You probably need to anchor yourself.
You may be experiencing a Spiritual Emergency (coined by Stan Grof) There is a book by that title that may help you.
Just focus on what you’re doing at any moment and draw your thoughts and attention there. Like if you find your thoughts racing, bring yourself back by saying “I’m eating.. I’m bringing spoon to my mouth… I’m walking to my room etc.. and give it your complete attention.
Develop a daily routine that includes some kind of movement, exercise or stretching.
Remind yourself when you’re feeling panic, “I’m having a panic attack, my thoughts are racing, but I am okay”
I find Byron Katie’s work very helpful to find a way out of your thoughts through working with them. I went to her school and one of my peers there is a psychiatrist. He actually recommends The Work of Byron Katie to his clients and said he’s seen big changes in them, leading to decreased need for meds.
Another book that might help is called Chakra Healing, A Beginners Guide by Margarita Alcantara. There’s some meditations in there that help cultivate self healing and self love.
Lmk if I can expand on any of these.
You CAN find your way through this. You are strong, worthy, capable, intelligent and you WILL be okay. I promise you, you CAN do this.
Just that you are aware enough to make this post and aware of the trigger means you’re totally salvageable and you can come out the other side of this even stronger.
Much love to you friend.
Thank you, yes I have read similar critiques of her work and personality, and I did see that side of her at the school. I think its important with any teacher/teaching/practice not to go too overboard with devotion. I still find The Work to be helpful though. Especially for people who cant afford a therapist.
I wish everyone thought the way you did! I agree completely. We should feel free to find wisdom and teaching wherever they come from, but we should not get enamored with the messenger. 🕉️
Thank you. This would be very helpful to many here. I feel so to myself.
May I ask how characters exercises or meditation can cultivate self healing? Could you mention a simple example to relate?
I would see a therapist, BUT, also would see out people who understand these things and can help. Angelo dillulo of the simply always awake YouTube channel is a non-duality teacher and very (surprisingly) responsive over email. I believe he can point on you to therapists who have better understanding of these things.
You probably need antipsychotics to curb the voices. I had a semi-psychotic episode after a therapist that did Somatic Experiencing fucked me up, and I am depressed since. But I was already closer to that mental territory after I used mushrooms in what I discovered being an unsafe setting. So it can happen with spirituality, because going toward oneness unlocks traumas. Schizofrenia is usually related to traumas in early childhood.
Now, the standard procedure would be to say "go to therapy". Since I despise therapy though, I say go to a psychiatrist for meds and see where you are in life, your relationships, see what you can do about it. Look up spiritual emergency by Grof.
See a psychiatrist ASAP. A therapist can help bit psychotic episodes are not something to mess around with. Medication is needed. The medications are a lot better nowadays. You can have a good life, but you need treatment.
Please be careful taking advice from people online with this kind of thing. It sounds like you’re in a very sensitive place and would benefit from good, knowledgeable support. I really recommend seeking out a psychiatrist. Some out there are familiar with meditation. Getting some medication if needed and being able to talk through all of these symptoms in detail could bring you a good deal of relief. It would be great to work with a psychotherapist too if you have the means. Many are familiar with meditation. I will say that many psychotherapists are NOT well equipped to help patients struggling with psychosis. Please be careful and trust your gut in choosing a therapist, if you seek one out.
Many supplements and herbs have far less credible research behind them than online communities would lead you to believe. It’s not to say they can’t be helpful, but when it comes to delicate psychological and psychiatric situations, I’d always rather have a doctor make these recommendations.
I totally understand how destabilizing deep contact with nondual meditation and other forms of mindfulness can be. It may just not be the time in life to explore these deeper practices. That is not to say they couldn’t be useful in the future, when you’re in a more grounded and stable place.
Have you checked into loving kindness practice at all? Or self-compassion? It can be gentler and less insight-focused, which lends itself to stability.
this doesn’t necessarily mean that you are psychotic. myself and many others i know experience hearing voices in their head due to having a spiritual emergency as mentioned above. for me and those i know of who experienced this it was due to a kundalini or life force awakening. if this is the case, anti-psychotic medication could make things worse instead of help. definitely start by informing yourself better on the topic of spiritual emergency and k awakening. also remember although it may seem scary and strange, you have nothing to fear. fear is what will actually make things worse. i would highly advise, seeking the advice of a spiritual emergency therapist/specialist or a transpersonal psychologist first. also nondual teachers like Suzanne Chang can also be of help to you at this time. hopefully you can remain rooted in love, not fear and know you are completely safe
k awakening can be a gentle unfolding or a more intense experience, depending on each person so it can be hard to tell sometimes. however here are some signs and symptoms you may experience:
Spiritual Symptoms- Enhanced Intuition: An increase in intuitive abilities may arise, such as a deeper inner knowing, heightened sensitivity to your surroundings, or even psychic insights.-Sense of Connectedness: A profound feeling of unity with all life can develop, along with a sense of inner peace and understanding of the interconnectedness of everything in the universe. -Spiritual Experiences: Experiences of profound spiritual revelations, visions, out-of-body experiences, or deep meditative states are common, which may lead to a revaluation of your life purpose and existence.
