10 tips for those experiencing a personal crisis

Causes of a personal crisis

Most people, at least once in their lives, have encountered the feeling that their existence has no meaning and all actions are absolutely empty. This inner sensation has a strong impact on the psyche. And most often, it is quite difficult to determine the cause and understand how to overcome a personal crisis.

There are several key factors that can lead to such a complex emotional state:

Dissatisfaction with yourself
. A fairly common reason that every second person encounters. The fact is that the media actively impose certain standards of appearance and level of income. Not everyone can achieve similar results in life.
Problems at work
. A person can be the best worker, but his work goes unnoticed. Or, on the contrary, he understands that his knowledge is outdated, no one needs his services anymore, and age and fear no longer allow him to start anything new. The loss of a well-paid job will have no less impact on your condition.
Self-perception
. Usually middle-aged people face a crisis. This is due to the oppression of oneself with thoughts that most of life has passed, that much has not yet been achieved that one wanted, and time is running inexorably.
Family problems
. The departure of one of the couple to a new partner hurts not only one’s self-esteem, but also forces one to begin the process of self-oppression. After all, being abandoned is very difficult.
Difficulties at school
. Crisis is often characteristic of adolescence. It is especially pronounced in children who are “not like everyone else.” They become outcasts, they are not accepted by society, and they still cannot or do not know how to realize themselves in other directions and with other people.

A crisis of personal growth can develop into a state of deep emotional depression, from which it is simply impossible to get out of it without the help of psychologists. It is extremely important for relatives to notice the symptoms promptly and help the person cope with the situation.

General concept

Spiritual crisis:

associated with the concept of internal human development;
is an integral component of human life, a critical and transitional stage in the psychological state of the individual, which leads to internal metamorphosis and spiritual development;
often associated with fear, loneliness, depression, despondency and despair that appear as a result of the stress experienced.

There is no generally accepted and definitive definition of this phenomenon. But it has been studied for a long time, and every researcher has contributed to understanding the essence of this condition and finding ways to combat it.

Main symptoms of a personality crisis

The fact that a person is in crisis can be seen with the naked eye. Its signs are:

Changes in emotional state
. Such people are extremely apathetic to everything that happens and do not express feelings. It is very difficult to make them smile or hear sincere laughter.
Detachment
. A crisis of personal growth in people facing it causes absolute indifference to everything that happens. They are not worried about the worries and problems around them, they are completely immersed in themselves. In some cases, irritability, nervousness and even aggressiveness are observed when family and friends try to get them out of this state.
Sleep disorders
. Individuals with this problem sleep very poorly, regularly get up at night, and cannot wake up in the morning.
Physiological changes
. During a crisis, a person begins to refuse food or eat it in very small quantities, which causes rapid fatigue. Due to lack of sleep, the color and condition of the skin changes. Mental illness can negatively affect your physical well-being. Such people often get sick due to weakened immunity.

You will have to start working to get out of the state by adjusting your behavior, because the problem always affects him first.

Stages of development of a personality crisis.

Regardless of the type, any personality crisis has a beginning, a peak and an end. Naturally, these phases are vague and conditional, but they make it possible to understand or predict the psycho-emotional state of a person experiencing a turning point.

Immersion stage.

An emotional explosion occurs;
General physical health deteriorates;
The algorithm of actions is confused, decisions are chaotic;
“Withdrawal into oneself” is possible;
Overwhelmed by inaction and apathy.

Dead end stage.

Awareness of the problem comes;
The question of what to do remains unresolved;
The search begins for the reasons for the current situation;
The future looks gray;
New solutions are being sought.

A turning point.

A new perspective on the problem appears;
There is a craving for change;
The situation does not seem to be a dead end;
Gradually, the “ice is collapsing.”

This is a classic model of a crisis, after which a person reaches a new level. But there are other options for the development of the situation - mental disorders, suicide, drug or alcohol addiction. These negative consequences are caused by ignoring a difficult condition. To prevent this from happening, it is advisable for everyone to know in advance how to survive in a crisis.

