Medicine or Meds? How to Manage a Spiritual Emergence
Life is a Festival #93: Dr. Joseph Barsuglia
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The great LSD psychiatrist Stanislav Grof referred to the collection of cognitive, emotional, and spiritual disturbances that can follow a powerful psychedelic experience as a “spiritual emergence.” He saw this an evolutionary crisis rather than a mental disease. So how do we know if we are in a soul’s initiation or simply a Sisyphean loop of our tormented mind? Like many of us in this difficult pandemic winter, I have been going through my own dark night, so I called up one of my favorite iboga experts, Dr. Joseph Barsuglia to understand how to navigate my experience.
On the show, we discuss initiation through the lens of the powerful plant medicine iboga and the Bwiti tradition in Africa. We explore where it might be appropriate to turn to psychotropic medication for stability during protracted healing. We also talk about how to understand the liminal space of transformation and when healing is complete. Finally we review various ways to find refuge and solace in these difficult times.
Joseph is a PhD neuropsychologist and was the Director of Clinical Assessment and Research the former iconic ibogaine facility, Crossroads Treatment Center. Trained with MAPS and initiated in the Bwiti tradition in Gabon, Joseph advises on psychedelic medicine and alternative healthcare. He first appeared on Life is a Festival with his partner Tricia Eastman on episode 41: “Iboga, the Mount Everest of Psychedelics.”
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Timestamps
:10 - Neuropsychology in the context of psychedelic experiences
:18 - Initiation through the lens of the plant medicine Iboga and the Bwiti tradition
:36 - When in a protracted initiatory experience, is it wise to use psychotropic medication to cope?
:54 - When is our healing process over?
1:05 - Other ways to find refuge and solace in difficult times
Graphics Designed by Andy McErlean
Audio Engineering by Trevor Coulter
Theme song ““Peculiar Colors” [Manjumasi]“ by dj atish