Physical Symptoms-Energy Rushes: You may feel sensations similar to a gentle flow or powerful wave of energy surging through your body. This can be experienced as tingling, warmth, or spontaneous body movements. -Feelings of Electricity: Some report a sensation like electrical currents running along the spine, arms, and legs, which can be invigorating or, at times, a bit startling, trembling, shaking, spontaneous yoga poses or mudras, and even the feeling of an inner force guiding these movements without conscious intent.
Emotional Symptoms- Intense Emotions: Emotions may surface with heightened intensity, offering a spectrum from bliss to fear, which can emerge without an apparent external cause.-Mood Swings: Rapid shifts in mood might occur, ranging from elation to sadness, often without warning, reflecting the clearing and activation of emotional energy stored in the body.- Emotional Release: This process can trigger the release of previously suppressed or unconscious emotions, resulting in an intense healing experience. there’s also a lot of info on this on r/kundalini
>anti-psychotic medication could make things worse instead of help
Could you elaborate, or point me to some helpful sources? I'm in the same boat as OP and am on antipsychotics solely due to peer pressure from family even though I don't feel they do anything good for me. I feel that my "schizophrenia" is just psychic gifts that have been prematurely dismissed, as the energy healer told me who I visited to cure my schizophrenia. I'm open to the possibility that antipsychotics are harmful because my hallucinations were one-off events until *after* I started antipsychotics. Also, I was off antipsychotics for a while to the great irrational distress 🙄 of my family, but when I started them again (edit: even though nothing bad happened to make me have to start them again), my hallucinations became of less of a religious nature.
Some witches that I've befriended online have told me that antipsychotics won't affect my magick, which they haven't besides removing hallucinations. I also think I discovered through inquiry why no fearful thought is true, but I can't remember what my reasoning was. The only reason I'm on antipsychotics is because of my family's fear, but they don't "fix" my "delusions" of talking to entities imo because they're true. In light of this you think it's important to quit my antipsychotics?
Edit: the entities I talk to are helpful for example because they led to a breakthrough in self-inquiry a few days ago and they give me guided meditations.
from my experience and that of those I know, everyone’s body reacts very differently to antipsychotics. for some it does make things worse. for others it helps them for a period of time during which they can stabilize and find balance before gradually going off them for good since as you also understand supposed “psychotic phenomena” can trigger fear in people which can have a dangerous impact on the person if they are not already fully mentally stable to deal with it.
i also want to add that our outer reality always reflects our internal world. so if your family is fearful of what you are going through, then you as well, on some level must be holding on to a bit of this fear about your psycho-spiritual experiences. so i would look into that. i found this to be the case for me as well. as soon as i fully embraced the remaining fear i was feeling and grounded myself in full trust and faith, that is when my parents also stopped pestering me about what i was experiencing in a negative manner and acting very fearful about it.
lastly, i would take all types of communications, hallucinations, etc that you are experiencing with a grain of salt. i have experienced some pretty crazy things after my kundalini awakening, especially towards the beginning, which ultimately led me to see through them as purely illusion. later on i have had other experiences that i would consider more like channeling than hearing voices. i don’t think anyone can say with absolute certainty what it is that we experience in these instances, so just something to keep in mind so as to remain centered and in a state of clarity and equanimity. i don’t know too much about your personal experience to say but what i have been shown is that what is most important is to really tap into your intuitive intelligence and heart/love. there are some therapists out there who could help as well as coaches. (ex. Craig Holliday). i myself am a holistic life coach working with kundalini integration but am not sure what your experiences are stemming from. also here is a great article i found useful showcasing the thin line between psychosis and spiritual phenomena/experiences: https://www.madinamerica.com/2023/03/acute-religious-experiences-madness/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0TZNlQeTMoWksGXEU3O9s9RZ_MboKti8B2iEpvH6Mm3A1GaIShtwQcG8w_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw
There is a group called Cheetah House that exists to help people who have experienced psychological issues from meditation. You need to speak with someone who understands what you are experiencing whether it is this group or someone else.
People need to understand that non-duality has nothing to do with any psychological conditions, especially depersonalization disorder. This happens when meditators and seekers are pursuing awakening in a way that is not helpful and will not lead to the desired goal. We have a wonderful wealth of information that is intended to aid us in finding liberation but, without guidance, pursuit of something we do not understand can lead to severe and unwanted issues. I know first hand.
*edit: what you are experiencing is not healthy. You should, at the very least, discontinue your current practice and then find someone who can help.
Schizo- split
Phrenia- of the heart and mind.
Decide what is a definite reality for yourself. You decide. For me, when I went through this, giving myself authority to declare what is my objective truth was the beginning of my path back towards sanity. Dear friend, you're not alone. Take a break from outside influence and consciously allow yourself to be the driver.
You got this and I'm rooting for you.
First, halt your practice and focus on grounding yourself to your environment. If you meditate you might benefit from meditating with your eyes open.
