Q: How do I navigate spiritual experiences that feel overwhelming or frightening?
A: I wish I had more details about what you're experiencing, but here's my low-context answer.
There are many things that can happen in meditation, practice, or eye-open awareness that can feel overwhelming or frightening.
The presence of God, if felt somatically, can instill terror in some people who don't realize what's happening.
Or, getting a taste of void/nothingness through meditation can be absolutely terrifying given how FULL, REAL, and SOLID regular consciousness generally feels.
Here's one way to look at scary spiritual experiences: They are showing you the actual depth and power of the spiritual realm.
That's all.
And ideally, the realization of this depth and power can move you towards humble devotion and a realization that you really have no idea what's actually going on. AT ALL.
That depth and power exist regardless of your everyday awareness.
But sometimes the true depth of what's happening will temporarily reveal Itself to us, and unless we have philosophical context or DEEP DEEP existing faith in the process, these insights can be very difficult to digest or integrate into our day-to-day life.
Remember in the Bhagavad Gita when Krishna shows Arjun his true form? Poor Arjun nearly pees his pants at the sight of God in all His terrifying glory.
But guess what? It humbled him and pushed him deeper into his spiritual quest. It pushed him into deeper awareness of what "the battlefield" actually Is.
A more Western psychological take on this could be to consider that these overwhelming or frightening experiences are a reflection of your own inner world.
Terror, overwhelm, and confusion all exist inside of you—inside of everyone—and most of us spend our waking hours trying to pacify or dull the ever-present experience of these feelings and their intensity
Keyword: INTENSITY.
This is what I actually think. There's no coming into deeper awareness of God, in your body, mind, and soul, unless you are able to hold and integrate stronger and stronger levels of physical intensity.
The presence of God can be REALLY FUCKING INTENSE.
If you can't handle intensity in the body, you'll only be able to go so far, especially if you're working with prana shakti (kundalini traditions).
Frankly, I think this is one thing neo-tantra gets right. Opening yourself to intensity through the realm of sexuality is a legitimate way to open yourself to the intensity of the spiritual process.
And just so you know: my secret spiritual specialty is kundalini. I've worked with multiple students who have had what they called "kundalini emergencies" to balance and ground their relationship with what's happening.
I've been part of a very traditional kundalini lineage for 10 years and have seen enough to know what helps and what doesn't.
So, if this is an experience you've ever wanted guidance with, consider booking a single call with me and I can offer some suggestions. :)
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