Reframing Mental distress as a potential catalyst for positive change

Having gone through an intense spritual emergence process, initially misdiagnosed as psychosis, Shannon is now “on a soul mission to illuminate the spiritual perspective of mental health”…we share that soul mission! Here Shannon shares her resonant but unique story of how she worked her way through spiritual emergence, completely transformed!

I’m delighted to be interviewing Shannon very soon, about her awakening journey, current work, and her plans to take part in #Emerging Proud day in Minnesota! ❤

Nine years ago, at the age of 28, I had the intense experience of spiritual emergence which presented itself initially as a mental health crisis. It was a frightening experience which sent me into extreme fear and panic. I experienced 4 days of really intense communication from the non physical realm and it felt as if I woke up in a completely different reality. I could not make sense of what was happening but I did know that the many voices I heard, other people were not hearing. Along with hearing voices, I was also seeing gray colored “people” & spirits. However, at the time I did not understand this new reality at all or understand that what I was seeing and hearing was of the non physical. I don’t know how to emphasize just how terrifying that experience was during those first days of trying to make sense of what I was hearing and what I was seeing. On day 3 of this experience, I ran outside and yelled “Just end it! Just take me out!” I was truly convinced I was being stalked as I constantly felt people “the spirits” all around me although I couldn’t always see them, they were communicating things to me that were full of fear as well as private details about my life that no one else knew.

On day 4 of the intense communication, I experienced a full blown panic attack brought on by extreme fear and very little sleep. After being taken to the ER and telling the doctor there just a fraction of what I was experiencing, I was admitted into the psychiatric ward at the U of MN hospital with the diagnosis of “psychosis”. After a few days of heavy doses of medication, my connection to the other realm completely shut down. At the time, this seemed like a huge blessing because the communication and voices I was hearing completely stopped. I was in the hospital for 10 full days and was released with 5 different medications including 2 to help me sleep at night. During the next month, due to being highly sensitive and being on several strong anti-psychotic medications, I became completely numb to all feeling and emotions. For the next 6 months, I continued taking the medications on a daily basis which sent me into a period of deep depression. This was the darkest time of my life. At the time, I felt my only option was to obey the doctor’s orders, stay heavily medicated and follow their protocol for this type of experience.

My personal healing journey began 6 months later, at the age of 29, when my chiropractor pulled me aside after a treatment and told me that he could see I was losing much of my life force due to the medications. He urged me to dictate my own path and said that he would help me ween off the medications if I was ready to do so. I was so ready! He truly was a divine messenger for me, helping to guide me during this difficult time. I got off all the medications I was on within a month and my intuition returned so strong that I could not ignore the new path it was nudging me toward. Leaving my old life behind and starting anew, a few months later I was introduced to the healing power of touch during my massage therapy training. Over the course of the next 6 years, I was on what I now call a “spiritual healing journey”. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was beginning to receive nudges and messages from the spiritual realm through my intuition and I was beginning to follow them without question. This was the beginning of my clairvoyance reopening after being completely shut down from the medications. During this time, I also turned to holistic medicine. I worked with a gifted naturopath doctor, befriended a passionate spiritual coach and found a spiritual community that spoke divine truth that resonated so deeply within me. Their support led me to develop and discover my natural healing gifts including energy healing and the ability to gracefully strengthen my connection to the spiritual realm.

I want to highlight that when the connection reopened, it occurred very slowly at first and it was no longer a frightening experience, but more of a curious exploration. It was now received as clear knowing (claircognizant), clear feeling (clairsentience), as well as insights and messages from the spiritual realm guiding me along this new found path. My healing journey took place over the course of the next 6 years with a lot of time and energy dedicated to spiritual growth and teachings. I know now that the personal healing journey I embarked on, truly allowed me to move from a place of disempowerment and inner struggle to full empowerment and deep inner peace.

The work is not done, however. I am currently on an endeavor to get the information and knowledge that I gained along my healing journey as well as my personal experience of crisis out to others, so that I may offer support and help them understand what they are going through. I am incorporating everything I’ve learned from my own spiritual healing journey as well the training I’ve received, to teach classes and offer one-on-one spiritual coaching. I am very passionate about helping others uncover the spiritual truth of a mental health crisis as well as the hidden gifts behind high sensitivity. There is much to do here as I move forward in getting this information and knowledge out to the people who need it, and empowering people to dictate their own path and reclaim their power and truth!

CLICK HERE FOR SHANNON’S WEBSITE

Sharing our stories in a safe space where there is no judgement, is healing ❤

We’re so excited to learn about all of the emerging Peer support sharing circles for people going through difficult transformation processes that are springing up all over the world now. If you are struggling, here are some free groups you may be able to access:

The Emerging Kind Peer Support Groups  Currently only for the UK, Peers have been trained in holding space for those having experienced a spiritual emergence.

SEA; Spiritual Emergence Anonymous A 12 – step program specifically designed and hosted for those going through spiritual emergence, to support integration.

