Activation is something most of us have experienced at some point on our path. It happens when we allow ourselves to come under the influence of someone who has more access to the infinite reality of True Being than we do. When such a person also has the mysterious ability to activate our own innate awakened awareness they can reveal deeper dimensions of our own True Self to us.

In the great wisdom traditions, this activation was often referred to as transmission or initiation and it has always been considered an essential component of any path to awakening.

Although many of us have experienced our enlightened nature being activated by a more awakened human being, what we may not realize is that to truly become grounded in enlightened consciousness, most of us need regular reactivation until our own true nature becomes so apparent to us that we no longer lose touch with it in the midst of the challenges of daily life. For some of us, this reactivation needs to occur repeatedly over several years. For others, it may require decades to achieve stability.

This is why, in the great traditions of the past, the earnest disciple would often decide to leave the world behind to live in a monastery or ashram in the company of a spiritual master. This gave them the precious opportunity for the repeated activation that is so crucial to sustain an embodied awakening.

Activation continuously awakens our heart, mind and soul. And this, especially when coupled with regular meditation rooted in the Pillars of Profound Spiritual Practice, gives us the courage and strength to deeply embrace reality as it is and transcend our unconscious habits of existential struggle and resistance.

In the light of activation we realize, again and again, that we are already awake. We were awake before we were born, and we will continue to be awake after we die. Suddenly our energy and attention are liberated into a mystery beyond comprehension.

When we stop struggling with the way things are our consciousness soars into uncontainable freedom.

Most of us know deep down that we benefit in tangible and life-changing ways from spiritual activation. But, unfortunately, our cultures emphasis on independence and individualism often leads us to minimize the very real interdependencies that exist, including our potential to be positively and unalterably influenced by another human being.

Additionally, in modern life, most of us have few opportunities for the profound and regular reactivation we truly need to stabilize our awakening.

The monthly retreats in this program give you the opportunity to experience the repeated reactivation that you need to live a life of freedom and illumination. Craig and Jeff have both done decades of intensive spiritual practice that has given them each a solid grounding in the mystery of being.

Activation will occur during these events in two distinct but interrelated ways.

The first is through precise instruction and guidance leading you directly into an experience of awakened mind. By carefully directing your practice and responding to your questions, Jeff and Craig will guide your attention past false assumptions, limiting beliefs and unconscious habits into the subtle and direct recognition of your own true nature.

The second way activation will take place in this program is through a mysterious transmission of deep inner faith and conviction in the reality of our true nature. This subtle transmission of the truth of wholeness can occur in dialogue and in silence, but however it occurs, it is always unmistakable in its illuminating power and immediacy.

The activation that will occur on these retreats will not be limited to what Craig and Jeff bring into the field, but will include contributions from each of us. Many of the participants on this program will bring decades of spiritual practice and experience with them and together we will create a powerful activating field of awakened awareness.

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Opening to the Infinite with Craig Hamilton and Jeff Careira

Like others in Kens community, youre probably witnessing the world today and wondering how this is possible.

How, with all that is known about the nature of human development, are we still in such a deep state of chaos and conflict?

How is it possible that were capable of inventing the internet, exploring our solar system, and decoding our DNA, but we cant solve our real global problemslike hunger, poverty, and conflict?

There are obviously deeper issues keeping us from outgrowing those destructive patterns. As youve probably discovered, even having access to a powerful tool like the Integral Operating System, doesnt necessarily mean life will automatically go the way you think it should.

As a student of Kens work, youre aware that nearly everyone struggles with unexpected challenges in their lives, and that there are evolutionary dynamics shaping those struggles.

You know about the levels of development, the lines of intelligence, and states of consciousness, as well as typologies, and the fundamental dimensions of reality.

Youre aware of these evolutionary dynamics. Unfortunately, whether we are aware of them or not, they shape our world-views and our societies. They influence every action we take. They shape our individual lives and our communities.

The discovery of these dynamics is one of the most important insights into human nature ever uncovered and has profound implications for our future if we can learn to channel them consciously to affect real change in ourselves and our world.

See more here:
Evolutionary Dynamics with Ken Wilber

About the Instructors

Barbara Martins Story

Born with the gift of seeing the aura in all its subtleties, Barbara was one of the first to lecture in-depth on the human energy field and is one of the foremost clairvoyants and metaphysical teachers working today.

Barbara is the co-author of a series of award-winning books which include the international bestseller Change Your Aura, Change Your Life, Communing with the Divine, Karma and Reincarnation, The Healing Power of Your Aura (endorsed by medical luminaries C. Norman Shealy and Dr. Richard Gerber).READ MORE

Dimitri Moraitis is an accomplished metaphysical teacher, healer and is co-author of Communing with the Divine, Karma and Reincarnation, The Healing Power of Your Aura and Change Your Aura, Change Your Life.

Originally trained in Film/TV, Dimitri redirected his lifes work to pursue the path of metaphysics. Having worked with Barbara Y. Martin and metaphysics for 30 years, Dimitri has been instrumental in organizing the teaching material and bringing Spiritual Arts Institute to the place it is today.READ MORE

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Spiritual Healing & Evolution Classes | Spiritual Arts ...

