Spiritual Awakening or Psychosis: Mental breakdown to Enlightment
*Talk with a doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist or spirtiual practitioner, but who are experienced with spiritual practices, since conventional medicine will directly label as possible mental disease, rather than acknowledging the transformative experience. For more research, Stanislav Grof books about transpersonal psychology are recommended.
There is a fine line between spiritual awakening and psychosis.
It is important to understand the differences between the two to determine whether someone is experiencing a deep spiritual experience or a mental health crisis.
This article will explore the definitions of spiritual awakening and psychosis, how to differentiate between the two, causes of spiritual awakening psychosis, treatment options, and how to approach spiritual awakening in a safe and secure way.
Written by
- Redaction Team
- Personal Development, Spirit
Table of Contents
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Carlos' Opinion on Spiritual Awakening and Psychosis
One of the hardships and now I can probably say, unusual and spiritual experiences I had was my spiritual awakening in Germany.
During the lent of 2020, I went through many situations from health with my Hashimoto autoimmune disorder and emotional stress, that eventually I started a spiritual practice.
For around 40 days from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. I did daily a spiritual practice that included prayer, meditation, and questioning.
Around this Covid-19 Pandemic time, I also started to notice the so called synchronicities.
As a catholic, I can say for myself that prior to my kunalini awakening, I have never ever heard about such class of experiences, about the third eye or the lamp that Mathew talks about in the bible, or even less about the Shiva and Shakti energy going up from the base of the spine to the top of the head.
Right after I considered “finished” my spiritual practice, couples days after the Ascension day, the 15th of April I woke up with an altered state of consciousness, possibly triggered also by some Aschwaganda and Rhodiola pills given by a Homeopath for my sleeping issues.
That whole day I felt how some sort of energy was moving me forward.
As one friend tried me to take me home to have some rest in bed, but as I lay down, that some sort of energy felt inside me as an energy that kept moving me forward to a mission.
The whole story certainly will be in my next best seller book.
I entered into what a paramedic named it psychosis, but certainly it was labeled directed like that, since he did not know the spiritual practice and background I had.
I was taken to a mental health clinic, where I was held for 9 weeks. which I see it also as a symbolism of the birth period of 9 months prior to my rebirth.
This whole experience for me where I certainly had what some would say, visual hallucinations, is for me a spiritual experience that includes ego death, a death and rebirth proccess to build up my new self.
In the clinic, one psychologist state to me that 7 years after I could experience another psychotic break, where my current functional medicine doctor don’t agree.
3 Years have passed already, and mentally, physically and spiritually I feel healthier every day.
Down below this article I have listed some videos that have helped me in recent years and the steps that I have done along my healing journey.
What is Spiritual Awakening Psychosis?
The Definition of Spiritual Awakening
Spiritual awakening is a state of consciousness where someone becomes aware of things beyond the physical world. It is a profound, transformative experience that changes one’s perception of the world and oneself to find the sense of purpose. Many people describe spiritual awakening as an enlightenment that leads to a deeper understanding of the human condition, the light and the dark within.
Enlightment is not just about a fairy tale observing life as pink, but it turns to become aware and conscious also of the repressed and dark sides of the self. The one who becomes enlightened knows his or her own flaws and gives them light – awareness to become a whole person, or as Carl Jung states, the individuation proccess.
The Definition of Psychosis
Psychosis is a mental state where a person’s thoughts and perceptions are disturbed. People experiencing psychosis may have difficulty differentiating between reality and their thoughts. This can include hallucinations, delusions or abnormal behavior. Psychotic episodes can last for a short or long period of time depending on the individual.
The Intersection of Spiritual Awakening and Psychosis
Whilst people experiencing a deep spiritual awakening may perceive that the spiritual experience is overwhelming as they experience Ego Death and their worldview is changing, those experiencing psychosis can often feel psychological distress. The line between psychosis and spiritual awakening can become blurred as the characteristics and symptoms of both can overlap and be labeled by psychiatry as a mental illness, pathology, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
How to Differentiate Between Spiritual Awakening and Psychosis
Differences in Symptoms
The symptoms of spiritual awakening and psychosis can look very similar on the surface, such as an altered state of consciousness, hallucination, or delusion. However, there are key differences between the two. During a spiritual awakening, people report feeling a deep spiritual experience that is not accompanied by negative behaviors or feelings of poor judgement. In contrast, those experiencing psychosis may have hallucinations or delusions that cause feelings of paranoia or even panic.