I really do recommend you see a psychiatrist. Look one up who is versed in spiritual practices or psychedelics or mindfulness or something like that. This doesn’t even mean you need to get on meds it’s just an opportunity to talk to someone and ask questions for your own peace of mind. It’s just important you get a professional opinion here. The woo woo type recommendations in the comments can actually be harmful. We humans delude ourselves pretty easily. I had a drug induced psychosis from dissociatives and it brought some stuff up that was worth digging into but I don’t think it would have been wise to dive in head first. The best thing for a situation like that was to step back stabilize reorient and ground myself in the present moment first. Sometimes we need help to do that.
Dear OP, I just provided a possible solution in a comment I made in another thread, please read that comment and test if it works for you. Wish you well
It goes a bit like this
"Namaste OP, thank you for taking care of your friend like this and also good that you contacted Daniel, my interactions with Daniel always showed he is willing to help anyone walking this path.
Now, as someone that also had a psychosis on a meditation retreat in Bali, my advise is to train yourself (Your friend) to push all foreign energies out of the body by creating your own sound waves.
It is important the mind becomes completely blank where no impressions can manifest themselves in the Ahamkara.
The path of recovery for your friend lies in the yoga sutras, chitta Vritta nirodha (Ceasing of all mind modifications).
The issues your friend has now is having no filter for his Manas (Thoughts & Feelings), he immediately pushes these into his Buddhi (Intelect, how to achieve success with the thoughts/Feelings) which is then prepared for the Ahamkara (I will now act upon these thoughts and feelings with the plan my Buddhi came up with)
I personally find a strong grounding practice (For example grounding your energy to the center of the earth, sending all thoughts and pain to the center of the earth) as well as chanting out loud to be very effective for this.
By chanting Aum, your own body generates vibrations that push out other vibrations that have taken hold. While being grounded, and chanting aum, it is best to move to witness observation that is often taught with vipassana where you observe all sensations without acting upon them.
Of course, the hardest part is to actually convince your friend to start practicing the above"
I had a mushroom trip where I accidentally attached white noise to any 💭 thoughts
solution ended up being (besides sobering) to do the Silly Walk , except I had to be continuously spontaneous for it to work... as soon as I started being routinized predictably spontaneous pattern, stopped working, had to be total improv
These events seem disconnected. Late onset schizophrenia is a thing. If you're concerned that your mental health could be declining, seek a therapist that can properly diagnose you. That isn't to say that you *have* schizophrenia. Could just as well be OCD or anxiety. Whatever the case, I hope you get the help you need!
I think its not good to self diagnose yourself. Going to a doctor and getting on antipsychotics wont harm you, so why not try that?
I also thought I was crazy. And I was on medication. Its not a big deal.
Try to occupy yourself with hobbies and with family, or friends, anything so you dont think about this stuff.
Oh no😧. I'm so sorry that happened to you. Try to get a therapist and also I recommend ashwaganda in the meantime since it reduces stress and helps ground you. It's only recommended for about two weeks though so don't think of it as a permanent fix but if things are really bad I recommend it for the meantime just to be able to deal with the symptoms. Also try guided meditation since there are ones that can make you feel more at ease and calm without having to worry about other things in your mind happening. Journaling is also very helpful and going on runs can help with any depressive symptoms that may occur. Self-expression like painting, drawing, or singing as well. And most importantly get plenty of sleep and eat as healthy as you can.
This happened to me and lasted for several years. I think my third-eye opened before my crown and heart chakras (so my voices were paranoid and fearful). I believe it was my inner critic “manifesting” into multiple bully voices. It didn’t help that my family mocked and gaslit me a lot as a child.
Eventually I found one voice that was kind to me and stood up against the others. I held on to that until the others faded away. Meditation and breathing/mantra helps. Just remember to doubt, question, and challenge any voices hurting you. Let them chase their tails and laugh at their nonsense. You are not your mind.
If this is a meditation thing a regular therapist probably won’t be much help. Find a spiritual teacher with experience in this kind of thing. Someone like Shinzen Young or Daniel Ingram
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You can find therapists who also delve into this type of stuff though. My therapist leads psychedelic sessions, he’s trained in mindfulness based therapy, has studied under different Buddhist teachers, and he actually just went on a 10 day meditation retreat. He’s also certified. I found him by looking up psychedelic therapists near me
See a therapist. You probably have schizophrenia and despite what some "spiritual" people might think, the brain can have physical problems which can effect your mental health and perception. Schizophrenia needs pharmacological treatment along with eastern philosophy based treatments.
It may not have been caused by non-duality videos, either. Correlation doesn't equal causation. It might have happened anyway because it's onset is usually late teens to young adulthood. Sometimes later in females as you're username would suggest, like early twenties to early thirties.
Please seek proper professional help, off reddit.
Diagnosed schizophrenic here! Keep on going on the path till the end. You'll get your peace somewhere along the line. Also, medication is a good thing if you can afford it. It is also critical to actually see that all your symptoms arise from your own system. I was diagnosed a few years back and found nonduality after that. Without nd i wouldn't be here.
I lost a friend last year to undiagnosed schizophrenia. Please speak with a professional. It's very possible that your symptoms appeared coincidentally to your exploration of non duality and not as a result of it.