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Features of overcoming a personal crisis

A depressed state will certainly affect both the person himself and his relationships with others. He can become completely self-absorbed without seeking help. When he realized that something needed to change, it was time to act. If you look at it, overcoming a personal crisis is within the power of every person. The main thing is not to lose control and gradually achieve your goal.

Assessing the situation and drawing up a plan to overcome a personal crisis

To understand the depth of the problem, you need to look at what is happening soberly and turn off your feelings.
If it’s difficult to do this on your own, you can ask a loved one for help. Some psychologists recommend writing a list of what causes dissatisfaction. Describe which area of life is at a critical point. In some cases the problem is absolutely obvious. This could be the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, illness or anything else.

In any situation, you need to try to separate emotions from facts and create a plan of action. The way out of a personal crisis largely depends on a well-thought-out step-by-step list of work. To regain your former self, it is important to understand what to do next and where to go.

The plan will only be effective if:

Set a clear goal
. You need to choose a realistic and achievable goal that will at least slightly improve the deplorable situation: find a job, learn English, go to college, meet a soulmate, make friends, travel. Do everything that will help get out of the crisis and bring positive emotions.
Find the main motive
. It is worth noting that there may be several of them, but it is important to determine the main one. For example, a new job is the path to a good financial situation. That is, set yourself a goal and explain what it will give.
Define search parameters
. What specific job do you need to find, what to do there, who to be? How should others, colleagues, friends perceive you? What should a working day look like? What level of income will suit you? What can you sacrifice to achieve your goal? All these questions will have to be answered. This way you can correctly identify a potential goal and not deviate from it.
Write a list of things that are necessary on the way to achieve the goal
. To find a new job, you need to register at the labor exchange and search for vacancies yourself. You can also call friends and acquaintances, because very often work appears in an unexpected way. To achieve greater heights, it is recommended to take advanced training courses, improve your foreign languages and devote time to your self-education. If the main goal is to find friends, then it is important to visit public places, communicate more and show interest.
Don't deviate from the plan
. After drawing it up, in no case should you give in and retreat even by one point. And, despite the fact that the result is not immediately visible, this does not mean that the actions taken were in vain. Sometimes you have to wait to get the desired “fruit”.
Don't give up
. Even if some point of the plan does not work out the first time, this is not a reason to doubt your abilities. Many successful people experienced failure several times at the beginning of their journey. The easy path does not lead to something great and bright.

Remember that there are always two ways out of any situation: stay in the same position and complain all the time, or start doing something. Not everyone can act actively, but it is important to force yourself not to remain stuck. Don’t be shy about using the help of other people, especially if they themselves show a desire to participate in this.

Changing behavior to overcome a personality crisis

A kind of infantilism in behavior can lead to problems.
Changing your behavior, rethinking your values and outlook on life will help you cope with it. In this case, the action plan will be supplemented with the following tips:

Take responsibility
. Everyone must be responsible for both defeat and victory. It is impossible to go a long way without these two components. If you lose, you shouldn’t lose heart, you just need to draw a conclusion and not repeat your mistakes in the future. You should not look for those to blame in case of defeat - this is a very bad companion for success.
Stop looking around
. Many modern people are influenced by social networks, where classmates, friends and acquaintances post their photos from exciting travels, happy moments or successful purchases. Colleagues also brag about trips and home purchases. You should never compare your life with others. Also, young people often look at their school friends and see how wonderful their family life and career have turned out. A person may begin to panic because he does not have something. If you regularly compare your life with wealthier people, then this is a direct path to a personal crisis.
Get rid of constant expectations
. In most cases, life does not go according to plan, and this must be accepted as an indisputable fact. Some expectations are met, while others are missed. In any case, there is no reason to be upset and, especially, to plunge into depression. You should learn to get rid of constant expectations, and if something doesn’t work out, then come to terms with it and try to achieve the goal again.
Stop relying on someone
. Also, don't place high expectations on other people. This is especially true if a person wants to start a relationship and family.

