637. Emma Bragdon

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.

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