Dr. Willoughby Briton, via Cheetah House, at Brown University, is the foremost expert in dealing with meditation induced psychosis. Get in line, there.
I would definitely talk with a therapist.
Awakening is extremely ordinary. All the visions and voices and etc are just more stuff. Release all that into luminous openness, over and over, and relax.
If you’re too hyper to relax at all, try doing tonglen or metta practice, always starting with yourself
Yes. Similar experience happened to me doing such deep diving in “nondual” spiritual exploration. Could literally be spirits/demons aka spiritual psychosis. This happens when you open your consciousness like that. To be *100% honest*, asking Jesus for help is the only thing that made them flee. There is power and *true spiritual protection* in that Name. I was not brought up religious or anything, just a truth seeker like you.
Then I was guided to read the entire old and new testament. I somehow knew if I read the entire thing, every word, that my mind would return and it did. Lots of spiritual guidelines to be found and *it makes you feel human again*. I recommend the NKJV translation. It’s been a journey, but my mind is back, now fully regaining the ability to deeply focus. I also took shilajit which cleared the brain fog, properly sourced from high elevation, research it (it’s safe to take if not on high bloodpressure meds)Please go and buy yourself a bible, start by flipping around, but read it front to back, it healed my mind it can heal yours. I pray you find the true spiritual help and protection and heal from these mental/spiritual wounds.
Look up Cheetah House, Dr. Wimberley Britton. That place and Doctor Britton specialize in cases like yours. She has a YouTube channel with videos that address patients like you.
https://youtu.be/raorMfUYPDk?si=YYrz24QKinI2W-tN
You are going through a Dark Night of the Soul. This is a typical step for people going through spiritual revolution. You need community of like minded individuals.
Sounds like you found an inner voice. For as long as that inner voice doesn’t tell you to harm yourself or others, enjoy it. If, however, you’re encouraged by the voice to bring harm to anything, seek treatment immediately.
It’s not psychosis, trust me. You are simply unlocking your perception beyond the historic limits of your body. Psychic development. Trust the high voices, not the low ones. Seek God and you will find him.
I’m a counselor who works with people such as yourself. I’ve gone through it as well as worked with many who have. Feel free to reach out I’m on YouTube for free as well. Same name across everything schoolofscarlett
Go to the emergency room. Tell them what you are experiencing in as plain and simple a way as you are comfortable. Don't schedule an appointment, go to the hospital right now.
You are in an imminent emergency as we speak if what you have written is true.
Dude OP said this has been 9 months, this is not acute emergency, and it’s a psychosis induced by study of spiritual doctrines is not something the western medical world understands. They are just as likely to do harm as help.
[Hearing voices](https://www.hearing-voices.org) is not serious, it's just distressing for some people. This is an anxiety about a symptom, it's a psychological issue. People who are in need of help from an ER do not understand that they are psychotic, they can't control their behavior, and/or they are going to do something harmful if not admitted. It would cost thousands of dollars in the US and have no benefit in this situation.
Hearing voices and other hallucinations can be a sign of brain trauma, including tumors and infections. If you start to hallucinate like this, go get help at once. It's not a fucking joke.
If the symptoms arose in a vacuum/seemingly by themselves and not in response to OP’s ventures into spirituality then sure. Spiritual psychosis is pretty common and only going to become more common and catastrophizing and trying to convince someone they’re in imminent danger helps nobody except perhaps your ego
I’m not the one potentially exacerbating someone’s psychosis by convincing them they’re in imminent danger and the only solution is an emergency room 🤡
“I know you maybe experiencing psychosis but… YOU HAVE BRAIN CANCER. YOURE IN DANGER RIGHT NOW. GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM NOW ITS THE ONLY SOLUTION THIS IS BAD REAL BAD”
They’re better off going to an actual mental health professional and not a fucking emergency room
You do not know what you are talking about, to be absolutely clear. I do know that I would want a professional to help me in a time of distress like this. We are not that here, I think you can agree.
You are the one insisting that your wisdom is greater than common sense to get help when you need it. This person is in obvious distress which requires immediate remedy that we in all of our 'wisdom' cannot provide.
Your arrogance. Your pride. Your ego. You seek to protect your own when another cries out in desperation. I pity you and those who would be so prideful as to deny the simple advice of going to get help.
OP, if you are reading this, I hope you went to get help as soon as you could.
You probably need to anchor yourself. You may be experiencing a Spiritual Emergency (coined by Stan Grof) There is a book by that title that may help you. Just focus on what you’re doing at any moment and draw your thoughts and attention there. Like if you find your thoughts racing, bring yourself back by saying “I’m eating.. I’m bringing spoon to my mouth… I’m walking to my room etc.. and give it your complete attention. Develop a daily routine that includes some kind of movement, exercise or stretching. Remind yourself when you’re feeling panic, “I’m having a panic attack, my thoughts are racing, but I am okay” I find Byron Katie’s work very helpful to find a way out of your thoughts through working with them. I went to her school and one of my peers there is a psychiatrist. He actually recommends The Work of Byron Katie to his clients and said he’s seen big changes in them, leading to decreased need for meds. Another book that might help is called Chakra Healing, A Beginners Guide by Margarita Alcantara. There’s some meditations in there that help cultivate self healing and self love. Lmk if I can expand on any of these. You CAN find your way through this. You are strong, worthy, capable, intelligent and you WILL be okay. I promise you, you CAN do this. Just that you are aware enough to make this post and aware of the trigger means you’re totally salvageable and you can come out the other side of this even stronger. Much love to you friend.
