Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Temple >

Spiritual Emergence

13:00 / 16.03.04

Hello
I'm new.. and a little scared about posting as it's something I've never tried. I hope I'm in the right place, I received directions from Ghadis.
I'm trying to understand what just happened to me, which is why i'm here. I'm wondering if anyone has advice/experience on how I can look after myself now..
I was involved/witnessed a friend's "spiritual emergence/cy".
The experience went on for about an hour she was hyper-ventilating, screaming, convulsing, it was as if something was whooshing through her. At the time I held her and felt very grounded and safe, but I think I am going into some kind of after-shock about what happened, the realisation that she could have stopped breathing is freaking me out the most, this came out of the blue for me, and is the first time I have witnessed anything like this.
I've got a nagging feeling that I have to get a spiritual first aid kit together? any tips?

13:44 / 16.03.04

It would help if you gave some sort of context as to what your friend was doing at the time,i.e., what led up to the "event".

14:15 / 16.03.04

Hi Z
we were both on an experiential wkend, doing personal development wkshops meditation/art therapy/dance etc, she had taken part in a dance wkshop the evening before, my feeling is that it turned into a shamanic experience, she had a similar experience there but there was a healer on hand to help her through it, the 2nd time was in a regular group setting, we were meditatiing, and she seemed to go into a state, called out my name to hold her then it happened again, I'm not sure where she is now, but she told me she is getting the support she needs. . I guess i'm asking for help on how I can make sense of this experience..

Shanghai Quasar

00:42 / 17.03.04

I'll assume there was no pre-existing medical condition that could explain this. There was a conscious attempt on her part to achieve this ecstatic state?

I'm not entirely certain what manner of explanation or sense you would like to take from this. What do you think happened to her and what did you feel was happening to her?

00:59 / 17.03.04

The meditative exercise involved specific breathing techniques that created a high oxygenated blood content. This resulted in a physiological experience which in the context of the situation was interpreted as a transcendent experience resulting in a panic state. In an attempt to maintain mental cohesion, she began to seize control of autonomic respirations resulting in a higher level of blood alkaline. She was intoxicated by oxygen, not by spirits.

11:56 / 17.03.04

Cheers for that Anuel and welcome to Barbelith. It's been a while since we've had an ascended master on here to tell all us kids 'how it is'. I'll be sure to think of you next time i'm at my altar having a conversation with the great god 'AIR' (Not the band)

And welcome Sia.

This kind of thing is perhaps quite common. Whatever way you want to dress it up. Awakening of Kundalini, getting in touch with your Holy Guardian Angel, Shaman Sickness, Big old Panic Attack and Nervous breakdown!. Theres loads of names for it from all cultures.

I had something similer when i went through a dodgy
period a few years back. Hyper-ventalating and strange
visual, audial and sensual hallucinations about scale.
I was too big/small/was a part of everything. Totally
freaked me out. Now i get very similer experiences
quite often when i'm meditating or doing some ritual
work with 'AIR'.

It's good to have someone close to you who understands
and can care for you when you're going through it.
Thats why people often say you shouldn't do this sort
of stuff (Kundalini Yoga for example) without a
teacher/guru etc.

One thing about these experiences though is that they
often happen spontainiously so it's hard to always
have that support. You and your friend seem to have a good network of friends and people through your councelling work who have dealt with this kind of stuff before though.

Also it may be a good idea for yourself to look at ways of working with the various subtle energies of the body. Tai Chi or Reiki or some kind of Martial Art.

Theis thread may help...

here

And have a look here...

here
here

I did have a look online for methods of breathing into a paper bag but i couldn't find any. I imagine that kind of stuff is a closely guarded secret of the acomplished ones!

20:35 / 17.03.04

What you were describing can be a result of pent up energy release due to trance. Those weekend deals can be pretty heavy, and multiple exercizes tend to free things up. I wouldn't worry about it, since she seems to be getting the support that she needs to integrate the experience. She was lucky to have you there to help her through it. Shaking is a common side effect of deep trance. Since it has happened twice, it sounds like she trances fairly easily. That can be a good thing, as trances can be very useful. She'll probably need to get some measure of control over the experience though.

09:29 / 18.03.04

Thank you everyone,
Yes Z, that sounds right, and I have seen her again, and she seems to get into trance quite easily, and she is getting help with having some control with that. I think I panicked as a bystander, and am left with an experience that I don't have language or explanation for, and can I really accept that?

Ghadis, part of what you said is part of my fear, can I be enough for someone when they are in that state? I feel like I need to find out more about it, and what the experience bought up for me

Anuel, part of what you said is part of my experience, it was a physiological state that I haven't seen anyone go into before, and it was related back to me as transcendent experience

Shanghai, I think you reflect it right back at me I don't know what I am asking, maybe just to voice this experience in a place where it feels ok to voice it. I don't know what happened to her but she looks very different like a new born all kind of wide-eyed

I started off thinking I had to look outside of this but I know I have to look inside of me to see what I can take away from the experience, thankyou for letting me share - love sia

Shanghai Quasar

17:15 / 18.03.04

Onward to the stars, Sia. Onward to the stars.