This is an important concept for those who have struggled with their own transpersonal or spiritual development as well as the field of transpersonal psychology. It is a good example of the contribution of transpersonal psychology.

DEFINITIONS

• Spiritual emergence The process of moving to transpersonal levels of development or becoming aware of and integrating transpersonal experiences.
• Spiritual emergency Crisis related to sudden spiritual emergence. It may have either positive or negative outcomes.

Spiritual (or transpersonal) experience is less likely to lead to a spiritual emergency when:

1. the person has a conceptual framework to support, understand, and accept the experience.
2. the person has the physical and emotional structure to integrate the experience; a healthy ego structure, tolerance for ambiguity, tolerance for strong emotions, flexibility, etc.
3. the person's social network, including helpers, defines the experience as positive, potentially healthy, healing, or initiatory.

A closely related phenomenon is "Mystical Experience with Psychotic Features" (MEPF). (See, for instance, Lukoff, D. (1985). The diagnosis of mystical features with psychotic features. JOURNAL OF TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY, Vol 17 (No. 1) and Lukoff, D., Lu, F., and Turner, R. (1998). From Spiritual Emergency to Spiritual Problem: The Transpersonal Roots of the New DSM-IV Category. JOURNAL OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY. Vol 38 (No. 2), 21-50.

Differential Diagnosis: Brief reactive psychosis, Manic episode. That is, MEPF shares some characteristics with these diagnoses. However, it is different in important ways, especially its potential for positive outcomes.

Characteristics

1. profound disorientation and instability
2. accompanies intense spiritual experience
3. appears as acute psychotic episode lasting minutes to months
4. eventual positive, transformative outcome

Criteria

1. Sense of newly-gained knowledge
2. Perceptual alterations (e.g. time, space, body image)
3. Delusions (if present) have themes related to myths & archetypes
4. No conceptual disorganization (Although delusional/metaphorical speech may be dificult to understand, it is comprehensible).
5. The person may recognize that the experience and insights are out of the ordinary. " I know this sounds crazy but . . . " This may be the most useful for distinguishing MEPF from pathology.

1. Medical workup, rule out organic problems, check health behaviors
2. Minimal use of psychiatric drugs
3. Quiet and safe environment
4. Compassionate and knowledgeable companion
5. Diagnosis: MEPF, Brief reactive psychosis, manic episode, borderline personality disorder, etc.
6. Education and reassurance about spiritual emergency
7. Help with grounding, centering, and/or catharsis
8. Referral for on-going support, consultation with family, etc.

1. Safe environment (physical and social)
2. Facilitating grounding: contact, present-centeredness, boundary-setting, letting go, affirming connections to others & world, activities, rituals, no drugs
3. Restructuring response patterns, cognitive restructuring, emotional and body work
4. Supporting spiritual emergence/ long-term growth

• Spiritual Emergence Network This organization aims to support those whose spiritual awakening and experience is also extremely distressing, i.e., those in a spiritual emergency.
• Bragdon, E. (1987). A SOURCEBOOK FOR HELPING PEOPLE IN SPIRITUAL EMERGENCY. Available from Spiritual Emergency Network, 250 Oak Grove Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025
• Grof, S. & Grof, S. (1986). Spiritual emergency: the understanding and treatment of transpersonal crises. REVISION, Vol. 8 (No. 2), 7-20.
• Lukoff, D. (1985). Diagnosis of mystical experiences with psychotic features. JOURNAL OF TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 17 (No. 2), 155-181.
• Lukoff, D., Lu, F., and Turner, R. (1998). From Spiritual Emergency to Spiritual Problem: The Transpersonal Roots of the New DSM-IV Category. JOURNAL OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY. Vol 38 (No. 2), 21-50.
• Watson, K. Spiritual Emergency: Concepts and Implications for Psychotherapy. JOURNAL OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY. (1994). Vol 34 (No. 2), 22-45.