ISGO; IANDS Sharing Groups Online   A global online resource for anyone who has experienced a NOTE (non- ordinary transcendent experience)

ACISTE (American Centre for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences) are currently updating their directory of support groups … keep a look out for news here.

A couple of weeks ago we featured Dr Nicole Gruel’s personal experience in her #Emerging Proud blog, today I got to talk to the inspirational lady herself in this interview about her upcoming new book ‘The Power of NOTES’, based on her PhD research findings.

Find out how her NOTE whisperings of “What next?” led Nicole to her circle of work…

You can find out more about Nicole’s work, download her dissertation, and find out how to get hold of a copy of her book at: The NOTES Coach

For more information on the IANDS Sharing Groups we mentioned CLICK HERE 

I can across Damcho Pamo’s website around ‘meditating safely’ and wanted to highlight it as a helpful resource. It’s well documented that intense meditation, especially silent Vipassana retreats, can initiate a sponatenous awakening, and centres are often not equipped to deal with the consequences. Here Damcho Pamo tells her story of what led to her passion to raise awareness around this, from her own perspective:                                

 I, Damcho Pamo, am a British woman who experienced psychosis and mania, when I was 51, while attending an intensive meditation retreat. Prior to this chapter in my life I had no history of psychological problems and in fact was psychologically robust.

To spread the word about meditation being associated with the development of such problems for some people I created the website

www.meditatinginsafety.org.uk

This is an evidence based site that raises awareness of mental health issues in relation to meditation practice

In 1997 I became involved with a Zen group. I adopted a daily meditation practice and attended three retreats a year, two weekends and one five day. The retreats were intensive as they were in silence, the only opportunity to talk was in individual interviews with the teacher, and there were around eight hours of meditation a day.

I was motivated to attend the retreats and to practise meditation daily to engage with an authentic practice, enabling me to be more in touch with The Sacred and in particular to develop compassion.  In 2001 whilst attending one of these five day retreats I became manic and psychotic. It actually turned out that I was slightly psychotic when I arrived at the retreat, though at the time I wasn’t aware of that. The first night there I had very disturbed sleep. My mind was racing and I slept for only about three hours. I had a sense of my mind fizzing. I was concerned about this as I normally slept well, and especially so when I attended retreats, so I raised it with the teacher. She was dismissive just saying you don’t need to sleep when you meditate. So I continued with the retreat becoming increasingly psychotic and manic. Having no prior experience of such states I had not a clue what was going on. There were not many signs that I was in difficulties as I attended the whole of the programme. However I think my demeanour must have been odd and also I was eating very little at some of the communal meals but none of this was picked up on; no one approached me to ask how I was. After the retreat I was travelling for three or four days. During this time I became increasingly psychotic and manic but amazingly managed to negotiate train tickets and generally look after myself. The first two days at home my husband and I had visitors. I managed to cope with that. Much of my psychosis was just in my head and I was quite clever at hiding it from others but my husband and our guests could see that my behaviour was odd. It then took my husband a couple of days to persuade me to see the doctor. I was very wrapped up with what was going on in my head but had no sense that anything was wrong. I had no awareness in that way. When the doctor came he interviewed me for about two hours and easily established that I was psychotic and manic. I was then given medication that very quickly got me out of this state. However it turned out to be just the start of a three year period of further major problems. I went on to experience long periods of agitated depression and a further period of psychosis and mania. Eventually having had two courses of ECT and with the right balance of medication my condition became stable. From 2004 I was sufficiently well to work. My condition ever since, on the right balance of medication, has been stable. In 2002 I became involved with a Tibetan Buddhist group, adopting a daily meditation practice from 2008 and becoming a Buddhist in 2013. With my experiences of psychosis, mania and agitated depression I had been in a cul-de-sac but now feel I am back on the Buddhist path.

I see the meditation retreats that I attended and the daily meditation practice, actually practised in a rather forced way, I adopted during the four years prior to the retreat when I became psychotic and manic as contributory factors to my having developed these severe problems. The strongest indicator of this being so was that for the first four days after each retreat I would be aloof, distant and cold towards my family. I’d then snap out of it and revert to my usual warm and supportive self. However at that time there were also several strong stressors in my life. I had a perimenopausal physiology that was giving me psychological problems, a close relative had died, my work was stressful and I felt frustrated about my employment, and I practised Astanga Vinyasa Yoga, a very physically demanding and energising practice.

Dark Night of the Soul

The phrase Dark Night of the Soul is coined in modern times to describe coming through very difficult times in our lives. On our website I give the background to this concept.

When I became ill I don’t think I was going through a Dark Night of the Soul experience in the classical sense of losing my faith and feeling dry and arid. I was under chronic multiple stressors with the final trigger being the intense meditation retreat, the straw that broke the camel’s back. This accumulated stress pushed me into a physiological state that my system was no longer able to remain in balance with. Throughout my three years of troubles, treatment and recovery I never had a sense of losing faith. At the time of first experiencing problems I was a practising Quaker, with a belief in the inner light within each person. During my first spell in hospital even though I was feeling utterly terrible I was still courteous to nurses and considerate to my fellow patients however bizarre their behaviour. I mentioned this to a friend afterwards and she said I was just hardwired that way. However I wasn’t so good with the psychiatrists! Strange as they really are the people who can help you but when you feel imprisoned in a hospital it doesn’t feel like it! I would often spend my afternoons, alone, in the small hospital chapel, reflecting and found that really helpful.

