The Call of Spiritual Emergency: From Personal Crisis to Personal Transformation. Emma Inc. Bragdon

      

      THE CALL OF

      SPIRITUAL EMERGENCY

      From Personal Crisis to

      Personal Transformation

      Second Revised Edition, 2013

      Emma Bragdon, Ph.D.

      The First Edition was published in 1990 by

      Harper & Row, Publishers, San Francisco

      This Second Revised Edition is being published in softcover format in 2013 by

      Lightening Up Press, PO Box 325, Woodstock, VT. 05091

       www.SpiritualAlliances.com

      For information about spiritual emergence processes beyond the scope of

      this book, or for referrals to professional help in any part of the world,

      contact the Spiritual Emergence Network in the USA or other Spiritual Emergency Networks (see Resource Section in this book).

      THE CALL OF SPIRITUAL EMERGENCY:

      From Personal Crisis to Personal Transformation.

      Copyright © 1990-2013 by Emma Bragdon. All Rights Reserved.

      Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be

      used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written

      permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical

      articles and reviews. For information, address Emma Bragdon, PO Box

      325, Woodstock, VT 05091 or mailto:[email protected]

      FIRST EDITION

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Bragdon, Emma 1946-

      The call of spiritual emergency: from personal crisis to

      personal transformation / Emma Bragdon- 1st ed.

      p. cm.

      Includes bibliographical references.

      ISBN 0-06-250104-6

      1. Spiritual life. 2. Psychology, Religious. 3.Psychiatric emergencies.

      I. Title.

      BL624.B635 1990

      291.4—dc20 89-29710 CIP

      90 91 92 93 94 VICKS 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      SECOND EDITION:

      Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com

       http://www.eBookIt.com

      ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-1006-7

      THE SOFTCOVER VERSION OF THIS BOOK WILL BE AVAILABLE IN 2013.

      Disclaimer: This book is for purposes of education and reflection only. It

      is not meant to replace the need for clear medical advice. Please consult

      your chosen health care provider before making any significant decisions

      regarding your health care.

      Other Books by Emma Bragdon, PhD

      A Sourcebook for Helping People in Spiritual Emergency

      A Sourcebook for Helping People with Spiritual Problems

      Spiritual Alliances

      Kardec’s Spiritism

      Spiritism and Mental Health

      Resources for Extraordinary Healing

      Credits:

      The author wishes to thank the following for permission to reprint selected quotes:

      Doubleday for The Astral Journey, by Herbert B. Greenhouse. Copyright © 1975 by Herbert B. Greenhouse.

      Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., for How Can I Help?: Stories and Reflections on Service, by Ram Dass and Paul Gorman. Copyright © 1985 by Ram Dass and Paul Gorman.

      William Morrow & Co., Inc. for Heading Toward Omega: In Search of the Meaning of the Near-Death Experience, by Kenneth Ring. Copyright © 1985 by Kenneth Ring.

      Michael Murphy for The Psychic Side of Sports, by Michael Murphy and Rhea White. Copyright © 1978 by Michael Murphy and Rhea White.

      Shambhala Publications, Inc., 300 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 02115, for Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man, by Gopi Krishna, © 1969.

      Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc., Los Angeles, for Moksha:Writings on Psychedelics and the Visionary Experience (1931-1963), by Aldous Huxley, edited by Michael Horowitz & Cynthia Palmer. Copyright © 1977 by Michael Horowitz and Cynthia Palmer.

      Dedication:

      For those who dedicate themselves

      to bring to light the Love

      that underlies all that is happening at this time.

      Acknowledgments

      This book has been given life by many people. Christina Grof has kindly encouraged me to contribute my voice to the field of spiritual emergency, which she initiated with her husband, Stanislav. I appreciate the Grofs' dedication to circulating information about spiritual emergency and their making way for new voices to enrich the song.

      Tom Grady at Harper & Row helped with the first outline for this book after Shoshana Tembeck Alexander proposed that I further develop the ideas from A Sourcebook for Helping People in Spiritual Emergency. I am indebted to their initial encouragement and timely inspiration. Continuing as my editor, Shoshana gave of her big mind and kind heart—helping me bring these ideas down to earth. I am grateful for her wisdom and generosity. Mark Salzwedel at Harper & Row was a considerate and gentle companion as he taught me about the intricate steps of the publishing world.

      The territory I cover in this book comes from a broad spectrum of life experience, and I needed consultation with colleagues in reviewing areas of the text. John White, Ph.D., contributed his eye for detail with kindness and tact. Arthur Hastings, Ph.D., helped me to see with new perspectives. The maturity of his knowledge was a refreshing and inspiring influence. Mary Culberson, Ph.D., has been a consistent, supportive presence with whom I could discuss the clinical issues of helping people in spiritual emergency. Aminah Raheem, Ph.D., masterfully encouraged me to be true to my own experience in her insistent, enlightened way. Laura Sosnowski's personal realization of the transpersonal realms was a constant mirror to me of the power and healing represented in the worlds beyond ego.

      Finally, I need to express my profound appreciation to my friends and clients who offered their stories so that others might hear and learn from them. Interviewing people on the subject of their spiritual crisis points was an intimate and always fascinating process for me. I hope that the love and openness I was given is transmitted through the text to the readers. These stories and the unique individuals they represent are true gifts to this world as it struggles to become spiritually awake.

      Most of the people interviewed for this book requested that I disguise their identities. I have made every attempt to honor that wish without sacrificing pertinent information: age level, sex, career orientation. The territory of spiritual experience is extremely personal in nature, exploring to the very roots of what makes life meaningful. Stories and information are shared here in the spirit of reaching out to others needing guidance on the path which is our birthright— spiritual emergence.

      ***

      From “Shamanism: Archaic