Theos-Talk Archives (March 1997 Message tl00194)

Today, I listened to a tape of Carolyn Myss' lecture, Spiritual Madness, "a
journey of the modern mystic through the dark night of the soul.".  I am
giving a poor summary of an inspiring lecture.  Basically, it's about
dealing with spiritual awakening in your normal life.  With the recent
events of mystical words being available for regular people instead of just
being limited to monasteries, people are having to deal with the
difficulties of incorporating spiritual awakening with their daily
responsibilities.  In spiritual madness, a person may encounter grand
expectations, disappointments with spirituality, alienation from family and
friends, and moodiness.

The person going through spiritual madness has to learn to separate human
order and purpose from Divine order and purpose.  Divine power and order is
different from the human conception of them.  The person going through
spiritual madness may feel that he/she should give up the mundane side of
life, give up family and job, and pursue great work in service of God.  What
the person need to realize is that in spirituality, there is "no such thing
as an insignificant task."  Developing spirtually may involve dealing with a
mundane job, or dealing with a difficult relationship.  Also, in developing
a dialogue with God, the person may be expecting that the spiritual path
will bring clarity and order to chaos.  In addition, the person may deny
his/her shadow side, feeling that those are not godly traits.  Instead,
she/he need to get rid of separating good and bad, and realize that God is
all of that.  Do not feel that bad events are because of his/her own action.
Judge not that event, but go with it.  She/he need to realize that God is
not only there during good times, but that God is especially there during
bad times, for this is a time of learning, an opportunity for spiritual
growth.  What the person need to realize is that being spiritual includes
learning how to hold your center through disappointments, learning to see
God's guidance through the mundane life, and learning to not compromise
his/her soul while living in temptation.

In going through spiritual madness, a person may become critical of anything
that he/she may feel is not helping her/him develop spiritually.  The person
may become critical of more "unevolved" souls.  To the contrary, the person
should be looking at him/herself for improvement and not others.  A person's
job is "not to be God's critic".  The person should have "no expectations,
judge not, keep [himself/herself] centered" and bless his/her environment by
his/her being.

He/she should learn to go with guidance, and realize that guidance is in
every little event.  Everything that happens is for a reason.  Realize that
no matter what he/she is doing, he/she is "serving [his/her] life."  If the
signs indicate that a change is needed, do not be afraid to go with change,
do not be afraid to let go of what was.

"Mysticism has gone mainstream."  Because we need to live regular lives
instead of being in a monastery, we need to combine the ego and God.  In the
past, when a person wants to develop spirtually, she/he goes to a monastery
where all temptations were kept out, and where all items needed for
spiritual development were given to him/her.  This makes it easy to release
one's ego to God.  However, the modern mystic has to have a strong ego in
order to resist anything that is detrimental to spiritual life, and to
maintain spiritual life.  Thus, the mystic learn to be "in the world, but
not part of the world", and learn to not compromise his/her soul to be in
the world.

Eventually, spiritual madness will end in which the person learns to keep
his/her center through chaos and change, learn to live in the world, and
learn to release expectations of God.

Thoa