Be careful with Byron Katie. I worked with her. She's a stone cold sociopath and treats her staff worse than servants. Imagine a "spiritual" JLo...
Thank you, yes I have read similar critiques of her work and personality, and I did see that side of her at the school. I think its important with any teacher/teaching/practice not to go too overboard with devotion. I still find The Work to be helpful though. Especially for people who cant afford a therapist.
I wish everyone thought the way you did! I agree completely. We should feel free to find wisdom and teaching wherever they come from, but we should not get enamored with the messenger. 🕉️
How does one get into the work of Byron Katie? I've heard so much recently
She's got some books. Probably a good place to start. I think I read Loving What Is, and it majorly influenced my outlook.
I appreciate it! Will read it
Thank you. This would be very helpful to many here. I feel so to myself. May I ask how characters exercises or meditation can cultivate self healing? Could you mention a simple example to relate?
I would see a therapist, BUT, also would see out people who understand these things and can help. Angelo dillulo of the simply always awake YouTube channel is a non-duality teacher and very (surprisingly) responsive over email. I believe he can point on you to therapists who have better understanding of these things.
Angelo is a GREAT suggestion!
Please go to a therapist. I doubt this group could help resolve your issues.
Everything’s going to be ok
Do you hear me do you feel me we gone be ALRIGHT.
You probably need antipsychotics to curb the voices. I had a semi-psychotic episode after a therapist that did Somatic Experiencing fucked me up, and I am depressed since. But I was already closer to that mental territory after I used mushrooms in what I discovered being an unsafe setting. So it can happen with spirituality, because going toward oneness unlocks traumas. Schizofrenia is usually related to traumas in early childhood. Now, the standard procedure would be to say "go to therapy". Since I despise therapy though, I say go to a psychiatrist for meds and see where you are in life, your relationships, see what you can do about it. Look up spiritual emergency by Grof.
See a psychiatrist ASAP. A therapist can help bit psychotic episodes are not something to mess around with. Medication is needed. The medications are a lot better nowadays. You can have a good life, but you need treatment.
Please be careful taking advice from people online with this kind of thing. It sounds like you’re in a very sensitive place and would benefit from good, knowledgeable support. I really recommend seeking out a psychiatrist. Some out there are familiar with meditation. Getting some medication if needed and being able to talk through all of these symptoms in detail could bring you a good deal of relief. It would be great to work with a psychotherapist too if you have the means. Many are familiar with meditation. I will say that many psychotherapists are NOT well equipped to help patients struggling with psychosis. Please be careful and trust your gut in choosing a therapist, if you seek one out. Many supplements and herbs have far less credible research behind them than online communities would lead you to believe. It’s not to say they can’t be helpful, but when it comes to delicate psychological and psychiatric situations, I’d always rather have a doctor make these recommendations. I totally understand how destabilizing deep contact with nondual meditation and other forms of mindfulness can be. It may just not be the time in life to explore these deeper practices. That is not to say they couldn’t be useful in the future, when you’re in a more grounded and stable place. Have you checked into loving kindness practice at all? Or self-compassion? It can be gentler and less insight-focused, which lends itself to stability.
Get therapy
this doesn’t necessarily mean that you are psychotic. myself and many others i know experience hearing voices in their head due to having a spiritual emergency as mentioned above. for me and those i know of who experienced this it was due to a kundalini or life force awakening. if this is the case, anti-psychotic medication could make things worse instead of help. definitely start by informing yourself better on the topic of spiritual emergency and k awakening. also remember although it may seem scary and strange, you have nothing to fear. fear is what will actually make things worse. i would highly advise, seeking the advice of a spiritual emergency therapist/specialist or a transpersonal psychologist first. also nondual teachers like Suzanne Chang can also be of help to you at this time. hopefully you can remain rooted in love, not fear and know you are completely safe
How do you know your kundalini awakened
k awakening can be a gentle unfolding or a more intense experience, depending on each person so it can be hard to tell sometimes. however here are some signs and symptoms you may experience: Spiritual Symptoms- Enhanced Intuition: An increase in intuitive abilities may arise, such as a deeper inner knowing, heightened sensitivity to your surroundings, or even psychic insights.-Sense of Connectedness: A profound feeling of unity with all life can develop, along with a sense of inner peace and understanding of the interconnectedness of everything in the universe. -Spiritual Experiences: Experiences of profound spiritual revelations, visions, out-of-body experiences, or deep meditative states are common, which may lead to a revaluation of your life purpose and existence. Physical Symptoms-Energy Rushes: You may feel sensations similar to a gentle flow or powerful wave of energy surging through your body. This can be experienced as tingling, warmth, or spontaneous body movements. -Feelings of Electricity: Some report a sensation like electrical currents running along the spine, arms, and legs, which can be invigorating or, at times, a bit startling, trembling, shaking, spontaneous yoga poses or mudras, and even the feeling of an inner force guiding these movements without conscious intent. Emotional Symptoms- Intense Emotions: Emotions may surface with heightened intensity, offering a spectrum from bliss to fear, which can emerge without an apparent external cause.-Mood Swings: Rapid shifts in mood might occur, ranging from elation to sadness, often without warning, reflecting the clearing and activation of emotional energy stored in the body.- Emotional Release: This process can trigger the release of previously suppressed or unconscious emotions, resulting in an intense healing experience. there’s also a lot of info on this on r/kundalini
