Another extremely well done dissection of an issue that we are all at some level aware of, but no one before you has really tied it all together as you do so well. I know that I mentioned it on Discord that I am a fully trained psychedelic facilitator who, no doubt, was drawn to this field by a deep interest in shamanism and ancient Mediterranean religions. I believe that all of these things are different roads to the same phenomenon. It would be my dream to put together a practice with a medical professional where we are doing just what you've described in this article. Thank you, Meredith.
Thank you so much for this wonderful summary of the symposium, which I unfortunately wasn’t able to attend.
Your writing is inspiring to me as an experiencer. It makes me believe we can chart a way forward that allows integration and positive expansion. There are so many of us experiencers! Surely , at a global scale, the initiation can serve to transform the state of humanity. I believe.
And, the model you are beginning to formulate about how the health care system can provide care for those experiencing ontological shock is forward thinking. Looking forward to part 2.
Beautiful article Meredith! As usual. Thank you for your thoughtful cross-section here, and for continuing to humanize the various approaches - clinical and otherwise - to understanding experiences of high strangeness.
An elegant summary and exposition, Meredith. As I mentioned elsewhere, I think the symposium sponsored by the John Mack Institute has even broader significance than contact experience. "The better question...is how institutions should respond when human experience exceeds their existing categories." That applies to all human experience that exceeds existing categories, a revolutionary change from how our current materialistic science confronts, or more likely, ignores the fringes of our experience. That's really the remit of Rice University's Center for the Impossible: how do we redefine what's possible? We've entered Charles Forte's world.
Perhaps looking closely enough at a grain of sand reveals the universe, as William Blake claimed. Looking closely enough at contact experience unveils the nature of consciousness as well as our institutional lack of understanding. Ultimately, the significance isn't limited to a few but a ground swell overtaking how we see ourselves and the universe we inhabit.
One thing I find inspiring and helpful in your articles is your overlapping insights as a practicing nurse, a philosophy major, and an experiencer. Each component complements the others and that makes your work seem very grounded. Thanks for sharing your evolving insights.
Until a couple of years ago, I found living in the space of " not knowing" to be unbearable. Once I accepted that the only authentic path forward was to live in that space of mystery, living life as "mystery" became slightly, very slightly, more tenable. What a luxury it would be to just be believed, to be able to say I what experience without ridicule . Chances of being heard seem so slim, even today. I am heartened to see that people with professional credentials are starting to tackle these issues of how to understand and assist experiencers. We do seem to being initiates into something. But what? May we find some legitimate answers--and some solace along the way. Thank you.
Another extremely well done dissection of an issue that we are all at some level aware of, but no one before you has really tied it all together as you do so well. I know that I mentioned it on Discord that I am a fully trained psychedelic facilitator who, no doubt, was drawn to this field by a deep interest in shamanism and ancient Mediterranean religions. I believe that all of these things are different roads to the same phenomenon. It would be my dream to put together a practice with a medical professional where we are doing just what you've described in this article. Thank you, Meredith.
Thank you so much for this wonderful summary of the symposium, which I unfortunately wasn’t able to attend.
Your writing is inspiring to me as an experiencer. It makes me believe we can chart a way forward that allows integration and positive expansion. There are so many of us experiencers! Surely , at a global scale, the initiation can serve to transform the state of humanity. I believe.
And, the model you are beginning to formulate about how the health care system can provide care for those experiencing ontological shock is forward thinking. Looking forward to part 2.
Beautiful article Meredith! As usual. Thank you for your thoughtful cross-section here, and for continuing to humanize the various approaches - clinical and otherwise - to understanding experiences of high strangeness.
An elegant summary and exposition, Meredith. As I mentioned elsewhere, I think the symposium sponsored by the John Mack Institute has even broader significance than contact experience. "The better question...is how institutions should respond when human experience exceeds their existing categories." That applies to all human experience that exceeds existing categories, a revolutionary change from how our current materialistic science confronts, or more likely, ignores the fringes of our experience. That's really the remit of Rice University's Center for the Impossible: how do we redefine what's possible? We've entered Charles Forte's world.
Perhaps looking closely enough at a grain of sand reveals the universe, as William Blake claimed. Looking closely enough at contact experience unveils the nature of consciousness as well as our institutional lack of understanding. Ultimately, the significance isn't limited to a few but a ground swell overtaking how we see ourselves and the universe we inhabit.
One thing I find inspiring and helpful in your articles is your overlapping insights as a practicing nurse, a philosophy major, and an experiencer. Each component complements the others and that makes your work seem very grounded. Thanks for sharing your evolving insights.
Until a couple of years ago, I found living in the space of " not knowing" to be unbearable. Once I accepted that the only authentic path forward was to live in that space of mystery, living life as "mystery" became slightly, very slightly, more tenable. What a luxury it would be to just be believed, to be able to say I what experience without ridicule . Chances of being heard seem so slim, even today. I am heartened to see that people with professional credentials are starting to tackle these issues of how to understand and assist experiencers. We do seem to being initiates into something. But what? May we find some legitimate answers--and some solace along the way. Thank you.