Last time we looked at the crises that can precede spiritual awakening on the path towards Self-realisation. In this post we explore the kinds of experiences that can happen as a result of awakening and the problems they can lead to. The following notes are taken from Psychosynthesis by Roberto Assagioli: “The opening of the… Continue reading Crises Caused by Spiritual Awakening
Last time we looked at the process of Self-realisation and how it differs from self-actualisation. In this post we explore the kinds of issues that can arise prior to awakening and what the crisis of awakening itself involves. The following notes are taken from Psychosynthesis by Roberto Assagioli: “In order to understand thoroughly the strange… Continue reading Crises Preceding Spiritual Awakening
Continuing our look at psychosynthesis and how it can help us to navigate a spiritual crisis or dark night of the soul. The process of awakening can be complex and confusing because there’s so much movement going on in the psyche. It can help to have a map and pointers to explain what might be… Continue reading Self-Realisation and Psychological Disturbances
The Handless Maiden is a myth that speaks powerfully to our dark and confusing times. It’s a fairy tale that was collected by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, but its roots are much older. The story is about a maiden whose father sells her to the devil in exchange for wealth and convenience. Her hands… Continue reading The Handless Maiden: Healing a Dark Night of the Soul
Welcome to the resources page for surviving the dark night of the soul and spiritual emergency. You’ll find links to advice, articles and inspiration to help you cope when spiritual crisis threatens to overwhelm you. Bookmark this page! Spiritual Emergency Resources ACISTE – American Centre for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences for articles, support… Continue reading Resources for Surviving a Dark Night of the Soul
Mindfulness is everywhere these days. With the number of books and apps and courses available you would think we had become a nation of bodhisattvas overnight. The positive effects of mindfulness are widely known and aggressively advertised, but the practice doesn’t work the same way for everyone, and it can actually make you feel worse.… Continue reading The Hidden Dangers of Mindfulness
This story isn’t easy to tell. It’s a bit like one of those obscure films where nothing happens for hours but then you realise that, somehow, everything has changed. It started the day I met Jonah. He was coming out of the tunnel by the bridge and heading for the quay. I’d been cleaning in… Continue reading Addled Chapter 1: Jonah and the Whale
We’ve reached a tricky stage in the evolution of consciousness: the ego has discovered there’s a wider reality beyond its high walls and barbed fences. It’s under attack and in no mood to back down without a fight. Let’s have a closer look at this pesky ego and see if we can find its weak… Continue reading Evolution of Consciousness: Army of Me
Life has an uncanny ability to undermine your sense of self-importance and competence. No matter how hard you try, you’re never going to make sense of it. You’ll never fully know yourself and life will always surprise you. This is good, but we don’t always see it that way. When you identify with your ego… Continue reading Evolution of Consciousness: Spiritual Crisis
A selection of recommended books on Mysticism for anyone on the path to awakening and self-knowledge. These are either classics or books I’ve found particularly helpful over the years. There are longer reviews attached via links, and more to come… Andrew Harvey – The Way of Passion This is an ecstatic exploration of Rumi and his… Continue reading Mysticism Bookshelf
Twilight falls, the moon rises, and hidden in the darkness, a dog howls. You have crossed the threshold to the underworld, the realm of Hecate. It takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the gloom and you find yourself in a fearful place. The dead, the lost and forgotten, the compulsive, secret fantasies,… Continue reading Dark Angel: Hecate and the Dark Night
Following my epic article on the Dark Night of the Soul, I wanted to go into a little more detail on the symptoms of the Dark Night and strategies for surviving it. I was going to include this information at the end of the previous article but it was already too long. To summarise: the… Continue reading How to Survive a Dark Night of the Soul
Jessica Davidson 