Important! There are no perfect people, and great expectations only lead to great disappointments. Remember one simple truth: there will always be people better and worse than you, you shouldn’t race and compete with someone, it’s better to fight with yourself and conquer your own peaks every day.

Working on yourself to get out of a personal crisis

It is very important for people to feel beautiful and successful. It gives confidence, courage and self-love. Therefore, personal improvement plays a huge role in the fight against a personal crisis, for example:

Making a real dream come true
. Almost every person has a small dream that they didn’t have enough energy or time to achieve. Perhaps you always wanted to learn how to knit, take up floristry or bake deliciously, go fishing in unknown places or conquer a mountain. Don't limit yourself, inspire your nature and do what brings you spiritual pleasure. People who devote time to such an activity will never be immersed in a personal crisis.
Sports activities
. It may not be just a gym; the modern sphere allows you to find something to your liking. Dancing can be an excellent option for girls, because it not only improves their figure, but also adds femininity. If there is a personal crisis in men, then you can choose some kind of martial arts or swimming pool. Some people don't have time to attend separate classes, in which case a morning run would be ideal. Plus, such pastime has a positive effect on brain activity. It is worth noting that during exercise, the production of a hormone is stimulated, which is responsible for our feeling of happiness.
Personal care
. As statistics show, a personal crisis in women very often appears due to dissatisfaction with their appearance. But men are also susceptible to this factor, although to a lesser extent. If you don’t like the reflection in the mirror, then you need to try to make yourself the person you want to see every morning. Of course, this will require a lot of effort, but the result is worth it. Changing your hairstyle, clothing style, manner of speaking, hair color—everyone can do it. Anything, as long as the appearance inspires you to leave the house and start doing important things.

It also happens that all measures turn out to be practically useless. This is often faced by people who set unrealistic demands on themselves and their dreams. Therefore, a breakdown becomes inevitable.

Definition of the term in various areas of psychology

Famous psychologists who have tried to formulate a definition of a spiritual crisis, or crisis of human spirituality, and have studied it are Christina and Stanislav Grof.
They were among the first to use this phrase, describing a specific state of consciousness that is supernatural in nature. In transpersonal psychology, a moral crisis is referred to as a transpersonal spiritual crisis. This relatively new branch of psychology has already played an important role in the study of individual states of human consciousness. Vladimir Kozlov, a proponent of dividing the whole into several parts, in addition to the spiritual, identified other types of personal crisis:

social;
material.

He believed that spiritual turning points are manifested in a person’s attraction to global changes, his piety, and awareness of the higher purpose of existence. Kozlov did not agree with Grof’s theory and called the spiritual crisis psychospiritual.

Depressive moods: severe stress, panic attacks and fear, insecurity (and freedom), a feeling of abandonment, disconnection, guilt - in existential psychology these are not accompanying states with moral problems, but stages of life and its very essence. The likelihood of a spiritual turning point depends on how controlled they are by the individual.

Close to the definition of crisis given by the Grofs is the definition from transpersonal psychology belonging to A. J. Deikman. He coined his name - mystical psychosis, meaning all psychotic moods of a mystical nature.

Carl Jung was of the opinion that the listed altered states are not necessarily a consequence of illness (physical or mental). Unusual emotions, bodily sensations that cause discomfort, an extraordinary mind, etc. lead to a change in consciousness and moral development.

Western psychiatry, which has had a huge influence on domestic science, does not consider the obvious manifestations of a crisis to be pathology. These hidden experiences under the influence of medications and procedures prevent you from developing special potential, learning lessons and becoming a harmonious person. Unjustified consumption of potent drugs suppresses the real “I” and brings an imaginary feeling of stability and satisfaction.