However as my recovery has progressed, becoming more nuanced over the last 16 years, I would say that I have become more whole in myself, feel freer and have changed for the better. This has been assisted by being on the Buddhist path and becoming a Buddhist in 2013, though I am still a Quaker: at present not an active one. The aspects of being that I am working on at present are non-attachment, being in the present moment and equanimity. So to this extent I have emerged from a very difficult situation into a better state. You could say this is to do with taking a positive and constructive approach to having had to cope with a harsh situation and if you do that you develop as a person but perhaps in spiritual terms it is more than that. My path has similarities to St. John of the Cross’s view (outlined on our website) and in developing such aspects as non-attachment I am convinced of the reality of Buddha Nature, to me the equivalent to St. John’s Our true nature is God.

Post-script

Gerald May (2003) also expresses the view that perhaps societies can go through a collective Dark Night of the Soul emerging from that phase with an improved situation. Perhaps World War II could be thought of in this way with life being considerably improved in the years after the war. Perhaps we could think of our present societal situation in this way and hopefully we will come through it with a better approach one that embraces squarely the realities of climate change, works towards sustainable energy sources, further develops international co-operation and above all creates the situations where we all care for each other better.

Reference:

Gerald G. May, 2003, The Dark Night of the Soul, A psychiatrist explores the connection between darkness and spiritual growth, Harper Collins

Although we may not see things quite the same way, (believing that all these types of manifestations are part of the awakening healing path and not indicators of ‘illness’), it is important to acknowledge the need to meditate safely…

For resources and more info on this, go to:

www.meditatinginsafety.org.uk

Thank you for raising awareness on this important subject Damcho Pamo ❤

Last year’s featured Artist for #Emerging Proud was Clara Teleki from Hungary. This year Clara has kindly donated a digital display of her astounding pictures for each host country to use at their event; Clara is an #Emerging Kind! Here is her incredible donation:

*Please do not use these images other than at an #Emerging Proud event, thank you

Koszonom Clara, from the #Emerging Proud community ❤

CLICK HERE FOR CLARA’S WEBSITE TO SEE MORE OF HER AMAZING WORK

We are delighted that Clara has submitted some of her pictures to the book cover competition. If you’d like to submit your own, please email the image / images to: mendthegap@hotmail.com by 19/04/18 when all submitted pictures will go to a public vote!

I’m in! What do I need to do? 

▪ Go to http://www.so-me.org.uk and register your name and location

▪ Source a (disabled access friendly) venue to hold your event; preferably in a public place, e.g. library

▪ Recruit Volunteers who are willing to talk about their personal transformation story

▪ Prepare all of the material needed for your big day; Volunteer Profiles etc

▪ Promote your event to your local community using this ‘trending topic’

‘Reframing mental distress as a possible transformation process’

▪ On Sat 12th May hold your SoMe Emerging Proud event; ENJOY!

▪ Return feedback from your Message Board after the event to take part in the research evaluation and the Emerging Proud 2018 International Report

What are you waiting for? SIGN UP HERE! 

In solidarity for the shift,

Katie ❤

Last week we heard Nicole #Emerge Proud and share the profound personal experience that was to set her on her life’s mission… This week we’re diving deeper into that mission, to hear what she’s up to in a professional capacity. Here is her brilliant presentation on her research into the transformative power of NOTES (non-ordinary transcendent experiences):

Dr. Nicole Gruel is an author, life coach, specialist in NOTEs, and descends from a long line of samurai. Her books have been featured in leading Australian wellness magazines and have inspired people around the world to dive deep and take soulful action. She combines experience in teaching, international development, healing arts, counselling, Eastern philosophy, depth and transpersonal psychology, sacred ceremony, and creative expression to inspire grounded personal transformation and intentional collective action. Her greatest joy is igniting innate love and wisdom so people can get on with enjoying phenomenal relationships, live all they desire to be, and make a positive impact. Find out more via Nicole’s website:

 www.thenotescoach.com

Nicole has just launched an online meeting space for experiencers of NOTES:

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

Nicole’s newest book, based on her academic research:

I’m excited to be chatting to Nicole about her life and work very soon in an interview; watch this space!

Remember Liisa’s brilliant winning design for the 2017 launch edition commemorative print?

This year, you have the opportunity to have your artwork featured, not only on the cover of the 2018 book, but also on the #Emerging Proud event flyers, and displayed at events all over the world!

Do you have an image that you feel depicts the key campaign message that:

‘Mental distress can be a possible catalyst for positive transformation’ ? 

If you’d like to take advantage of this opportunity, email your submissions to: mendthegap@hotmail.com  by 15/04/18 and they’ll be entered into the public vote!

Good luck #Emergees ❤