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Altered States & Deep Emotional Processing: A Holistic Approach to Meaning-Making - ISPS-US Conference

Workshop presented at the ISPS-US 18th Annual Meeting : Psychosis, Citizenship, and Belonging: Forging Pathways toward Inclusion and Healing

Altered States & Deep Emotional Processing: A Holistic Approach to Meaning-Making - ISPS-US Conference

The experience of psychosis/altered states has the potential to be a life-threatening or a life-affirming and transformative experience. What makes the difference is often the social, familial, and institutional context in which the experience occurs. This context dramatically impacts a person’s ability to define altered states within an experiential framework that aligns with their personal and communal values. The right to personal narrative isn’t afforded to many, especially in the western world where altered states are almost always considered a biological defect and the result of serious mental illness. This framework not only elicits internalized shame, but also often prevents an individual from talking about, experiencing, and processing difficult emotions and trauma that may have given rise to the altered states.

In this workshop, we will explore the experience of psychosis/altered states not as a pathological response, but rather as a natural process through which difficult traumatic experiences and emotional

pain can be processed. Told from the perspective of someone with lived experience of altered states/psychosis outside of an inpatient setting, this presentation will describe possible holistic interventions that address the personal, spiritual, interpersonal, institutional, and structural aspects of our lives. We will discuss meaning-making strategies, and holistic, peer-based practices for working with those who experience altered states.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  1. Describe multiple frameworks for understanding psychosis.

  2. Discuss the complex relationship between deep emotional processing and altered states.

  3. Identify holistic and peer-based strategies for supporting those in altered states.

Russell, J. (2018) Developing a Common Vocabulary: Questions of Purpose and Priority. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167818787971

Brogan, K. (2016) A Mind of Your Own. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Hunter, N. (2018) Trauma & Madness in Mental health Services. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan

St. Arnaud, K., & Cormier, D. (2017). Psychosis or spiritual emergency: The potential of developmental psychopathology for differential diagnosis. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 36 (2). http://dx.doi.org/10.24972/ijts.2017.36.2.44