Our Yoga Alliance Approved 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training intensive immersions at either The Sanctuary at Two Rivers in Costa Ricas Blue Zone or La Selva di Giardino in the Golden Triangle of Tuscany, Italy give you three weeks to focus on your yoga practice with other curious, interesting people from around the world. It is a time for you to enjoy life while learning about the timeless tradition of yoga, cultivating true health and happiness and making new friends.Investing in a Yoga Teacher Training Certification Program is a life enriching experience even if you have no intention of teaching.

Lakshmiis the Goddess of love, good fortune, beauty and prosperity. She blesses those with clear focus, goals and direction; especially on the spiritual path.

Risingmeans to advance, grow or ascend.

Vinyasais the sacred dance of breath and movement.

Yogais integration.

Lakshmi Rising Vinyasa Yoga is an awareness-based practice that includes fluid, dynamic asana, kriya, pranayama, mantra, meditation, dance, wellness, self-care and ritual for health and awakening.

This approach is a revitalizing laboratory for experiencing and expressing our unique Self while mindfully honoring all that exists in each present moment. Our practice cultivates mental, physical and spiritual strength so that we are able to recognize and transform habits, patterns and conditionings that cause suffering in any way. We use the mat as a metaphor to understand what holds us back so that we can eliminate all that is not effective in the unfoldment of our own unique evolutionary process.

Some practices are challenging, vigorous and will require self-discipline. Some practices are slow and juicy with therapeutic space for rest and relaxation. Both styles are valuable, both are important. Lakshmi Rising is the place where sweat, tears,openness and fun meet softness, quiet, introspection and self love.

Benefits include grace, flexibility, strength, balance and well-being in the body andmind. You may also feel a sense of purpose, clarity, creativity, focus, connection, inner peace and confidence.

We are influenced by the Yoga lineage of Sri Krishnamacharya, Classical Tantra from the teachings of Sri Mahendranath, Gabrielle Roth's 5 Rhythms, Shiva Rea and the ageless Wisdom imparted by great sages and artists from cultures near and far. Lakshmi Rising Vinyasa Yoga integrates time tested traditions with modern knowledge and insights designed to awaken and inspire you.

Originally posted here:
Lakshmi Rising School for Yoga

Three Dimensions of IntelligenceDefinition of Spiritual Intelligence

Spiritual intelligence is a higher dimension of intelligence that activates thequalities and capabilities of the authentic self (or the soul), in the form of wisdom, compassion, integrity, joy, love, creativity, and peace. Spiritual intelligence results in a sense of deeper meaning and purpose, combined with improvements in a wide range of important life skills and work skills [ref].

where P = presence

As an analysis of spiritual intelligence, the above equation means that SQ equals IQ and EQ magnified by the power of presence. Thus spiritual intelligence results when intellectual and emotional intelligence are exercised in the state of presence. But what is presence? Although the experience of presence is unmistakable, nevertheless the nature of presence isoften misunderstood.

Presence is more than simply being awareof your immediate surroundings with greater clarity than usual. Thats only one ofthe results of presence. Presence is the shift from the object-pole of attention to thesubject-poleof attention, which results in the corresponding shift from ego to soul.When you shift to the subject-pole of attention, by identifying with feeling-awarenesss itself instead of identifying with your body and mind, there is greater clarity about everything at the object-pole of attention, including your immediate surroundings. However, theessential nature ofpresence is the shift from ego to soul, and greaterclarity ofmind is one of the results.

Spiritual intelligence equals IQ and EQ exercised with presence.

Therefore theequation SQ = P(IQ+EQ) means that SQequals IQ and EQ when governed by your soul. When your soul governs IQ and EQ, as it does inmoments ofpresence, your egois removed from command.Consequently, in those moments,your ego is notincharge of your thoughts, emotions, purposes, values, and actions. SQ is therefore your most valuable personal resource, because it puts your soul in command. The souldoes a much better job than the ego, since the soul is the source of wisdom,compassion, integrity, joy, love, creativity, and peace [ref]. Therefore SQ realises your full potential,by living from your soul, and thus transforms the life destinythat would otherwise be created by the ego.

Thediagram below illustratesa contemporarymethod of access to spiritual intelligence, called theSQ Portal. Transit through the SQ Portal is accomplished in three steps. These three simple steps shift identification from the object-pole to the subject-pole of attention, which creates a corresponding shift from ego to soul. This video shows how to use the SQ Portal to activate your spiritual intelligence.

As a powerful combination of three principal dimensions of intelligence, 3Q represents IQ and EQ in association with SQ. Studies in neuroscience confirm that spiritual intelligence is correlated with hemispheric synchronisation and whole brain activation [ref]. Consequently, coaching in 3Q trains the whole brain. The resulting whole-brain coherence optimises brain function, and results in greater fulfilment, increased creativity, sharpened intuition, more empathy and compassion, and improved performance on a wide variety of work skills and life skills.