How to Avoid a Mental Breakdown During a Personal Crisis

Any crisis reaches its climax, and at this moment it is extremely important to prevent a mental breakdown.
Otherwise, only a professional psychologist will help you cope with the problem. The following recommendations will help avoid these negative consequences:

Dance more
. Psychologists have found that during times of stress, a person puts himself in a so-called shell; it is difficult for him to loosen up and throw out negative emotions. It is very important to be able to relax emotionally. To prevent negativity from taking over, you need to dance every day until your muscles become relaxed. The body should move easily, naturally, without unnecessary stiffness. To do this, you definitely need to choose your favorite dynamic music. Psychologists believe that if you dance for at least five minutes a day, your body will become more flexible, which means it will begin to develop resistance to stress.
Learn to quickly “exhale” and relax
. A crisis is precisely the condition that forces you to be in constant tension. Therefore, it is important to learn to relax and leave negativity behind. In addition, it is better to start solving any problem after you have completely gotten rid of past experience. Tension is illness, stress, crisis and fear. Relaxation is success, joy, creativity and ease. Today you can find a huge number of relaxation methods that will help you achieve your goal. If stress takes you by surprise, there is one simple and effective way: tense all the muscles of the body as much as possible and hold your breath for five to ten seconds, and then exhale sharply. Try to breathe deeply for at least a couple of minutes.
Focus on positive thoughts
. Even in a crisis there is a positive side, and you should only think about it. For example, in most cases, some negative moment forces you to take action. He encourages self-development and improvement of his appearance. Therefore, a crisis can force you to improve. You need to tune yourself exclusively to positive thoughts. Even if all this does not help you think in a positive way, it is worth making up a story with a good ending and believing in it. For example, that they have really achieved their ultimate goal and are completely happy. Many psychologists say that self-confidence is half the journey.
Be sure to praise yourself
! If you focus exclusively on negative aspects, you can completely lose control of the situation. Plus, it puts you in a position to achieve your future goal. Every time a small goal is successfully completed, praise yourself. Focus and take action.

How to overcome a personal crisis - watch the video: During times of stress, it is important to focus on the end result. This will allow you to avoid all failures and achieve your goal. Don't pay attention to external circumstances, but just act. During a crisis, you need to quickly set goals and achieve them. Each conquered peak will gradually lift you out of your depressive state. If you start thinking for a long time about all the pros and cons of a particular situation, for example, changing jobs, then it will be extremely difficult to make a decision. So act quickly and think only positive things.

What is a crisis?

A crisis is a clash between the old and the new, between the familiar past and a possible future, between who you are now and who you could become.
What used to be good and effective is no longer so. The set goals are not achieved using old means, and there are no new ones yet. Very often, hidden conflicts and inconsistencies come to light in a crisis. Psychological personality crises are distinguished by the fact that a person is placed in such conditions - he can no longer behave in the old way, his behavior no longer brings the results he needs. That is why, when you find yourself in a crisis, you most often experience a feeling of impasse and try to find a way out of it. But there is still no way out...

A crisis is also experienced by many people as a period of anxiety, fear, uncertainty, sometimes emptiness, meaninglessness of existence, a stop along the way - each person comes up with his own metaphor. Here's what different people say when talking about their experiences and feelings during the crisis:

“It was as if I was frozen alone in some space and did not move.”
“No one was around, and there was a feeling that no one would help me, and the whole world was collapsing around me.”
“I experienced trembling, weakness, heaviness, tension and stiffness.”
“It was like an immersion - it enveloped me completely, and I could not hide from it anywhere.”
“It was as if I was in a transparent balloon, and an invisible film separated me from other people.”
“I really wanted someone else to help me.”
“I didn’t want anything, nothing at all!”
“It seemed to me that the whole world seemed to have closed around me and was about to crush me.”
“I was exhausted and didn’t have enough strength for anything.”
“My life no longer belonged to me, I was no longer its “author.”
“Time seemed to stop inside me, and outside something was happening and happening...”
“I wanted to find a way out of this impenetrable darkness as quickly as possible.”

All this is about him, about the psychological crisis. Individually, the words of each woman mean nothing and can mean anything, but together they form a picture of a personal crisis. Agree, the picture that emerges is difficult and unpleasant. Still, it is no coincidence that this condition is one of the most common reasons for turning to a psychologist.

