Spiritual Emergence or Psychiatric Disorder?

The following is excerpted from "The Stormy Search for the Self" by Stanislav and Christina Grof. Please note, characteristics that are suggestive of a psychiatric disorder are shown in regular font type, characteristics that are suggestive of spiritual emergence/emergency are shown in a burgundy font.

Criteria of a Medical Nature

Clinical examination and laboratory tests detect a physical disease that causes psychological changes.

Negative results of clinical examination and laboratory tests for a physical disease.

Clinical examination and laboratory tests detect a disease process of the brain that causes psychological changes (neurological reflexes, cerebrospinal fluid, X ray, etc.).

Negative results of clinical examinations and laboratory tests for pathological process afflicting the brain.

Specific psychological tests indicate organic impairment of the brain.

Negative results of psychological tests for organic impairment.

Impairment of intellect and memory, clouded consciousness, problems with basic orientation (name, time, place), poor coordination.

Intellect and memory qualitatively challenged but intact, consciousness usually clear, good basic orientation, coordination not seriously impaired.

Confusion, disorganization, and defective intellectual functioning interfere with communication and cooperation.

Ability to communicate and cooperate (occasional deep involvement in the inner process might be a problem).


Criteria of a Psychological Nature

Personal history shows serious difficulties in interpersonal relationships since childhood, inability to make friends and have intimate sexual relationships, poor social adjustment, usually long history of psychiatric problems.

Adequate pre-episode functioning as evidenced by interpersonal skills, some success in school and vocation, network of friends, and ability to have sexual relationships; no serious psychiatric history.

Poorly organized and defined content of the process, unqualified changes of emotions and behavior, unspecific organization of psychological functions, lack of meaning of any kind, no indication of direction development, loosening of associations, incoherence.

Sequences of biographical memories, themes of birth and death, transpersonal experiences, possible insight that the process is healing or spiritual in nature, change and development of themes, often definable progression, incidence of true synchronicities (evident to others).

Autistic withdrawal, aggressivity, or controlling and manipulative behavior interferes with a good working relationship and makes cooperation impossible.

Ability to relate and cooperate, often even during episodes of dramatic experiences that occur spontaneously or in the course of psychotherapeutic work.

Inability to see the process as an intrapsychic affair, confusion between the inner experiences and the outer world, excessive use of projection and blaming, "acting out".

Awareness of the intrapsychic nature of the process, satisfactory ability to distinguish between the inner and the outer, "owning" the process, ability to keep it internalized.

Basic mistrust, perception of the world and all people as hostile, delusions of persecution, accoustic hallucinations of enemies ("voices") with a very unpleasant content.

Sufficient trust to accept help and co-operate; persecutory delusions and "voices" absent.

Violations of basic rules of therapy ("not to hurt oneself or anyone else, not to destroy property"), destructive and self-destructive (suicidal or self-mutilating) impulses and a tendency to act on them without warning.

Ability to honor basic rules of therapy, absence of destructive or self-destructive ideas and tendencies, or ability to talk about them and to accept precautionary measures.

Behavior endangering health and causing serious concerns (refusal to eat or drink for prolonged periods of time, neglect of basic hygenic rules).

Good cooperation in things related to physical health, basic maintenance, and hygenic rules.


Source: The Stormy Search for the Self

See also:

Wikipedia: Stanislav Grof

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