When you activate a higher dimension of intelligence, you gain access to the qualities and capabilities of your higher self. You can use the method taught in this course to shift from ego to soul, and activate your spiritual intelligence. This releases your intuition and creativity, and results in a deeper sense of meaning and purpose, which ultimately transforms your entire personality. For more information about the 3Q Essentials online course click here

The SQ paradigm is based on a synthesis of findings from related fields of scientific research, including cognitive psychology, psychoanalysis, transpersonal psychology, and neuroscience. These findings represent the scientific foundations of spiritual intelligence, as summarised in the following article: The Psychology of Spiritual Intelligence.

Spiritual intelligence is easy to experience. We all experience SQ spontaneously at times. But spontaneous moments of SQ are rare and unpredictable. Therefore its important to know how to experience SQ intentionally. When you can engage your spiritual intelligence voluntarily, at any time of your own choosing, SQ becomes your most powerful personal resource.Thisvideoprovides step-by-step instructions on how to activate SQ intentionally. Watch the video here

2011 2018, Richard Griffiths.

Visit link:
The Definition of Spiritual Intelligence

Spiritual Kinesiology (SK) is a complete healing system with tremendous benefits. With an enlightening focus that brings the vast realms of spirit down to earth in a beautiful way, SK is the future of healing and of uncovering human potential.

We all deserve to live fully and realize our true potential. With this in mind, consider this question:

What might it be worth to learn a system that combines kinesiology (manual muscle testing) with powerful healing tools to make transformational changes in your life?

If the value of such a system appeals to you, Spiritual Kinesiology may be just what you are seeking. Its been time-tested over a period of more than twenty years with tremendous success.

Users report finding Spiritual Kinesiology powerful and enlightening, with healing tools that are surprisingly fast, easy, and profound.

SK (Spiritual Kinesiology) is a set of holistic tools we developed and described in our book entitled Getting Thru to Your Soul. More recently, we added an overview of the techniques in an Amazon Kindle book Spiritual Kinesiology Magic in Minutes.

This system can help just about anyone to transcend the unresolved emotions, limiting beliefs, and judgments we all encounter on the journey through life.

One of the benefits of these holistic techniques is that they are quick and non-invasive.EFT users can include EFT and learn more. You do not generally have to know the source of a problem or relive a traumatic experience for SK (Spiritual Kinesiology) to be effective.

Download this audio (right click to download to computer)

Spiritual Kinesiology challenges the common belief that progress has to be slow and painful, but aligns with our approach to awakening. We need to understand ourselves more fully to live fully and realize our true potential, but it doesnt have to be painful. Our number one goal is to clear the troadblocks quickly and easily, so that we can experience more joy, love, and freedom in all areas of life.

Have you ever felt blocked but couldnt figure out why? We always found it frustrating, and this is where we started. Kinesiology (muscle testing) can detect the energetic blockages that you are ready to release as you progress in your evolutionary process. With a spiritual/holistic approach, SK adds powerful healing techniques to clear these imbalances quickly and easily by accessing the power of soul-infused energy.

In addition to providing deep and lasting healings, this approach also connects you with your inner wisdom, which can also bring higher understanding of any issue you choose to address. Weve been using these techniques both personally and professionally for more than 20 years now. When we started to use kinesiology, we found it so hard to believe it could really work, we waited for two years to share it with our clients and students. When we put it out into the world, it supercharged our work, often allowing participants to transform difficulties in a matter of minutes.

Kinesiology testing refers to the use of muscle testing to access information from the unconscious mind and the bodys innate intelligence. Many people consider it to be the most advanced diagnostic healing tool available today. It works by testing how the strength of a muscle is affected by focusing on a stimulus or a part of the body and has a multitude of applications. You can use it to test how the body is affected by different substances, environmental factors, and verbal statements.

To learn more about kinesiology, also consider:

Our article What is Kinesiology (Muscle Testing)?Our free Kinesiology Get Started Manual.

There are now a number of approaches to kinesiology testing based on the work of Dr. George Goodheart, a chiropractor who developed Applied Kinesiology in the 1960s. Dr. Goodheart established a direct relationship between responses to different muscle movements and the functions of the body.

Since that time, the use of kinesiology has expanded into virtually all levels of healing.These techniques, in turn, form the foundation for the Spiritual Kinesiology, a healing system that creates the foundation for theGetting Thru to Soul book, audios, and videos.

Using a holistic/spiritual approach, you can measure a lot of things with Spiritual Kinesiology, including the muscle response to:

With SK, muscle testing can locate imbalances that are completely unconscious and answer questions about your souls development. It also provides a way to validate your souls experiences and can serve as the first step in developing your intuition.

One of the first challenges with this kind of system is knowing what to test, so we created checklists for users. Muscle testing is most frequently performed using specific protocols or checklists that evaluate whatever is being measured. You can use the Spiritual Kinesiology Checklists with virtually any issue. Specific checklists are also designed to accelerate your progress in different stages of development and aspects of the spiritual journey.

