Visiting places of light and Beings of Light . . .
Today, I thought I would share some thoughts on the topic of patients who have spiritual or paranormal experiences and how, as a holistic psychiatrist, I try to address their special needs from an integrative approach.
Enjoy and have a lovely week!
On Patients’ Spiritual and Paranormal Experiences
Providing safety, receptivity, and understanding
I once sat in a special meeting of 30 Mormon women (serving as Primary Presidency leaders) in which everyone got "spotlighted." Each woman, in turn, had their hobbies and achievements extolled. One woman quilted. One crocheted. Someone else baked. When my turn came, the lady spotlighting everyone announced that I liked to read and was "an expert on near-death experiences (NDEs)." I beg to differ. I think she was the expert on NDEs, at least in giving me an NDE from sheer mortification.
However, I admit that I have attended two IANDS (International Association for Near-Death Studies) conferences which I thoroughly enjoyed. I own a few books on the topic and am also certified through ACISTE (American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences) to better support those with spiritually transformative experiences. Hardly an expert, but whatever.
Despite my limited expertise, many patients have shared their spiritual/paranormal experiences with me during treatment. They usually start talking about it very cautiously because they know that having spiritual/paranormal experiences sounds crazy, and the last thing they want is for a psychiatrist to think they need additional prescription medications to "treat" it.
I believe patients feel comfortable sharing their spiritual/paranormal experiences with me because I specialize in tapering medications and integrate energy medicine in my practice. One could argue that energy medicine is spirituality dressed in a white doctor's coat. To many patients, connecting to a field of infinite and perfect Life Energy filled with unconditional love is just half a step away from their daily attempts to connect to God through prayer.
One young man, age 24, shared that when he took DMT he had an out-of-body experience where he met a Being of Light and felt tremendous love from this Being. Time froze. He had a life review. He shared details from his experience and said that it was the most beautiful experience he ever had in his life.
A young woman shared that when she was 9 years old, during an adenoidectomy, she experienced an NDE and saw her body on the gurney as she floated above it. She saw a white light and was told that it was not her time to leave. Since her NDE, she has been able to see and talk to spirits. She describes herself as an "empath" who can sense others' feelings. I also consider her an intuitive, since she knows things, such as a stranger's date of birth. She came to see me to help reduce her antipsychotic.
Patients who've had spiritual/paranormal experiences present a special challenge for me as a holistic psychiatrist. With them, I need to judge between a "normal paranormal" and what requires real healing.
For the young man who shared his beautiful encounter with the Being of Light, I simply provided a receptive, listening ear. He had been feeling suicidal after breaking up with his girlfriend. What he needed during our session was a re-affirmation of his worthiness of love. That healed him, and he left his session with renewed self-esteem.
The girl who saw and spoke to spirits after her NDE felt harassed by the spirits. Her history also included increased irritability and stress after she abruptly stopping smoking marijuana. For her, nutritional support and CBD oil resulted in significant calmness and improved function within a week. She can still see and hear spirits, but she has reported that she is able to block them out of her mind when she focuses on her daily routines. Perhaps she might become a helpful medium some day.
In my newsletter article "Angels, Demons, A Boy, and a Psychiatrist," I write about my encounter with a 15-year-old boy who allowed three negative entities he called "demons" to possess him. My intuitive approach during that session was to pray for help and allow for positive spiritual intervention to save the day. It became one of the most enlightening spiritual experiences in my life.
Spiritual/paranormal experiences and psychotic experiences are neither mutually exclusive nor are they the same phenomenon.However, the line differentiating these two types of experiences can sometimes be blurry and difficult to judge. Spiritual/paranormal experiences don't automatically result in healing outcomes nor are they always symptoms requiring psychotropic medications. As a psychiatrist, it is important to be able to tell the difference and to know, intuitively, where to draw the line and how to support the patient.
An important way psychiatrists can learn to tell the difference is to have had spiritual/paranormal experiences themselves. If a psychiatrist has never had a spiritual/paranormal experience it would be arrogant for him or her to assume that no one else could have one either. Usually, those who have had experiences of their own are much more open and receptive to the idea that spiritual/paranormal experiences exist. From there, it is important for clinicians to keep asking the question, "how can I support the patient's well-being, given the patient's experiences as a whole, both spiritual and material?"
It is seldom helpful to assume spiritual/paranormal experiences are dysfunctional symptoms arising from mental illness. That would be imposing one's personal views on the patient without being open to the patient's right to their legitimate spiritual/paranormal experiences. Psychiatrists who choose to do so tend to be quick to label these experiences as psychotic symptoms and to prescribe antipsychotic medications in response. Generally, these medications are ineffective in eliminating legitimate spiritual/paranormal experiences and instead result in sedating and blunting cognitive function.
I'm sure there are many things I've left out of this article that I would later want to mention, but I hope these reflections are helpful to those who encounter people who share their personal spiritual/paranormal experiences.