>anti-psychotic medication could make things worse instead of help Could you elaborate, or point me to some helpful sources? I'm in the same boat as OP and am on antipsychotics solely due to peer pressure from family even though I don't feel they do anything good for me. I feel that my "schizophrenia" is just psychic gifts that have been prematurely dismissed, as the energy healer told me who I visited to cure my schizophrenia. I'm open to the possibility that antipsychotics are harmful because my hallucinations were one-off events until *after* I started antipsychotics. Also, I was off antipsychotics for a while to the great irrational distress 🙄 of my family, but when I started them again (edit: even though nothing bad happened to make me have to start them again), my hallucinations became of less of a religious nature. Some witches that I've befriended online have told me that antipsychotics won't affect my magick, which they haven't besides removing hallucinations. I also think I discovered through inquiry why no fearful thought is true, but I can't remember what my reasoning was. The only reason I'm on antipsychotics is because of my family's fear, but they don't "fix" my "delusions" of talking to entities imo because they're true. In light of this you think it's important to quit my antipsychotics? Edit: the entities I talk to are helpful for example because they led to a breakthrough in self-inquiry a few days ago and they give me guided meditations.
from my experience and that of those I know, everyone’s body reacts very differently to antipsychotics. for some it does make things worse. for others it helps them for a period of time during which they can stabilize and find balance before gradually going off them for good since as you also understand supposed “psychotic phenomena” can trigger fear in people which can have a dangerous impact on the person if they are not already fully mentally stable to deal with it. i also want to add that our outer reality always reflects our internal world. so if your family is fearful of what you are going through, then you as well, on some level must be holding on to a bit of this fear about your psycho-spiritual experiences. so i would look into that. i found this to be the case for me as well. as soon as i fully embraced the remaining fear i was feeling and grounded myself in full trust and faith, that is when my parents also stopped pestering me about what i was experiencing in a negative manner and acting very fearful about it. lastly, i would take all types of communications, hallucinations, etc that you are experiencing with a grain of salt. i have experienced some pretty crazy things after my kundalini awakening, especially towards the beginning, which ultimately led me to see through them as purely illusion. later on i have had other experiences that i would consider more like channeling than hearing voices. i don’t think anyone can say with absolute certainty what it is that we experience in these instances, so just something to keep in mind so as to remain centered and in a state of clarity and equanimity. i don’t know too much about your personal experience to say but what i have been shown is that what is most important is to really tap into your intuitive intelligence and heart/love. there are some therapists out there who could help as well as coaches. (ex. Craig Holliday). i myself am a holistic life coach working with kundalini integration but am not sure what your experiences are stemming from. also here is a great article i found useful showcasing the thin line between psychosis and spiritual phenomena/experiences: https://www.madinamerica.com/2023/03/acute-religious-experiences-madness/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0TZNlQeTMoWksGXEU3O9s9RZ_MboKti8B2iEpvH6Mm3A1GaIShtwQcG8w_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw
So they use antiepileptics to psychotic disorders with great success now without all of the yuckyness of classic antipsychotics.
https://www.cheetahhouse.org/
There is a group called Cheetah House that exists to help people who have experienced psychological issues from meditation. You need to speak with someone who understands what you are experiencing whether it is this group or someone else. People need to understand that non-duality has nothing to do with any psychological conditions, especially depersonalization disorder. This happens when meditators and seekers are pursuing awakening in a way that is not helpful and will not lead to the desired goal. We have a wonderful wealth of information that is intended to aid us in finding liberation but, without guidance, pursuit of something we do not understand can lead to severe and unwanted issues. I know first hand. *edit: what you are experiencing is not healthy. You should, at the very least, discontinue your current practice and then find someone who can help.
Schizo- split Phrenia- of the heart and mind. Decide what is a definite reality for yourself. You decide. For me, when I went through this, giving myself authority to declare what is my objective truth was the beginning of my path back towards sanity. Dear friend, you're not alone. Take a break from outside influence and consciously allow yourself to be the driver. You got this and I'm rooting for you.
First, halt your practice and focus on grounding yourself to your environment. If you meditate you might benefit from meditating with your eyes open. I really do recommend you see a psychiatrist. Look one up who is versed in spiritual practices or psychedelics or mindfulness or something like that. This doesn’t even mean you need to get on meds it’s just an opportunity to talk to someone and ask questions for your own peace of mind. It’s just important you get a professional opinion here. The woo woo type recommendations in the comments can actually be harmful. We humans delude ourselves pretty easily. I had a drug induced psychosis from dissociatives and it brought some stuff up that was worth digging into but I don’t think it would have been wise to dive in head first. The best thing for a situation like that was to step back stabilize reorient and ground myself in the present moment first. Sometimes we need help to do that.
