeal transformed—with the conviction that a great truth or a “new world” has been discovered. Fundamentally, the metamorphosesundergone by indigenous shamans occur today through psychogenic or physical illness. Spiritual emergence.

 A transformational crisis involves “emotional healing, a radical shift in values, and a profound awareness of the mystical dimension of existence…. for some, these changes can be so rapid and dramatic that they interfere with effective everyday functioning, creating tremendous inner turmoil.”
— Stanislav Grof

​

The Initiation of a
Modern-day Shaman

Spiritually transformative experiences (STEs) may happen in many different contexts. I have assisted in the following:

• Anomalous trauma, e.g., close encounters
• Ayurvedic treatment (Panchakarma)
• Bipolar I & II
• Cancer
• Dissociative disorders
• Grief
• Ketamine (for dental procedures), or entheogens
• Kundalini awakening
• Physical injury
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Toxic poisoning

​

Trauma & Dissociation as an Evolutionary Process

A transformational crisis involves seemingly overwhelming intensity and a fundamental challenge to one’s egoic identity. The stages of psycho-spiritual transformation include:

1. A Shattering: Dissociation
2. Psychological absorption: Functional dissociation
3. Transcendence
4. Integration

A transformational shift unlocks the discovery of a truer identity and what connects one with the cosmos. With support, this process can result in radical spontaneous healing. It is potentially beneficial and should be supported rather than suppressed.

“The emergence [of difficult symptoms] into consciousness, traditionally seen as a sign of mental illness, may actually be the organism’s radical effort to free itself from the effects of various traumas, simplify its functioning, and heal itself.”
— Christina Grof & Stanislav Grof
“The Stormy Search for the Self”

​

Am I Crazy or…
Spiritually Transforming?

“Years ago as a [Spiritual Emergency Network] helper I was taught that true spiritual emergencies  generally happen to mentally healthy people, probably as a developmental step. In contrast, real mental illness was categorized as somehow not spiritual, as it was more devastating, permanent, the realm of therapists and drugs, and by implication hopeless…. I’ve come to reject that model.”
— Grant McFetridge
“Spiritual Emergency and the Triune Brain”

Spiritual emergence may present with the symptomatology of psychiatric disorders. What if transformational crisis happens within the context of a psychiatric hospitalization? Such experiences are at odds with the medical model of Western psychiatry that emphasizes pathology, and prescribes anti-psychotic medication. Is there a coherent approach that finds no absolute delineation between spiritual emergence and what we call mental illness?

A historical perspective begins with the presumed difference between authentic spiritual experience and psychiatric illness. We have come a long way since Kundalini awakening was framed as transcendence versus psychosis. A more functional approach to spiritual emergence takes into account the experiencer’s perspective, their communication & meta-communication skills, as well as their physiological needs.