Self Help in a Spiritual Emergency

Ali Lawler, a former committee member of SEN, wrote these guidelines for self-help while coming out of her own Spiritual Emergency. Ali died in July 8, 2005 and this is taken from her final journal:

“Many people (like myself) have found themselves alone during a Spiritual Emergency without a sympathetic, supportive friend in sight. These notes are written for myself in the future, or anyone else who might find them useful. I can’t guarantee they will work for you but you’re welcome to try.

I do not recommend trying to cope with Spiritual Emergency on your own, but there are times when you have no choice.”

Physical / Mental / Emotional Guidelines:

  • Try to keep calm, centred and relaxed. If anything you do causes distress, stop doing it and focus on activities/thoughts which bring joy, peace, relief – e.g. listen to pleasant music, dance, sing, swim, smell good things, love, observe beauty. When distress arises, observe it quietly. It will pass.
  • Don’t forget to eat regularly. High vibration levels burn up the body’s food reserves rapidly. Watch that your weight does not drop too drastically and adjust food accordingly. Frequent smaller meals help.
  • Force yourself to rest and sleep as much as possible. The body needs a MINIMUM of 6 hours sleep in every 24 hours to function well. (8-10 hours per night is preferable.) Before sleep try to relax all tense muscles and ‘put away’ active thoughts for later. Try Valerian or Chamomile tea before bed. Avoid sugar, coffee and stimulants. A warm-hot bath is settling. Use herbal sleeping tablets if needed.
  • Gentle exercise: e.g. walking, dancing, yoga, Tai Chi, gardening — but only if pleasurable.
  • Remember: your body needs fresh air and sunlight (but don’t get burnt!). Windy days can be invigorating and blow away negativity but too much windy “Chi” energy can also charge you up too much. Be aware and respond to your needs.
  • Do not dwell on obligations or what you think you SHOULD be doing. Everything can wait. Only deal with immediate survival/well-being concerns, e.g. drink, food, cleanliness, going to the toilet, comfort, peace-of-mind, love, joy, forgiveness, sleep, relaxation.
  • Express yourself creatively— sing, dance, draw, paint, write poetry
  • Make sure you feel good in your body— wear clothes that feel good and are the right colours, relax all tense muscles, keep clean, use aroma therapy for your emotional body, clean out your house and your aura.
  • Light reading only or spiritually uplifting literature if desired.
  • Laugh as much as possible… Lighten-up!
  • If psychic energy is too intense, here are some techniques to try:
    a. bind silk scarf around third-eye
    b. demand relief from the powers of Light
    c. ground energy into the earth by heavy jumping, walking barefoot, gardening or burying
    d. your feet in the sand on the beach
    e. take a bath or a long shower
    f. dance vigorously to energetic music
    g. deep sighing exhalation of breath to expel excess energy
    h. avoid people in general (you are too open/too vulnerable)
    i. avoid strong winds
    j. do not drive anywhere; stay at home until it eases
    k. get someone to give you a massage
    l. stop meditating or any activity which intensifies the experience
    m. if the energy in your forehead is too intense try an ‘energy transfer’ technique of touching
    foreheads with a friend, a tree or the ground. Remain in this position for a while.

Environment:

It is most important to be in a genuinely loving, caring, peaceful environment. Psychic over-sensitivity makes you vulnerable to the negative projections of those around you. Other people’s worry, fear, insincerity, hidden agendas, dishonesty, cynicism, egotism, hatred, anger, emotional/psychic instability, etc. can be very destructive.

Make sure those around you understand and validate your process of Emergence. Remember, it’s better to rough it alone than to tolerate ‘bad’ company.

If there is someone you can safely share your experiences with it is important to do so, especially when things get heavy. DO NOT SHARE YOUR MOST AMAZING EXPERIENCES WITH ANYONE UNLESS YOU ARE 100% SURE THEY WILL UNDERSTAND WITHOUT JUDGING YOU! It is also important to write down your experiences, visions and revelations for later reference.

Over-sensitivity to sound and light vibrations make it important to be in a pleasant, natural environment where you feel comfortable.

Avoid negative music, radio and especially television— remember, you will learn and be guided more appropriately by nature. Also the news can be very depressing and distressing.

Nourishment (food & drink):

NOTE: the following guide lines may vary from person to person. Listen to your own body’s cravings and intuition, your dietitian or naturopath for personal fine-tuning…

  • IN GENERAL: eat fresh foods and drink lots of fluids (especially water). Keep foods natural and food combinations simple. Eat small portions frequently (higher vibration levels burn up food quickly). Eat a lot of proteins (especially meat if possible) and complex carbohydrates. Pay attention to taste-buds because they usually know what your body needs.
  • AVOID or MODERATE: fatty foods (especially meat fat, butter, deep-fried foods), bread (toast or white bread is easier to digest), sugar, chocolate, coffee, alcohol, drugs, sweet biscuits, colourings, preservatives, pickles, strong cheeses and heavily processed food in general.