These checklists can help you to pinpoint issues you need to address to take your next steps in life and on your spiritual path. You can also use them with others to help them to locate blockage that need to be released and to understand more about their evolutionary process.

As with muscle testing, you can use the SK clearing techniques alone or with others. These amazing techniques, which include EFT Tapping and a special reframing technique we developed, allow you to complete the process by releasing the blockages you access with kinesiology. They are fast, easy-to-use, and non-invasive.

If you are helping other people with them, receivers of SK do not have to go into the details of their problems to release the blockages. At the same time, they are fully aware of what is happening and often gain profound insights.

The main SK Clearing Technique is called Reframing and Anchoring (R&A). With the healing power of the soul, it miraculously shifts an unbalanced energy pattern to a balanced one, clearing most blockages in just a few minutes. As its name implies, R&A includes the use of two powerful hypnotherapy techniques drawn from NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming): reframing and anchoring.

Reframing clears blockages by transforming an unbalanced pattern in the unconscious mind and the energy field into a balanced one. Spiritual Kinesiology takes this concept a step further by reframing with the souls energy and wisdom. With this technique, you can anchor your souls wisdom into all aspects of your life and further your goal of awakening.

Anchoring is an NLP term that refers to how a memory in one the senses stimulates a response in one or more of the other senses. To strengthen our relationship with our spiritual wisdom, we can anchor it and bring ourselves more into alignment with our divine purpose.

As mentioned earlier, the ease and effectiveness of R&A appears to be miraculous. EFT users often ask us how it compares with these amazing techniques. Although they are essentially different, they are both fast and effective healing tools that are equally easy to use.

The Spiritual Kinesiology techniques are described in our book Getting Thru to Your Soul. They are also demonstrated on videos that accompany the book and guided versions of the processes are available on audios. You can order these materials on this website by clicking here.

Kinesiology Quick Start Downloadable Kit 5 Simple Steps to Muscle Testing

Holistic Coaching and EFT Training Program

Spiritual Kinesiology (SK) Home-Study Certification Course

Continue reading here:
What is SK (Spiritual/Holistic Kinesiology)? - gettingthru.org

Want to learn about an approach to life coaching and healing that brings depth of spirit down to earth?Classes that combine spiritual coaching and healing provide a unique opportunity to transform lives with the kind of power only a spiritual approach can offer.

From a holistic perspective that integrates the body, emotions, mind, and spirit, the spiritual level is the deepest, the most profound, and the most instrumental in creating a fabulously rewarding and fulfilling life.

Everyone has heard of coaching. Coaches help people to create and achieve goals in all areas of life. The practice of coaching has experienced exponential growth during the last two decades. That being said, most people dont know much about spiritual coaching and healing courses.

Coaching courses that include spiritual healing now help people to make transformational shifts in all areas of life with life coaching, success coaching, performance coaching, holistic coaching, and spiritual coaching, to name just a few.

Consider this:

A helping hand can change lives in surprisingly profound ways.

What could be more fulfilling? The emergence of the fields of holistic and spiritual coaching has helped untold numbers of people to create lives that transcend their previous limits. With spiritual coaching and healing courses, you can discover the keys for creating the life you were born to live and guide others to do the same. Miracles can become daily occurrences as you learn to bring spirit into form is profoundly simple ways.

Feel free to access the Free Resources on this site to learn more about what might be possible for you.

Seeking is an integral part of who we are. Whether we realize it or not, we are on a quest and life is a beautiful adventure of self-discovery.

Spiritual coaching and healing courses put life into the context of this quest, where we connect with the divine wisdom of spirit as our guide. A holistic/spiritual coach and healer views the challenges his/her clients encounter as synchronous opportunities for expansion and transformation. Healing inner blocks at a spiritual level enables clients to progress in miraculous ways by drawing on inner resources they dont yet realize they have. In this regard

The spiritual Journey is a beautiful becoming.

From a spiritual perspective, there are no limits to what is possible. The essence of the spiritual journey revolves around tapping into spiritual power for overcoming boundaries we place on ourselves, our purpose, and our full potential. Interestingly, few people understand how to do this and even fewer actually take the steps required to bring spirit into form. Regardless, anyone can experience the miraculous power of spiritual healing which is an essential part of spiritual coaching.

As we describe in our book Getting Thru to Your Soul, this perspective opens us to the infinite, where anything is possible, where you can truly create the life of your dreams. The process of spiritual unfolding is also holistic, embracing the body, emotions, mind, and spirit.

1. Helping clients to believe in themselves. When we understand ourselves as spiritual beings having a physical experience as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin suggested, we also recognize that we are magnificent individuals with infinite potential. When this happens, life takes on new meaning.

2. Showing clients how to take control of their lives. Most people are running on auto-pilot, controlled by what they have been taught to believe and what others expect of them. For their magnificence to blossom, they have to take control, access the spiritual power that resides within, and change course.

3. Teaching clients to understand their life purpose. Spiritually, each of us is here for a reason, with magnificent gifts to share. Learning about ourselves and learning to live in harmony with our lifes purpose is a tremendous gift.