Differences in Duration
Spiritual awakenings can last for a short period of time, whilst psychotic episodes can last for days, weeks, or months without treatment. A spiritual awakening is typically a transformative experience which in some cases lasts for days or even weeks. Later, the effect of the experience fades away, and life returns to normal for the individual. On the other hand, a psychotic episode can cause ongoing distress.
Differences in Impact on Daily Life
People experiencing spiritual awakenings often describe feeling better as time has eventually passed, more positive and clear-headed as the process deepens their perception and understanding of their bodies. However, those experiencing psychosis may have difficulty carrying out daily tasks like personal hygiene and self-care. A psychotic episode can also negatively impact people’s performance at work or school and lead to physical health complications if left untreated.
What are the Causes of Spiritual Awakening Psychosis?
Spiritual Practices and Techniques
Some spiritual practices may trigger a spiritual awakening, such as meditation, yoga, or prayer. However, if entered into without proper care, these may also lead to a psychotic episode.
Environmental Factors
External factors like stress, trauma, and cultural change may also play a role in triggering spiritual awakenings or psychosis.
Even the pandemic in 2020 could have triggered many more similar cases.
How is Spiritual Awakening Psychosis Treated?
Why are you seeking to be healthy, if you are already healthy.
Spirituality is still a “phenomenon” that is far behind from the “science” to be properly understood, even if there are already thousands and thousands of years of research of people around the world talking about such experiences.
Shamans and indigenous groups already know about the true nature of a human being, but it is still getting closer to normalise such experiences, and become more common.
For those who belive that the spiritual world can be easier to be understood, the path towards healing becomes easier day by day.
Steps to Heal as a Whole Person
If a Spiritual Awakening Psychosis was experienced, the path towards healing will unfold by itself.
As Carlos’ Opinion, to do a whole healing, it is important to dedicate time and focus on the different parts that constitute the person, which are the body, the mind, and the spirit.
*Consult your doctor or functional medicine doctor before starting a treatment.*
To Heal the Body:
- Do blood lab tests on different aspects to search for nutritional defficiencies (Vitamin D, Vitamin B, Zinc, Calcium levels etc) or surplus of sugar, LDL, HDL cholesterol etc.
- Address nutritional defficiencies
- Seek out with a food sensitivity test for food allergies such as Gluten, Diary, Eggs, Corn, Sugar.
- Include whole and healing foods (Kiwi, Ginger, Cilantro, Spirulina, Curcumin, Mango, Cucumber, Walnuts, Peacans, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds, Kefir, Greek Yogurt, Papaya, Banana, Coconut)
- Eliminate or reduce proccessed foods.
- Juicing therapy. (Green Juice, Beet, Carrot, Apple Juice, or find a mix of , Natural fruit or vegetable juices)
- Add supplements according to your needs.
- Check thyroid labs (T3, T4, TSH, T3 inverse), autoimmune anitbodies labs (TPO, TGAB) and hormone labs (Pregnenolone)
- If a doctor is going to give you any sort of medication, start from lower dose and adjust accordingly. (Medication is generally just a "Band-Aid" to a support a body issue, but it is not what it will fully help to heal the body)
- Grounding and time in nature.
- Exercise
- Sunlight, at least 15 minutes and avoid exposing too much during high temperature times.
- Sleep
To Heal the Mind:
- Stress relief activities: Reading, going for a walk, listening music, dancing
- Nature / animal work
- Talking therapy
- Journaling
- Spotting and understanding own subconscious patterns
- Shadow work and integrating the suppressed emotions to be channeled into new form of energy such as creative arts or creative work
- Dedicating time to heal childhood emotional traumas
- Hashimoto and Thyroid Issues are psychological related to being unable to express oneself, and talk onself truth, therefore focusing on expressing such emotions and not suppressing them is important.
- Understand sickness as an invitation to change, evolve, grow and heal, similar to the point of view of the German New Medicine.
*Link to German New Medicine site.
To Heal the Spirit:
- Practicing gratitude
- Acknowledging that a higher power, God/The Universe/The Greater Consciousness/ The Source, is already guiding us towards healing
- Practice own spiritual prayer. (In my opinion, regardless of religion, they can lead towards connecting with God
- Spiritual prayers for healing ancestral trauma
- Developing an attitude of not self identifying with the mind, and knowing how to merge and balance the spirit, the mind and the body
- Understanding that everything is connected.
- Angels follow you in your healing path and guide you in the form of synchronicities.
- Find out about chakra blockages and work towards it.
Alternative and Complementary Approaches
Alternate and complementary approaches such as changes in diet and lifestyle, acupuncture, and herbal medicine can support and reduce the symptoms of spiritual awakenings, which can also be helpful in treating psychosis.