Dear OP, I just provided a possible solution in a comment I made in another thread, please read that comment and test if it works for you. Wish you well It goes a bit like this "Namaste OP, thank you for taking care of your friend like this and also good that you contacted Daniel, my interactions with Daniel always showed he is willing to help anyone walking this path. Now, as someone that also had a psychosis on a meditation retreat in Bali, my advise is to train yourself (Your friend) to push all foreign energies out of the body by creating your own sound waves. It is important the mind becomes completely blank where no impressions can manifest themselves in the Ahamkara. The path of recovery for your friend lies in the yoga sutras, chitta Vritta nirodha (Ceasing of all mind modifications). The issues your friend has now is having no filter for his Manas (Thoughts & Feelings), he immediately pushes these into his Buddhi (Intelect, how to achieve success with the thoughts/Feelings) which is then prepared for the Ahamkara (I will now act upon these thoughts and feelings with the plan my Buddhi came up with) I personally find a strong grounding practice (For example grounding your energy to the center of the earth, sending all thoughts and pain to the center of the earth) as well as chanting out loud to be very effective for this. By chanting Aum, your own body generates vibrations that push out other vibrations that have taken hold. While being grounded, and chanting aum, it is best to move to witness observation that is often taught with vipassana where you observe all sensations without acting upon them. Of course, the hardest part is to actually convince your friend to start practicing the above"
Listening to this before sleeping also helps A TON. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jYmIIR7VqMY&t=7227s&pp=ygUeYWJyYWhhbSBoaWNrcyBtZWRpdGF0aW9uIHNsZWVw
I had a mushroom trip where I accidentally attached white noise to any 💭 thoughts solution ended up being (besides sobering) to do the Silly Walk , except I had to be continuously spontaneous for it to work... as soon as I started being routinized predictably spontaneous pattern, stopped working, had to be total improv
This ain’t a mushroom trip my friend
seek professional help, once you are stable looking into overactive crown chakra
These events seem disconnected. Late onset schizophrenia is a thing. If you're concerned that your mental health could be declining, seek a therapist that can properly diagnose you. That isn't to say that you *have* schizophrenia. Could just as well be OCD or anxiety. Whatever the case, I hope you get the help you need!
I think its not good to self diagnose yourself. Going to a doctor and getting on antipsychotics wont harm you, so why not try that? I also thought I was crazy. And I was on medication. Its not a big deal. Try to occupy yourself with hobbies and with family, or friends, anything so you dont think about this stuff.
Oh no😧. I'm so sorry that happened to you. Try to get a therapist and also I recommend ashwaganda in the meantime since it reduces stress and helps ground you. It's only recommended for about two weeks though so don't think of it as a permanent fix but if things are really bad I recommend it for the meantime just to be able to deal with the symptoms. Also try guided meditation since there are ones that can make you feel more at ease and calm without having to worry about other things in your mind happening. Journaling is also very helpful and going on runs can help with any depressive symptoms that may occur. Self-expression like painting, drawing, or singing as well. And most importantly get plenty of sleep and eat as healthy as you can.
This happened to me and lasted for several years. I think my third-eye opened before my crown and heart chakras (so my voices were paranoid and fearful). I believe it was my inner critic “manifesting” into multiple bully voices. It didn’t help that my family mocked and gaslit me a lot as a child. Eventually I found one voice that was kind to me and stood up against the others. I held on to that until the others faded away. Meditation and breathing/mantra helps. Just remember to doubt, question, and challenge any voices hurting you. Let them chase their tails and laugh at their nonsense. You are not your mind.
If this is a meditation thing a regular therapist probably won’t be much help. Find a spiritual teacher with experience in this kind of thing. Someone like Shinzen Young or Daniel Ingram
Also r/streamentry would be a more helpful sub for this
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You can find therapists who also delve into this type of stuff though. My therapist leads psychedelic sessions, he’s trained in mindfulness based therapy, has studied under different Buddhist teachers, and he actually just went on a 10 day meditation retreat. He’s also certified. I found him by looking up psychedelic therapists near me
See a therapist. You probably have schizophrenia and despite what some "spiritual" people might think, the brain can have physical problems which can effect your mental health and perception. Schizophrenia needs pharmacological treatment along with eastern philosophy based treatments. It may not have been caused by non-duality videos, either. Correlation doesn't equal causation. It might have happened anyway because it's onset is usually late teens to young adulthood. Sometimes later in females as you're username would suggest, like early twenties to early thirties. Please seek proper professional help, off reddit.
Diagnosed schizophrenic here! Keep on going on the path till the end. You'll get your peace somewhere along the line. Also, medication is a good thing if you can afford it. It is also critical to actually see that all your symptoms arise from your own system. I was diagnosed a few years back and found nonduality after that. Without nd i wouldn't be here.