4. Guiding clients to realize their purpose. This involves setting goals and taking action to realize their dreams. As they do this, life truly takes on new meaning.

5. Uplifting clients to live to the fullest. Think about the joy of feeling excited about being alive each day and moving toward your brightest possible future. This is a gift you can give to yourself and to others as a spiritual coach.

The essence of spiritual coaching and healing is tuning into the spiritual journey, helping people to discover and embrace the magnificence of their true identities, and to bring spirit fully into form. This approach is holistic, integrating the body, emotions, mind, and spirit.

Then you are embarking on a magical journey.

If this is your dream, nothing can be more fulfilling than helping people to realize their purpose and experience the joy of being fully alive. You can help them to set goals that are motivating, joyful and exciting; clear blockages that stand in their way; and take steps to make their dreams a reality.

Spiritual coaching and healing involves shifting into a different reality (Refer to The Ultimate Paradigm Shift), where clients can tune into their magnificence by accessing the souls inner guidance and wisdom. The coach listens, motivates, and takes delight in exploring the clients dreams and true identity.

The ultimate goal is to provide tools to help clients to become fully independent. This leads them to self-actualization, so they can to continue forward into their bright futures and realize their dreams.

Now you can learn a holistic approach to spiritual coaching and healing along with other powerful modalities.

Awakenings Institute offers a unique Holistic/Spiritual Coaching and Healing Certification Program with EFT. Combining a spiritual and holistic approach to coaching with powerful healing techniques likeEFT (the Emotional Freedom Techniques) produces extraordinary results.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this unique Coaching and Healing Program.

Feel free to access the Free Resources on this site to learn more about what might be possible for you.

If you are looking for training, a great place to start is with the Holistic EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Home-Study Certification Training Course. You can go at your own pace with this high-quality, affordable program, which you can do from any location. A holistic approach to energy with EFT will help you quickly gain clarity and competency in spiritual coaching./

CLICK HERE NOW to learn more about the Holistic EFT Home Study Course.

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What is Spiritual Coaching and Healing?

What is Spiritual Abuse?

Spiritual abuse happens when a leader with spiritual authority uses that authority to coerce, control, or exploit a follower, thus causing spiritual wounds. Ken Blue, author of Healing Spiritual Abuse.

Among the most-visited pages within Apologetics Index, those dealing with various aspects of spiritual abuse sometimes called religious abuse rank very high.

It is a subject many visitors contact us about, and one we frequently see in face-to-face counselling.

Religious abuse can take place in every religion or religious movement. But this website deals primarily with spiritual abuse that occurs in Christian churches and movements.

That said, much of the information we provide and refer to also applies to followers of other religions including religious movements that are considered to be, theologically, cults of Christianity.

Cults can be defined sociologically and/or theologically. The former deals with behavior; the latter with beliefs.

In Chapter 1 of his book Churches That Abuse, sociologist Dr. Ronald M. Enroth explains:

Sociologists looks for patterns in human behavior and in social institutions. As you read the following pages, a profile of pastoral and spiritual abuse will emerge. Abusive churches, past and present, are first and foremost characterized by strong, control-oriented leadership. These leaders use guilt, fear, and intimidation to manipulate members and keep them in line. Followers are led to think that there is no other church quite like theirs and that God has singled them out for special purposes. Other, more traditional evangelical churches are put down. Subjective experience is emphasized and dissent is discouraged. Many areas of members lives are subject to scrutiny. Rules and legalism abound. People who dont follow rules or who threaten exposure are often dealt with harshly. Excommunication is common. For those who leave, the road back to normalcy is difficult. Source: Ronald M. Enroth, Abusive Churches: A View From Within

A cult of Christianity is most commonly defined by its theological deviations. It is

a group of people, which claiming to be Christian, embraces a particular doctrinal system taught by an individual leader, group of leaders, or organization, which (system) denies (either explicitly or implicitly) one or more of the central doctrines of the Christian faith as taught in the sixty-six books of the Bible. Source: Alan Gomes, Unmasking The Cults (paperback) [ Kindle edition]

A wider definition takes actions and practices into account as well. A movement that appears theologically sound with regard to the central doctrines of Christianity, but whose actions and practices are cultic (or cult-like) in nature, can still be considered a cult of Christianity (e.g. International Churches of Christ).

In many (though certainly not all) such groups, movements, or churches the cult-like behavior is rooted in faulty theology.

Bad doctrine produces bad fruit behaviorally (e.g., Mark 7:7-13; Col. 2:20-23; 1 Tim. 4:1-5; 2 Pet. 2:1; Rev. 2:14-15, 20, 24), which is as true for Christians as it is for cultists. As Van Baalen stated, If practice follows from theory, if life is based upon teaching, it follows that the wrong doctrine will issue in the wrong attitude toward God and Christ, and consequently in warped and twisted Christian life. Source: Alan Gomes, Unmasking The Cults

See more in our entry on Cults of Christianity

Spiritual abuse rarely occurs on purpose, as those involved generally start out with the best of intentions.

