Forms of Spiritual Emergence

Forms of Spiritual Emergence

The range of experiences that may occur can vary in depth and intensity from the very gentle to the overwhelming and disturbing. Many recognizable forms of Spiritual Emergence/Emergency have been identified, however these categories frequently overlap. These are:
Personal Transformational Crisis

(More about Personal Transformational Crises yet to be written).
Ego-Death/ Dark Night Of The Soul

This centers around the dissolution of the self - our inner and outer worlds - and a consequent loss of reference points. Symptoms may involve feelings of pressure, claustrophobia, oppression, tightness, restlessness, or struggle, or an unbearable endless repetition of 'dying' experiences. In extreme cases, parts of the body may appear to decay or melt away. more...
The Awakening of Kundalini

Some symptoms are tremors of energy rising up the spine, sensations of extreme hot and cold, the experience of flashing lights, and experiencing powerful waves of emotions. more...
Shamanic Crisis

This typically involves a quest or journey to the underworld where demons or animal spirits are often encountered, culminating usually in experiences of death, dismemberment, and annihilation. more...
Episodes of Unitive Consciousness

An experience of transcending the ordinary distinction between object and subject and experiencing ecstatic union with humanity, nature, the cosmos and God. more...
Crisis of Psychic Opening

This may involve channeling, telepathy, clairvoyance, out-of-body experiences and meaningful coincidences. more...
Past Life Experiences

People can behave irrationally because they are experiencing something from the past as part of their current life, or else a person can be haunted by physical feelings and emotions that are seemingly unconnected to anything. more...
Near-Death Experiences

These experiences often involve an unusual and profound shift in the experience of reality. This usually includes an out-of-body experience and can involve profound lessons about life and universal laws. more...
Possession States

This is characterized by an uncanny sense that one's body and psyche have been invaded and are being controlled by an alien energy or entity that has personal characteristics. It can be another type of Crisis of Psychic Opening. more...
Psychological Renewal through the Central Archetype

Some distinguishing features are themes of death and rebirth, battles of opposing cosmic forces (e.g. good and evil) and a conviction that the outcomes are critical to the future of the world. mo