How to deal with this condition?

If you help a person feel the support of the Higher Self and the possibility of relying on it, thereby expanding the idea of \u200b\u200bhimself, then the vicious circle is broken. Stress gradually decreases, and the opportunity arises to perceive the unknown not with fear, but as a source of opportunity. Then the crisis is positively resolved by a transition to a state of co-creation.

This can be done using certain methods, which can generally be described as meditation on space.

In the ego paradigm that dominated for millennia, man identified himself with the body, which was felt not as a living being, but as a mechanism (hence the mechanistic approach of medicine to its treatment), while the conscious mind was concentrated mainly in the head. Space was perceived as an objective given, a living environment.

However, in reality, only 5% of a person's resources are available to the conscious mind, and it is not limited to it. Most of the mind belongs to the sphere of the subconscious and is not realized directly, but through emotions and sensations of the body (that is, we are not aware of it, but we feel it, sense it).

But there is an even larger mind, a superconscious one, and it manifests itself precisely through space. Therefore, it is often called Cosmic or Supreme.

The conscious mind of the ego is closed within itself, therefore it experiences life situations, perceiving them as “what happened”, and does not have the opportunity to realize their educational meaning (which is sometimes even denied by the mind). The mind compensates for this by creating meaning artificially, based on conscious goals (getting a position, title, achieving wealth and status, etc.). When the illusions dissipate and it is discovered that these meanings were illusory, as in the “depression of achievement” mentioned above, then devastation sets in. The ego-mind remains without purpose and meaning of existence.

Coming into awareness of the body - we will learn how to do this in the process of performing the exercise given at the end of the article - opens access to the subconscious, which makes it possible to process emotions and sensations. But to an even greater extent, access to true meanings opens through the expansion of awareness into space.

From a neuroscience perspective, awareness of space allows the brain to switch from beta waves, characteristic of conscious activity, and even high-frequency beta waves, characteristic of stress, to alpha waves, corresponding to a state of relaxation, and even theta waves, corresponding to deep immersion. inner world. Therefore, for thousands of years, meditation and prayer have served as the main means of comprehending higher meanings and reuniting with the Higher Self, with the soul.

It is clear that it is impossible to cover such a broad topic in one article. I'll just illustrate how this works using an example from a session with a talented woman.

Spiritual crisis. When personality transformation becomes a crisis Team of authors

A feeling of unity with the entire Universe. Images and visions of distant places and times. Sensations of vibrating energy flows in the body, accompanied by spasms and severe trembling. Visions of gods, demigods and demons. Dazzling flashes of bright light of all colors of the rainbow. Fear of impending madness and even death...

Anyone who experiences such extreme psychic and mental phenomena will immediately be labeled psychotic by most modern civilized people. However, an increasing number of people appear to be going through extraordinary experiences such as those described above, and rather than irreversibly descending into madness, they often return from these extraordinary states of mind with an increased sense of well-being and a higher level of functioning in everyday life. In many cases, long-standing emotional, mental and physical problems and illnesses are healed through this process.

We find many parallels to similar situations in the lives of saints, yogis, mystics and shamans. In fact, spiritual literature and spiritual traditions throughout the world place great emphasis on the transformative power of such experiences for those who go through them. Why then are people who experience such experiences almost invariably viewed as mentally ill in today's world?!

Although there are many individual exceptions, the mainstream of modern psychiatry and psychology in general makes no distinction between mysticism and mental illness. These movements do not officially recognize that the great spiritual traditions, associated for thousands of years with systematic research into human consciousness, have anything to offer modern man. Therefore, concepts and practices developed in Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sufism and other mystical traditions are ignored or completely discarded.

In this essay we will develop the idea that many episodes of extraordinary states of mind, even dramatic and reaching psychotic proportions, are not necessarily symptoms of illness in the medical sense of the word. We view them as critical situations in the evolution of consciousness, as “spiritual crises” comparable to states described in mystical traditions around the world.

Before discussing the concept of spiritual crisis in detail, let us take a closer look at the relationship between psychosis, mental illness and mysticism, and at the historical process by which spiritual and mystical experiences have come to be viewed by modern science and psychiatry as symptoms of mental illness.

The worldview created by traditional Western science and dominant today in our culture, strictly speaking, is generally incompatible with any concept of spirituality. In a world where only the tangible, the material and the measurable are real, all forms of religious and mystical activity are seen as a reflection of prejudice, ignorance, irrationality or emotional immaturity. Therefore, direct experiences of spiritual realities are interpreted as “psychotic”, as manifestations of mental disorder.

Our own experience and observations over many years of participation in various forms of depth experiential psychotherapy have led us to the conviction that it is necessary to take a fresh look at this situation in modern psychiatry and in our worldview and re-evaluate it in the light of historical evidence and modern data. A radical revision of the position towards mysticism and psychosis is long overdue. Clearly distinguishing these phenomena has far-reaching consequences for people who have experience of non-ordinary states of consciousness, especially with spiritual emphasis. It is important to recognize a spiritual crisis and treat it appropriately, given its enormous positive potential for healing and personal growth, potential that is usually suppressed by routine drug treatment.

The group of mental disorders known as psychoses pose the greatest challenge and mystery to Western psychiatry and psychology. These conditions are characterized by a profound impairment of the ability to “normally” perceive the world, think and respond emotionally in a culturally and socially appropriate manner, and behave and communicate in a customary manner.

For some disorders in the category of psychoses

modern science has found internal causes in anatomical, physiological or biochemical changes in the brain or other parts of the body.
This is a subgroup of the so-called organic psychoses
, which certainly belong to the field of medicine.
However, for many other psychotic conditions, despite persistent attempts by several generations of researchers from various fields of knowledge, no medical explanation has been found. Despite the virtual lack of evidence for specific medical causes, these so-called functional psychoses
are usually classified as mental illnesses for which the cause is unknown. It is this subgroup of psychoses that interests us now.

In the absence of a clear consensus in understanding the causes of functional psychoses, it would be more appropriate and honest to admit our complete ignorance as to their nature and origin and to use the term "disease" only for those conditions for which a specific physical cause can be found. In this way we can open the way to new approaches to at least some functional psychoses, gaining a new perspective that is both theoretically and practically different from the medical approach to them as a disease. In fact, similar alternative approaches have already been developed, particularly in the context of so-called depth psychology. These are a variety of psychological theories and psychotherapeutic strategies inspired by the pioneering work of Sigmund Freud.

Although depth psychology approaches are discussed and studied in academic circles, the understanding and treatment of functional psychoses in modern psychiatry is dominated, for a number of reasons, by a medical style of thinking. Historically, psychiatry was only able to truly establish itself as a medical discipline. She discovered the organic basis of some psychotic conditions and, in some cases, was even able to find effective ways to treat them. In addition, she was able to successfully control the symptoms of psychotic states of unknown origin with the help of tranquilizers, antidepressants, sedatives and sleeping pills. Therefore, it might seem right and logical to continue this line and expect success in the same approach to those disorders whose origin is unknown and for which effective treatments have not yet been found.

There are additional facts that strongly support a medical or psychiatric perspective. Psychiatry traces the causes of psychotic states and behavioral manifestations to physical and physiological factors, while depth psychology seeks to find the cause of mental problems in the events and circumstances of the patient's life, usually associated with his childhood. Thus, traditional psychology limits the sources of mental content to observable aspects of the client's personal history. We call this the "biographical model" of psychosis. Therefore, psychotic behaviors and states of mind for which no cause can be found in personal history would seem to favor the medical model.