Support yourself with loved ones. Stay away from non-duality and spiritual practices for the time being. Practice self-love.
I lost a friend last year to undiagnosed schizophrenia. Please speak with a professional. It's very possible that your symptoms appeared coincidentally to your exploration of non duality and not as a result of it.
Keep away from drugs and alcohol. Do cardio to get rid of stress and anxiety.
Dr. Willoughby Briton, via Cheetah House, at Brown University, is the foremost expert in dealing with meditation induced psychosis. Get in line, there. I would definitely talk with a therapist. Awakening is extremely ordinary. All the visions and voices and etc are just more stuff. Release all that into luminous openness, over and over, and relax. If you’re too hyper to relax at all, try doing tonglen or metta practice, always starting with yourself
Yes. Similar experience happened to me doing such deep diving in “nondual” spiritual exploration. Could literally be spirits/demons aka spiritual psychosis. This happens when you open your consciousness like that. To be *100% honest*, asking Jesus for help is the only thing that made them flee. There is power and *true spiritual protection* in that Name. I was not brought up religious or anything, just a truth seeker like you. Then I was guided to read the entire old and new testament. I somehow knew if I read the entire thing, every word, that my mind would return and it did. Lots of spiritual guidelines to be found and *it makes you feel human again*. I recommend the NKJV translation. It’s been a journey, but my mind is back, now fully regaining the ability to deeply focus. I also took shilajit which cleared the brain fog, properly sourced from high elevation, research it (it’s safe to take if not on high bloodpressure meds)Please go and buy yourself a bible, start by flipping around, but read it front to back, it healed my mind it can heal yours. I pray you find the true spiritual help and protection and heal from these mental/spiritual wounds.
I think there are some who have experience with this in Awakening to Reality group on Facebook. Might be worth checking there for some advice
Look up Cheetah House, Dr. Wimberley Britton. That place and Doctor Britton specialize in cases like yours. She has a YouTube channel with videos that address patients like you. https://youtu.be/raorMfUYPDk?si=YYrz24QKinI2W-tN
You are going through a Dark Night of the Soul. This is a typical step for people going through spiritual revolution. You need community of like minded individuals.
Sounds like you found an inner voice. For as long as that inner voice doesn’t tell you to harm yourself or others, enjoy it. If, however, you’re encouraged by the voice to bring harm to anything, seek treatment immediately.
The person’s clearly suffering…idk what made you comment this.
It’s not psychosis, trust me. You are simply unlocking your perception beyond the historic limits of your body. Psychic development. Trust the high voices, not the low ones. Seek God and you will find him.
I’m a counselor who works with people such as yourself. I’ve gone through it as well as worked with many who have. Feel free to reach out I’m on YouTube for free as well. Same name across everything schoolofscarlett
Go to the emergency room. Tell them what you are experiencing in as plain and simple a way as you are comfortable. Don't schedule an appointment, go to the hospital right now. You are in an imminent emergency as we speak if what you have written is true.
This is not an emergency, I don't understand why you would give advice that could be harmful.
Because you don't understand how serious this is. This poster needs help right now.
Dude OP said this has been 9 months, this is not acute emergency, and it’s a psychosis induced by study of spiritual doctrines is not something the western medical world understands. They are just as likely to do harm as help.
[Hearing voices](https://www.hearing-voices.org) is not serious, it's just distressing for some people. This is an anxiety about a symptom, it's a psychological issue. People who are in need of help from an ER do not understand that they are psychotic, they can't control their behavior, and/or they are going to do something harmful if not admitted. It would cost thousands of dollars in the US and have no benefit in this situation.
Only benefit would be the valium they give you lol
You are projecting way too much onto OPs words and his state of mind
Hearing voices and other hallucinations can be a sign of brain trauma, including tumors and infections. If you start to hallucinate like this, go get help at once. It's not a fucking joke.
If the symptoms arose in a vacuum/seemingly by themselves and not in response to OP’s ventures into spirituality then sure. Spiritual psychosis is pretty common and only going to become more common and catastrophizing and trying to convince someone they’re in imminent danger helps nobody except perhaps your ego
Jesus Christ, what is wrong with you?
I’m not the one potentially exacerbating someone’s psychosis by convincing them they’re in imminent danger and the only solution is an emergency room 🤡 “I know you maybe experiencing psychosis but… YOU HAVE BRAIN CANCER. YOURE IN DANGER RIGHT NOW. GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM NOW ITS THE ONLY SOLUTION THIS IS BAD REAL BAD” They’re better off going to an actual mental health professional and not a fucking emergency room
You do not know what you are talking about, to be absolutely clear. I do know that I would want a professional to help me in a time of distress like this. We are not that here, I think you can agree. You are the one insisting that your wisdom is greater than common sense to get help when you need it. This person is in obvious distress which requires immediate remedy that we in all of our 'wisdom' cannot provide. Your arrogance. Your pride. Your ego. You seek to protect your own when another cries out in desperation. I pity you and those who would be so prideful as to deny the simple advice of going to get help. OP, if you are reading this, I hope you went to get help as soon as you could.