Spiritual Psychology
Guidance for Mental Health Professionals navigating the confusing terrain of spirituality and psychology.
Integrating Spirituality and Psychology
Important Preface
There is no shame or guilt, only humility, by opening to the possibility you have bought into a belief system (of mental health treatment) which may (in a way) have outlived its usefulness. Allowing the consideration to realize within your own experience the higher realms of existence (beyond belief) revealed by Maslow, Jung, and Einstein – Higher Consciousness – Love – is essential to assisting others.
Opening to Deeper Dimensions of Healing, Feeling, and Awakening
In one of the most conscious and popular conversations on record with respect to Psychology and Spirituality, Carl Jung stated, in relation to recovering from alcohol addiction, that in his view (paraphrasing): A spiritual experience was the only thing he saw which could potentially cure the one afflicted. The following is an excerpt from a conversation with Jung:
Jung went on to say that Rowland’s only hope was a ‘spiritual awakening’ or religious experience. Jung also told him that such transformative experiences were quite rare. Jung understood that alcoholism created a spiritual void… a spiritual experience seemed to fill that void and stem the alcoholic’s voracious appetite for the instrument of his or her own self-destruction.
Psychology, Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and mental health treatment are, indeed, very young sciences, yet, in truth, Spirituality has always been on the scene in human record; for example, Enlightened Beings, Yogis, Meditation, The concept of God, and the indescribable truth of God/exististence only known to the awakened and enlightened beings, like Jesus, Buddah, Krishna, etc. Our forefathers of Psychology and Western Pioneers awakening consciousness have pointed to the essential necessity for integrating Psychology and Spirituality into mental health treatment and recovery. Einstein is quoted:
A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
In order to help others connect, feel, heal, and awaken – truly – honestly – we must open up to new possibilities, which we may resist using egoic fear as justification to not inquire deeper within our own being. In a way, we are asking of ourselves what we ask our clients and patients everyday – to be open and honest to inner discovery – to confront the limitations of fear based living and egoic identities. We must admit there is another way to learn, grow, and reveal truths of existence, humanness, and life.
In that admission – in that opening to possibility, births the transformation you know in your heart to already be true; which is this: There is a more accurate and truthful way to approach Psychotherapy, Psychology, and Psychiatry – from a more awakened perspective.
Furthermore, we see Abraham Maslow, pointing to truth of existence with the term, ‘Self Actualization.’ The truth of self actualization is often hijacked by a new version of ego when people claim to have, “Found themselves;” of course, any notion of ‘finding oneself’ is a profound spiritual experience pointing to the limitations of psychological mind and the limitless nature of spirituality. The self actualized notion Maslow was referring to was the same unity of existence, pure love, pure consciousness, truth, which self realized enlightened masters know within their own non-intellectual experience – truth.
It is truly the (nature of reality) and plight of every human being to awaken, and respective to ALL fields of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Mental health – ALL professionals must become open to awakening to better serve humankind. What other option do we have? Broaden our limitations or confine ourselves to a box which no longer seems to be serving individuals and humanity wholeheartedly and consciously..? There is another way. Allow. Open. Discover.
John Welwood - The Psychology of Awakening
Here are two articles by John Welwood which could be viewed as a bridge between Spirituality/Consciousness and Psychology – continuing the inevitable individual and collective awakening which Maslow and Jung were coming into awareness and clarity.
John Welwood – The Psychology of Awakening
Spiritual Bypassing the Psychology of Awakening by John Welwood
“In the 1980s John Welwood emerged as a major figure in the leading-edge fields of transpersonal psychology and East/West psychology. The former Director of the East/West psychology program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, he is currently Associate Editor of the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology. He trains psychotherapists in “psychotherapy in a spiritual framework” and “the healing power of unconditional presence” and leads workshops on psychospiritual work and conscious relationship throughout the world.
John Welwood has published more than fifty articles on relationship, psychotherapy, consciousness, and personal change, as well as eight books including Journey of the Heart, Love and Awakening, Toward a Psychology of Awakening and Ordinary Magic. His best-seller, Journey of the Heart was the first book to lay out the path of conscious relationship, is widely regarded as the most profound book on intimate relationship available, and remains a classic in the field to this day. Toward a Psychology of Awakening brings together John’s thirty years of work in East/West psychology, and has been widely praised as a most fresh, original, and eminently practical integration of the wisdom of East and West.” (Bio article from: http://www.johnwelwood.com/biography.htm)
A Pioneer of Spiritual Psychology - Ron Hulnick, PhD
“Ron Hulnick, Professor at University of Santa Monica, along with his wife Mary Hulnick, PhD are pioneers and worldwide leaders in the field of Spiritual Psychology, as well as Teachers and Facilitators of Awakening in Consciousness. They are renowned educators, authors, and the Founding Faculty and Co-Directors of the University of Santa Monica (USM), where they have designed, developed, and facilitated Educational Programs in Spiritual Psychology for the past 35 years. Both are licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, and Mary is also a licensed Clinical Psychologist.
They are the authors of Loyalty to Your Soul: The Heart of Spiritual Psychology, published by Hay House and available in 12 countries and 8 languages and recently released as an audiobook read by the authors on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. Their latest book, Remembering the Light Within: A Course in Soul-Centered Living, was published by Hay House in 2017 and is available through a variety of book retailers.” (bio article from: https://ronandmaryhulnick.com/)
What is Spiritual Psychology by Dr. Ron Hulnick, University of Santa Monica
Waking up to the Truth of Depression
For several decades mental health industries have been misdiagnosing and mislabeling mental illness or mental disease, simply because we didn’t know any better. However, we now have the opportunity to see beyond our filters of perception to something greater and more profound: suffering and pain as a portal to awakening. Let us remember that we must honor our path of discovery of the human mind, its components, and the practical aspects of waking up in human bodies.
Thank you Psychology for assisting humanity to the extent in which the mental health industry has. Of course, if we are lovingly honest with ourselves, there comes a time when any old paradigm is challenged due to the inevitability of change and transformation. We have reached a tipping point with respect to global awakening of consciousness, and more specifically, the fields of Psychology and Psychiatry that are deepening to this realization: That what we once thought were mental illness are actually catalysts to something profound and beyond our current beliefs, education, and training.
Lisa Miller, Clinical Psychologist on "Depression and Spiritual Awakening" as Two Sides of the Same Coin
Challenging the Paradigm and Old Beliefs of 'Mental Disease' by Phil Borges
Below is a video titled, “Psychosis or Spiritual Awakening” by Phill Borges, Author and Filmmaker.
When we honestly take a look out into the world and ask, “Is the traditional models of the mental health industry really working?” Especially, when all of the trends (like abuse, divorce, addiction, etc.) seem to be growing. If the old paradigms are no longer working then we must open our eyes to something new or something which has always been available but simply out of our awareness, spirituality. We see shifting trends from rigid traditional Psychology to inclusion of spiritual practices, such as Mindfulness Meditation. Meditation and Yoga are growing in popularity since they prove to have profound effects – effects which traditional mental health treatment could not produce. Allow us to remember that Yoga and Meditation are ancient spiritual practices originally designed to awaken consciousness, self realization, or self actualization. Allow yourself to become open to deeper truth and the innate wisdom you already know to be true.
Psychosis or Spiritual Awakening by Phil Borges
Opening to the Possibility of a Changing Paradigm
If something is not in someone’s awareness, then how would they know what that something is? That is a beautiful question because the same afflictions mental health professionals are trying to treat are seen through limiting perception filters – conditioned filters which use words like: affliction, disease, etc. What if the view that something is wrong with someone’s mind was seen as this: nothing is wrong and needs to be ‘fixed’ but embraced and nurtured? Is it possible that in the true nature of life depression, grief, mood swings, etc. are indicators or evidence and symptoms of awakening consciousness WHICH NEED NOT be suppressed, oppressed, and muted with false labeling and medication? BUT, nurtured so that the natural progression of spiritual awakening can run its course? The time has come to open to that which is more conducive for mental and spiritual healing. Open to this possibility and bring to light within your own unconsciousness the truth of awakening.
Documentary Film "Crazywise"
Eckhart Tolle on the Misconceptions of Mental Illness
Eckhart Tolle on the Misconception of Mental Illness
In the following video, from an enlightened view, Eckhart speaks on one of the misconceptions of viewing individuals as separate from universal consciousness. Please understand the consciousness Eckhart is referring to is the consciousness in which Einstein spoke and wrote about – the singularity or sources of all existence. He shares that the whole of humanity is awakening – awakening is waking up from the dream of mind and thought – a recognition that what we truly are is beyond the limitations of mind.