That does not make it harmless. Dr. Ron Enroth says:

Unlike physical abuse that often results in bruised bodies, spiritual and pastoral abuse leaves scars on the psyche and soul. It is inflicted by persons who are accorded respect and honor in our society by virtue of their role as religious leaders and models of spiritual authority. They base that authority on the Bible, the Word of God, and see themselves as shepherds with a sacred trust. But when they violate that trust, when they abuse their authority, and when they misuse ecclesiastical power to control and manipulate the flock, the results can be catastrophic.

The perversion of power that we see in abusive churches disrupts and divides families, fosters an unhealthy dependence of members on the leadership, and creates, ultimately, spiritual confusion in the lives of victims. Ron Enroth, Churches That Abuse, Zondervan, 1993, p. 29.

Just like former cult members, people who have suffered spiritual abuse often describe their experience in terms of psychological abuse and spiritual trauma.

Ken Blue lists seven symptoms of abusive religion, based on the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:

Why do otherwise sensible and intelligent people put up with abusive churches?

Blue points out that many people feel perfectly comfortable being led.

[W]e have the tendency to let authority figures make the rules and then apply them to us. When they administer the rules in an abusive manner we will (at first) tend to submit.

Combined with our tendency to want a leader is our incurably religious nature. Our longing for God is essential to use. It is the most significant aspect of our being. Those who sit themselves down in Moses seat and pose and mediators for God can therefore play on our desire for a leader and our yearning for God.

It is no surprise then that those who most earnestly desire to please God are most apt to be victimized by spiritual authorities setting themselves up as mediators for God. The spiritually keen are most at risk. []

Nevertheless, Christ calls us to spiritual maturity. And that sometimes means resisting spiritual authorities just as he did. Ken Blue, Healing Spiritual Abuse: How to Break Free from Bad Church Experiences, InterVarsity Press, p. 36.

Many of the people we counsel regarding spiritual abuse indicate that they long submitted to their leaders because they were afraid to lose their community their history in the local church and the relationships they have built up with people over time.

Others stayed out of fear as they were told they would lose their salvation if they left or were forced to leave the church.

You are welcome to share this graphic on spiritual abuse on your website or on social media

About our selection of resources Feel free to suggest additional resources.

People who have experienced spiritual abuse (or who are still being subjected to it) often feel isolated. It is difficult to know whom to turn to and who you can trust. After all, at one point you believed the very people who are abusive now were trustworthy.

Nevertheless, it is important that you realize you are not alone. Many people just like you have encountered spiritual abuse, and most have found ways to deal with their experiences constructively.

If you are a Christian and have been (or still are) part of an abusive church, a good approach is to reach out to other Christians who are not involved in that church. Though not everyone may understand the issues you face, it is good to have a sounding board people who can help you with prayer, Bible-based counsel, and other practical help.

Study the resources available here to help you think through the issues, and document your thoughts.

Every situation is different. For many, the simplest answer to dealing with spiritual abuse is to simply walk away. For some that may not be so easy to do. There are situations in which standing up to abusive pastors could lead to losing your family and friends as they choose to remain in that church and break off all contact with you, even to the point of divorce.

If you believe you need the help of a cult expert, make sure the expert you select is a Christian as well. While non-Christians may understand the way cult-like control works, they are ill-equipped when it comes to dealing with theological issues that more often than not lie at the root of spiritual abuse. Non-Christians also lack Christian discernment because they have, naturally, not received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Dont get taken for a ride by someone who talks the talk, but does not walk the walk. One particularly bad apple is bitterly hostile toward Christians.

Were not done yet. Weve got additional resources to evaluate and post. Also, were happy to receive suggested links to helpful material.

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Spiritual abuse | Apologetics Index

The Spiritual Counterfeits Project (SCP) is a Christian discernment ministry, and thus involved in the fields of Christian apologetics and countercult education.

The organization, based in Berkeley, California, has its roots in the Jesus People movement of the late 1960s, but the Spiritual Counterfeits Project itself was formed in 1973.

While it addresses a wide range of apologetics and countercult issues, SCP has a strong focus on the occult and on the New Age movement.

Since 1973, the SCP has been a frontline ministry confronting the occult, the cults, and the New Age movement and explaining why they are making an impact on our society.

In the name of truth, sophisticated lies are fed to unwary people who live in and shape our world. SCPs mandate is to communicate with our generation by creating crossover material that alerts and informs about the very real dangers of the latest deceptions. It is a critical mission at a critical time.

SCP has been involved in two high-profile lawsuits:

Transcendental Meditation

Malnak v. Yogi, was SCPs legal challenge to Transcendental Meditation (TM) in the public school [See Malnak v. Yogi, 440 F. Supp. 1284 (1977) and appeals court opinion: 592 F. 2nd 197 (1979)].

TM represented itself as a non-religious activity and was promoted as the Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI). According to SCP, TM was not religiously neutral and SCI was based on Maharishi Mahesh Yogis Hindu faith. The judge concluded that TM/SCI are religious in nature within the context of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, and the teaching thereof in the New jersey public schools is therefore unconstitutional.

