What is Spiritual Emergence?
In her book, “In Case of Spiritual Emergency”, Catherine G. Lucas explains spiritual emergence as,
…above all a process; a process of exploration and unfolding; a process of learning and growth, of healing and purification. It involves the whole of our beings and works on all levels, physical, emotional, and psychological, as well as spiritual.
Spiritual Emergence can occur when people start seeking or experiencing themselves beyond their own personal, societal, or familial identity. Many things can precipitate a spiritual emergence experience. A few possibilities are a major life change, illness, near death experiences, a devotional religious or spiritual practice, drug induced experiences, or an out-of-body experience just to name a few. However, there are cases in which there was no apparent precipitating cause. In a Canadian study it was discovered that only 43% of experiencers had some form of spiritual practice. This has been discovered to be true in many other studies of the topic. Clearly it can happen to anyone at any time for unknown reasons.
Emergence into new experiences of identity and understanding can be upsetting and disorienting as well as joyful, beautiful, calming, and nurturing experiences. Either way, they change the way a person interacts with the people and world around them. Support and education is key in helping people navigate the new world uncovered by their experiences and to integrate the new information many receive as a result of their experiences. And this is where the life coach can come in and play an important role in a team of people that someone steeped deeply in their spiritual emergence or emergency may need to help them integrate back into daily living.
People may be experiencing spiritual emergence if:
The American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences (ACISTE) found in their research that the potential benefits are as follows:
What is Spiritual Emergency – Danger or Opportunity?
A spiritual emergence experience becomes an emergency when the experiencer can no longer function emotionally, mentally, physically, or goes into a “dark night” experience on a spiritual level. Depending on the level of emergency the experiencer may need support from many different disciplines. If handled inappropriately it can easily slip from being an opportunity for self-discovery and self-knowledge into becoming a life threatening danger. ACISTE states:
Depending on the response to or meaning ascribed to both distressing and light-filled STEs (spiritually transformative experiences), that response or interpretation might give rise to health-related challenges such as anxiety, depression (50%)(ACISTE, 2011a), substance abuse (10%)(ACISTE, 2011a), suicide attempts (6.7%)(ACISTE, 2011a), divorce (65%-76% of whom were married at the time of their near-death experience) (Christian, 2005; Stout, Jacquin, & Atwater, 2006).
Dr. Stansilov Grof and his wife Christina have identified 10 states of spiritual emergency: