The Spiritual Experiences of Jen Macdonald | Bipolar Awakenings Podcast #9
Channel: Bipolar Awakenings - Sean Blackwell
Date: 2022-08-22

http://www.bipolarawakenings.com
Jen Macdonald entered into extreme states of consciousness while backpacking in India in 1998. Because she had a loose understanding and framework for these experiences, she recognized that they were spiritual and not necessarily signs of psychosis. Jen came across my book, Am I Bipolar Or Waking Up? about 10 years ago, and it validated many of her experiences. She even organized an event for me while I was back in Toronto in 2015. For the past 24 years, Jen has been involved in several online groups that seek to validate, support, and even celebrate experiences similar to the ones we've had.
Currently, she's working on a book that she hopes will reassure people in psycho-spiritual crisis that they're not crazy and they're not alone. I wanted to interview Jen because I thought she'd be a great person to go in-depth with around the topic of spiritual experiences.

Jen's Resource List

One of the most valuable things, in my opinion, is reading the accounts of others. You will find personal stories on websites, in books and in films listed below.

Accounts and a film etc. :
https://emergingproud.com/watch-the-film-2/

Resources by the same site:
https://emergingproud.com/resources/

Shades of Awakening fb group is great.
Here’s part of the summit that started it in 2015

https://crazywisefilm.com/2017/03/23/rethinking-madness-psychosis-spiritual-awakening-2/

Emma Bragdon's Spiritual Emergency Coaches which you can learn about on her site.  IMHU.org

Crisis guide:
https://www.spiritualemergencenetwork.org/blog/isen-proud-announce-availability-new-free-guide-emerge-crisis/

And this film is great,
https://crazywisefilm.com/

My book list:

The Call of Spiritual Emergency
By Dr. Emma Bragdon

Spiritual Emergency; When personal transformation becomes a crisis
The Stormy Search for the Self
By Stanislov Grof
-----------
Psychosis and Spirituality
Consolidating the new Paradigm
Comprehend, Cope, Connect
By Isabel Clarke, Ed
------------
A farther shore
Touched by the Light
By Yvonne Kason
-------------
The Red Book
Archetypes and the collective unconscious
Symbols of Transformation
Memories, Dreams and Reflections
Man and His Symbols
By Carl Jung
--------------
Self in psychotic process
Roots and Renewal in Myth and Madness
Trials of the Visionary Mind
Spiritual Emergency and the Renewal Process
Trials of the Visionary Mind
The Farside of madness
By John w. Perry
-----------------
In Case of spiritual emergency; Moving successfully through your awakening
By Catherine G. Lucas
-------------
Spiritual Psychiatries
Cultural U turns
By  Natalie Tobert
-------------
Unshrinking Psychosis
By John Watkins
-------------
Varieties of religious experience
By William James
-----------
Rethinking Madness
By Paris Williams
-----------
Mysticism
By Evelyn Underhill
-------------------
Books by Rd Laing
-------------
The kundalini guide
The awakening guide
By Bonnie Greenwell
---------------------
Breaking Down is Waking Up
By Dr. Russell Razzeque
---------------
NOTES
Non-Ordinary Transcendent Experinces
By Dr. Nicole Gruel
--------------------
Am I bipolar or waking up?
By Sean Blackwell😀
--------------
Mend the Gap
Emerging Proud books
By Katie Mottram
-------------------
Books by Joseph Campbell on the hero and mythology
------------------
Out of the darkness
The Leap
Spiritual Science
By Steve Taylor
___________________________
Breaking Open
Ed. By Jules Evans and
Dr Tim Read
-------------
My Beautiful Psychosis
By Emma Goude
-----------
And this group has year's conferences and a forum with lots of support
ACISTE
American Center for Spiritually Transformative Experiences
https://aciste.org/
---------------
Lastly, my friend’s site on which
he shares his personal story and skills :
https://www.sensitive-being.com/journals/issue1#article-1