Indeed, there are significant aspects of many psychoses that cannot be explained by the psychological method of finding the cause of mental disorder in the patient's life history. Some of them involve certain extreme emotions and physical sensations that are not easily understood in terms of childhood history or subsequent events. These, for example, include visions and experiences of cosmic absorption, diabolical torture, disintegration of personality, or even the destruction of the entire universe. Likewise, feelings of immense guilt, a sense of eternal damnation, or uncontrollable and causeless impulses of aggression in many cases cannot be explained by the circumstances of the patient's life. One could easily assume that these foreign elements are present in the psyche due to pathological processes affecting the brain directly or indirectly.

There are other types of experiences that pose a problem for the biographical model, not only because of their intensity, but because of their very nature. The experiences of gods and demons, mythical landscapes and heroes, extraterrestrial landscapes or infernal regions cannot be rationally comprehended in the world as Western science sees it. Therefore, it seems quite appropriate to assume, as medical psychiatry does, that all of this is the consequence of some unknown pathological processes at the level of the body. The mystical nature of many experiences in non-ordinary states of consciousness automatically relegates them to the category of pathology, since spirituality is not a legitimate dimension of existence in the exclusively material universe of traditional science.

However, recent advances in psychology suggest that the sources of these unusual experiences lie beyond both medical pathology and personal life history. Historically, the first breakthrough in this area was the work of the Swiss psychiatrist C. G. Jung. Jung significantly expanded the biographical model by introducing the concept of the collective unconscious. Through careful analysis of his own dreams and those of his clients, as well as the hallucinations, fantasies, and illusions of psychotics, Jung discovered that the human psyche has access to truly universal images and motifs. They can be found in mythology, folklore, art and culture not only around the world, but throughout human history.

These archetypes, as Jung called them, emerge with striking regularity even in those individuals whose education and life history preclude direct acquaintance with their various cultural and historical manifestations. This observation led Jung to the conclusion that in addition to the individual unconscious, there was a racial or collective unconscious, common to all humanity. He considered the comparative study of religions and mythology to be the most valuable sources of information about these collective aspects of the unconscious. In Jung's model, many experiences that make no sense in the context of biographical events, such as visions of deities and demons, can be seen as the surfacing of contents from the collective unconscious.

Although Jung's theories have been around for decades, they initially had little influence outside of a small circle of devoted followers. These ideas were too ahead of their time and had to wait for additional impetus to gain strength. This situation began to change in the early 60s, when interest in the far horizons of human consciousness revived. A new era of inner exploration began with clinical research on the effects of psychedelic substances conducted by professionals and personal experiments by a part of society that for some time was known as the counterculture. These quests spawned an avalanche of experiential psychotherapeutic techniques and spiritual practices of all kinds—from Gestalt therapy to transcendental meditation—among therapists and laypeople alike in the 70s and 80s.

As many people began to experience all kinds of images and symbols that Jung attributed to the realm of the collective unconscious, as well as classic episodes of a mystical nature, this wave became strong evidence in support of Jung's ideas and a powerful confirmation of the significance of the world's mystical traditions, both Eastern, and Western ones. At that time, it became clear to many of those involved in these studies that we needed a new model that included not only Freud's biographical dimension, but also Jung's collective unconscious and the spiritual dimension.

If we think about the mind in this infinitely expanded perspective, then the content of experiences that arise in various non-ordinary states of consciousness no longer seems to be a random or arbitrary product of disturbances in brain activity. Rather, it should be considered a manifestation of deep layers of the human psyche that are usually inaccessible to consciousness. And bringing this unconscious material to the surface can be truly healing and transformative if it happens in the right situation. Various spiritual disciplines and mystical traditions, from shamanism to Zen, present a rich range of valuable knowledge related to these deeper areas of the mind. It has been known for centuries that dramatic and difficult episodes can arise in the course of spiritual practice and that the path to enlightenment can be harsh and turbulent.

Thus, the achievements of depth psychology and ancient spiritual heritage provide the basis for a new understanding of some psychotic states for which no biological causes can be found. The challenge posed to modern psychiatry by both of these areas of knowledge shows us the roots of the idea of spiritual crisis, a concept that we will now discuss in more detail.