The Local Church

Witness Lee et al v. Neil Duddy et al, was a religious defamation case brought by the so-called Local Church which theologically is a cult of Christianity against the author of a book titled, The God-Men and against SCP. While the book was published by InterVarsity Press, author Neil Duddy was said to have relied in SCPs research.

The Local Church was of the opinion that Neil Duddy, and by extension SCP, had committed libel by declaring its teachings to be heretical.

The legal tactics employed by the church depleted SCPs financial resources to such an extend that it was unable to pay its defense lawyers. When the latter withdrews from the case, SCP decided to file for a reorganizational bankruptcy. This resulted in SCP being officially cancelled out as a defendant in the lawsuit. When the case was heard, in May 1985, it was uncontested by any of the defendants, none of whom appeared in court. The judge awarded the case to the Local Church, with damages against the defendants.

Brooks Alexander, at the time SCPs president, addressed the case in an article titled, When Talk Isnt Cheap and Speech Isnt Free: The Abuse of Libel Law.

Among the expert witnesses who testified on behalf of the Local Church was J. Gordon Melton, a United Methodist minister, is the Director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion. His input in this case contributed to Meltons reputation as a cult apologist, and demonstrated his self-professed inability to discern between heresy and orthodoxy.

Spiritual Counterfeits Project is the only major apologetics ministry to provide a free-of-charge telephone hotline to the public: (510) 540-5767.

The Access Line is open to the public at no charge three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. West Coast Time (or 5-8 Eastern Standard Time). It is only one of our ministries interfacing with public need and making available our over 6,000 files on different cults and groups around the world. But we are more than just information brokers. Most of those of us on staff became Christians after having gone through any number of New Age and cultic alternatives. So we can speak from experience with insight. Source: Access Counseling Hotline, SCP website

The Spiritual Counterfeits Project publishes both the SCP Newsletter and the the acclaimed SCP Journal.

Other materials, such as books, audio/video, and information packets are also available.

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Spiritual Counterfeits Project | Apologetics Index

Date & Time06/09/20189:30 am - 5:30 pm

This new and unique training explores a variety of contemplative practices and forms of meditation from seven major religious and spiritual traditions, guided by highly regarded and authentic teachers from each tradition. Participants will gain direct, firsthand experience of many meditative disciplines providing a deep grounding within the framework of a cross cultural interreligious approach to meditative practice.

The essential wisdom teachings of these major traditions will be explored, while highlighting and honoring the sacredness and uniqueness of each tradition and its approach. The programs masterful teachers will guide participants through a deep exploration of each tradition and its main meditative practices.

Participants will explore five major components of meditative practice:

Workshops Include:

In addition to the weekend modules students will have access to our mentorship program and ongoing Pod Casts:

E. Supervision meetings with a Mentor 1 hour, 3 times per training. (See description below)

One on one mentoring session are designed to give critical support and guidance on personal challenges and obstacles that may arise in the course of the study.

Mentoring sessions are provided to establish a personal supportive relationship which encourages and helps sustain a ripening and deepening of ones self inquiry and self-reflection.

Pod Cast call:

To ensure students have an opportunity to connect and bond with fellow cohort members, develop supportive relationships and discuss theoretical and practical ideas with fellow participants.

Program FacilitatorAndrew Vidich Ph.D.

Role of Facilitator:

Who Should Enroll?This certificate program for anyone seeking to deepen and strengthen their personal meditation practice, as well as those seeking to integrate meditation or contemplative practice in a variety of professional settings, such as healthcare professionals, psychologists, clinicians, educators, clergy, yoga instructors, and bodyworkers.Click for Details to the: Certification Documentation Contemplative Studies Program Certificate

Click here for a list of reading materials

Registration and FeesAn 8-Month Certification ProgramJanuary 19 August 4, 2018 7 weekends, Saturdays & Sundays, 9:30 am 5:30 pm6 Friday evenings, 6:30 9:30 pmPlus monthly meetings and mentoring sessions.January 1921, February 1618, March 1618, April 2022, April 2729, May 1819, June 810, August 4

$2,995 (No Member Discount)$2,595 Early bird rate by December 11, 201717FSM22A$3495 Payment Plan17FSM22BTo register for payment plan, call 212-219-2527, Ext. 2.

LocationNew York Open Center

Thomas Amelio intensely studied yogic disciplines and philosophy in India, where he edited Rajarshi Munis classic, YogaThe Ultimate Spiritual Path. He is a founding member of, and has been a senior teacher at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health for over 35 years, and is President Emeritus of the NY Open Center in New York City. His latest CD is Mantra DarshanVedic and Tantric invocations for meditative absorption.

Reverend JoAnn Barrett is the founder of Gathering of Light Interspiritual Fellowship. She is the current co-chair of Interfaith Anti Bias Task Force of Suffolk County, a member of the Huntington Clergy Association, a past Member of Peace Island Institutes Center of Interfaith Studies advisory board, collaborator for Religions For Peace Long Island (a local branch of a world-wide NGO at the United Nations) and a prior Member of the Dignity for All Students Act Committee which helped this bill pass in New York. Rev JoAnn is also a published author and poet. Recently she is one of the collaborating authors of the book Mature Interspirituality.