Integration of Spiritual Practice and Mental Health Treatment
Along with alternative and traditional approaches, therapy and counseling can help people integrate their mystical experiences within the context of their mental health treatment. Meditation and other spiritual practices can also be incorporated into the treatment.
Opinion on Traditional Medical Treatment
Unfortunately, traditional treatment options include psychiatric medication to “alleviate” the symptoms of psychosis, even for people who undergo spiritual and kundalini experiences, and where actually they don’t need it.
When psychotic breaks are reported, usually the person is sent to a hospital, where the person can be held out for a period of weeks, even if the person is already in a “conscious state”.
At the clinics, doctors start a “book written” therapy where deliberately base their “treatment” on “statistics” rather than in the actual state of the person and his or her behaviour.
Such antipsychotic treatment can lead to a range of side-effects that can produce a new spectrum of problems, such as less mobility in the persons, since the dopamine receptors are blocked.
It also affects other areas in the body.
Less ability for critical thinking and clear thoughts.
In men, it blocks the sexual sensitivity.
How to Approach Spiritual Awakening in a Safe and Secure Way
Ensuring Appropriate Mental-Health Support
During the spiritual awakening process, it’s important to also maintain support from “real human” mental health professionals to ensure that the individual is grounded and secure. Ideally, this can help the person on his or her spiritual journey and personal growth, by integrating the peak experiences into their new self.
There are more potential positive outcomes from psychospiritual experiences, that are well guided, rather than suppress and neglect such experiences.
Developing a Strong Foundation in Spiritual Practice
It’s important to develop a stable foundation in spiritual practices to ensure a safe and secure experience during a spiritual awakening. For those new to the practice, it is best to take it slow and gradually incorporate new practices into daily life to reduce the risk of psychosis.
Seeking Guidance from Experienced Spiritual Teachers or Guides
It is best to have spiritual guidance from experienced teachers or guides who have undergone spiritual awakenings in the past to ensure safe and secure experiences. These teachers or guides can offer advice and support whilst the individual is going through a spiritual emergency or awakening.
Conclusion
In conclusion, differentiating between spiritual awakening and psychosis is essential, particularly to ensure that individuals undergoing such experiences have the right approach and support. With the right mental health support, developed spiritual practice, and guidance from experienced teachers or guides, spiritual awakenings can be transformative and life-changing experiences that improve the overall wellbeing of an individual.
FAQs about Spiritual Awakening Psychosis
Psychosis is a psychiatric term used to describe a mental state where a person loses touch with reality, often experiencing hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking. On the other hand, spiritual awakening refers to a profound shift in consciousness and an expanded awareness of the interconnectedness of all things.
Yes, episodes of psychosis can sometimes be misunderstood as spiritual experiences. This is because both psychosis and spiritual awakening can involve unusual experiences and altered states of consciousness. However, it is important to take into account the context, duration, and impact on functioning to determine the underlying cause.
The interaction between psychological and spiritual aspects during mental breakdown and enlightenment can vary. While psychological factors such as past traumas and unresolved issues can contribute to the breakdown, the process of spiritual awakening can also lead to psychological healing and growth.
It is best not to judge someone who is experiencing psychosis or spiritual awakening. Both experiences are deeply personal and subjective. Instead of judging, it is important to show empathy, compassion, and support towards the individual.
Psychosis is a mental health condition characterized by a loss of contact with reality. It is often marked by symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and disrupted behavior.
Yes, some individuals who have spiritual experiences may mistakenly interpret them as symptoms of psychosis. It is important to seek professional help to differentiate between the two and receive appropriate guidance and support.
If you are experiencing spiritual experiences that resemble psychotic disorders or if you are unsure about what you are going through, it is advisable to seek psychiatric help. A trained professional can help assess your condition and provide guidance tailored to your specific needs.
Visions can be experienced both in spiritual awakening and psychosis. However, the interpretation and impact of visions may differ between the two states. In spiritual awakening, visions are often seen as symbolic or meaningful insights, while in psychosis, they may be distorted or irrational perceptions.
Some common warning signs that can help distinguish spiritual awakening from psychosis include duration of experience, impact on daily functioning, coherence of thoughts, and integration of insights into one’s life experience. It is important to consult with a healthcare professional for an accurate assessment.
While spiritual awakening itself is not a direct risk factor for psychosis, some individuals who are going through intense spiritual experiences may be more vulnerable to psychological distress. It is important to maintain a balanced approach and seek support when needed.
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