The Importance of Spirituality in Mental Health Care

Emma Bragdon received her Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology in 1987. For more than 40 years she has focused on supporting people awakening spiritually, paying special attention to those in spiritual crisis/ emergency. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Integrative Mental Health for You, IMHU.org, which offers 40+ online courses about effective alternatives to psychiatric medications. Emma has trained 80 Spiritual Emergence Coaches® from 14 countries who are now available through an international online Directory.  While intensely studying and participating in Brazilian Spiritism from 2001-2012, she wrote 3 books and co-produced two documentary films about Spiritist treatment of mental disturbance and spiritual emergency.  Emma has been recognized for her pioneering work with Spiritually Transformative Experiences as an Honoree on the Spiritual Awakenings International “Circle of Honor” and within the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology’s “Council of Sages”.  She was licensed as a Marriage, Family, Child Therapist in 1988. Emma is a member of the Self-realization Fellowship following the yogic philosophy of Paramahansa Yogananda.  She’s been a meditator for over 55 years.  She also studied with two Native American shamans for 20 years.  Currently, she teams with Benjamin Asher, MD in offering Ketamine-Assisted psychotherapy in central Vermont.  She is also available by Zoom in her private practice for psychotherapy and integration of spiritual experiences. Websites: imhu.org emmabragdon.com Books: The Call of Spiritual Emergency: From Personal Crisis to Personal Transformation Kardec's Spiritism: A Home for Healing and Spiritual Evolution A Sourcebook for Helping People with Spiritual Problems Spiritism and Mental Health Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded March 6, 2022. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:13 - The Sense of a Larger Intelligence 00:07:09 - The Dysfunctional Family and Near-Death Experiences 00:10:58 - Sitting in Meditation at Tassajara 00:14:51 - From Zen Buddhism to Neo-Reichian Psychotherapy 00:19:31 - Exploring Shamanism and Spiritual Awakening 00:23:40 - A Journey into Spiritism 00:26:58 - The Origins of Spiritualism and Spiritism 00:29:40 - Integrative Mental Health: Effective Alternatives 00:32:32 - The Importance of Medication Supervision and Integrative Mental Health 00:35:59 - The Importance of Peaceful and Wise States 00:39:08 - Consciousness independent of the body 00:41:47 - Understanding Spiritual Emergence and Emergency 00:44:47 - Understanding Spiritual Emergencies 00:47:30 - Distinguishing between Psychic Perceptions and Psychosis 00:50:08 - A Disturbing Episode 00:52:59 - Uncovering Traumatic Memories 00:56:02 - Moving into a New Identity 00:59:07 - Understanding Spiritual Experiences and Emergencies 01:01:59 - Shifting the Paradigm in Psychiatry 01:04:38 - Spiritism in Brazil and its Integration in Psychiatry 01:08:05 - Spiritism's Role in Brazilian Society 01:12:21 - The Importance of Supervision and Feedback in Spiritual Practices 01:17:29 - Betrayal of Spiritual Figures 01:24:15 - Controversies in Spiritual Communities 01:30:06 - TRE and Kundalini difficulties 01:34:49 - Meditation and Spiritual Practices Impacting Physical Ailments 01:39:40 - Belief in Reincarnation and its Impact on Diagnosis 01:46:42 - Shamanism and Non-Dual Meditation 01:55:01 - The Importance of Depth in Spiritual Exploration 02:00:02 - Accessing the Directory of Qualified Coaches