Trauma & Spiritual Emergencies

Will all spiritual emergencies contain a traumatic element? Inasmuch as the loss of ego barriers can be a traumatic experience even for those who have long been following a spiritual path -- yes. Inasmuch as the spiritual emergency was caused by some buried wound in your past -- not necessarily. I think it's more accurate to say that when one's ego barriers are displaced, shattered or dissolved and unconscious content wells forth, that process is going to bring up whatever is buried.

Not everyone who goes through a spiritual emergency has some form of personal trauma in their background. However, it is true that individuals suffering with PTSD have been misdiagnosed as psychotic or schizophrenic.

Misdiagnosis and incorrect or inadequate treatment is not unusual for adults and children with PTSD. For example, refractory depression, substance abuse, and eating disorders, among others, often mask underlying but undiagnosed PTSD. Flashbacks and other dissociative episodes can frequently be mistaken for psychosis (especially schizophrenia), and unnecessary anti-psychotic medication can undermine treatment progress.

Source: Sidran Foundation

See also:

The Individuation Process: The Shadow

New Research Links Trauma & Schizophrenia