Spiritual Emergency: Transpersonal,Personal, and Political Dimensions

摘要

According to a transpersonal perspective a spiritual/transcendent realityexists beyond the ego, which includes experiences that transcend a person's temporal andspatial boundaries. From this 'trans' perspective human beings are viewed in a widercontext of life. However, it is recognized that people can experience a transformationalcrisis through engaging in psycho-spiritual development, otherwise termed 'spiritual emer-gency'. Spiritual emergency can cause a de-adaptation, affecting a person's ability tofunction in daily life, which could result in a person being misdiagnosed and treated for amental health condition. The dichotomy of such experiences being indicative of either aspiritual problem or a mental health problem continues to be a contentious issue. However,from a transpersonal point of view spiritual emergency presents a person with opportuni-ties to engage in a process of 'self-renewal'. This article discusses spiritual emergency asa numinous event, highlighting the need for more social-political-spiritual awareness oftransformations in consciousness. An autobiographical account of a spiritual emergencyis provided to illustrate a long-term trajectory of a spiritual emergency, outlining fourpropositions for engaging conscious experience through and beyond a transformationalcrisis.