What is a Spiritually Transformative Experience?

A spiritually transformative experience (STE) is a profound event or series of events that significantly alters a person's understanding of themselves, their place in the world, and their connection to something greater. These experiences often involve a deep sense of transcendence, or connection to something larger than oneself.

STEs can manifest in various forms, such as near-death experiences, mystical encounters, moments of profound insight or awakening, intense experiences of awe and wonder, spiritual emergencies, or through encounters with non-physical entities.

They can occur spontaneously, through intentional spiritual practices such as meditation, prayer, or ritual, through the use of psychedelic substances, as well as under conditions of extreme physical and/or emotional labour, pain or trauma.

They can happen to anyone, no matter what their spiritual or religious beliefs, or lack thereof.

What's the Impact of Having an STE?

Having an experience like this deeply impacts a person’s beliefs, values, and sense of identity. On the positive side, they may lead to shifts in consciousness, greater empathy and compassion, increased sense of interconnectedness, and a renewed sense of purpose and meaning in life.

On the more challenging side, they can also be extremely disorienting, confusing, traumatic and difficult to integrate and understand, especially in the context of death and dying.

How Can Therapy Help?

Psychotherapy can play a crucial role in supporting you as you navigate the complexities of your experience, helping you to process your emotions, make sense of your experience, and find healing and growth, even when very challenging.

Some might question their sanity at some point during and/or after such an experience. Because these experiences can shatter your sense of who you are and everything you thought to be true and reliable in life, it’s normal to feel like you’re losing your mind, because in a sense you are. This isn’t always a bad thing. But sometimes it is.

That’s why working with a therapist who is knowledgeable and aware of these experiences, and who doesn’t automatically jump to pathology is critical. That said, sometimes these experiences are a medical emergency and need medical attention. I can help you to differentiate between the two.

My Background for this Work

  • Certified ACPE Spiritually integrated psychotherapist with ongoing peer supervision
  • Currently pursuing a second master's degree researching spiritual experience through an anthropology of religion lens
  • Psychedelics Assisted Psychotherapy (psilocybin and ketamine) trainings and workshops, and working in the integration of psychedelic experiences with clients since 2019