Tim Boyd has served as international President of the Theosophical Society since April of 2014. He currently shares his time between Adyar, the headquarters of the Society in Chennai, India, his home in Chicago, Illinois, and travel to sections of the TS worldwide.

Lama Surya Das is an authorized lama and lineage holder in the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, and a close personal disciple of the leading grand lamas of that tradition. He is the founder of the Dzogchen Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and its branch centers around the country, including the retreat center Dzogchen Osel Ling outside Austin, Texas, where he conducts long training retreats and Advanced Dzogchen retreats. Over the years, Surya has brought many Tibetan lamas to this country to teach and start centers and retreats. As founder of the Western Buddhist Teachers Network with the Dalai Lama, he regularly helps organize its international Buddhist Teachers Conferences. He is also active in interfaith dialogue and charitable projects in the third world.

Shaykha Fariha is the spiritual guide of the Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order, a lineage that guides the seeker of knowledge and of God in the teachings of Islam. The sacred practices of zikr, prayer, charitable living, fasting, and retreat are all embraced.

Yogiraj Alan Finger is the founder of ISHTA Yoga. Previous he co-founded Yoga Zone, Be Yoga, and Yoga Works. He has co-authored books including Introduction to Yoga and Chakra Yoga and is working on Tantric View of the Sutras.

Sarah Finger is co-founder of ISHTA Yoga. She teaches trainings, workshops, and retreats internationally and serves on the Board of Exhale to Inhale, a non-profit organization that teaches yoga to survivors of domestic violence.

Kabir Helminski is a Shaikh in the lineage of Rumi, and co-director of the Threshold Society (Sufism.org). In 2009 and subsequent years, Kabir was named as one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Strategic Studies Center (Jordan). He has toured North America as Shaikh with the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey, bringing Sufi culture to more than 100,000 people. His seven volumes of Rumi translations and books on spirituality, Living Presence and The Knowing Heart, have been published in at least eight languages. In 2017, Living Presence is being published in a commemorative 25th anniversary edition in the Spiritual Cornerstones series by Penguin Books.

Kurt Johnson, PhD, a scientist, comparative religionist, social activist, and former monastic in three spiritual traditions, is widely regarded as the closest associate of Brother Wayne Teasdale, founder of the modern interspiritual movement, and works with the Contemplative Alliance and Father Thomas Keating, founder of the Centering Prayer Movement. Kurt is the author of the influential book The Coming Interspiritual Age (Namaste 2013) and two award-winning books in science, Nabokovs Blues (McGraw-Hill 2000) and Fine Lines (Yale, 2015). He is a member or founder of The Evolutionary Leaders, the international Contemplative Alliance, the Gaiafield and Subtle Activism Networks, the Self Care to Earth Care network, the UN NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, the NGO Forum 21 Institute, and the UN Committee for International Yoga Day, and is President of the Friends of the Institute of Noetic Sciences.

Loch Kelly, M.Div., LCSW is the author of the award-winning bookShift into Freedom: The Science and Practice of Open-Hearted Awareness.He is anondualpsychotherapist and Buddhist teacher of awakening affiliated with Adyashanti. Loch has worked in community mental health, addiction recovery and counseled family members of 9/11. Loch collaborates with neuroscientists at Yale, UPenn and NYU to study how awareness training enhances compassion and wellbeing.

Carl McColman is a Christian contemplative writer, speaker, retreat leader and spiritual director. He is a life-professed Lay Cistercian, a layperson under formal spiritual guidance of Trappist monks. His books include Befriending Silence, Answering the Contemplative Call, and The Big Book of Christian Mysticism.

Nitin Ron is a neonatologist (baby doctor!) and loves high altitude trekking and mountaineering. He is an associate professor of pediatrics at New York Methodist Hospital, and loves to use innovative methods to teach medical students. He is often humbled and amazed by what love and compassion can do to heal little premature and sick babies! He has been leading a research project in the Himalayas, including the Mt. Everest region, involving ultrasound of the eye (optic nerve) and the body, to predict mountain sickness, and have also looked at the effect of meditation in acclimatizing the body to high altitude. he also volunteers as an art guide at the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art in New York City, and this is a reminder to him that medicine is so much of an art as well as a science!

Thomas Ryan is a Catholic priest, author, and member of the Paulist Fathers, the founder and director of the Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, and co-founder of Unitas, an ecumenical center for spirituality and Christian meditation in Montreal.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro, PhD, an awardwinning author of over 30 books on religion and spirituality, directs the One River Foundation (oneriverfoundation.org), writes a column for Spirituality and Health magazine, and hosts the podcast Essential Conversations with Rabbi Rami.

Swami Shraddhananda heads Slate Branch Ashram in Kentucky, home of Sacred Feet Yoga. A professor of literature, classics, and comparative world religions for 35 years, she holds a doctorate from Emory University. The Mature Interspirituality retreat was held at her ashram, and she spearheaded as well as edited a collection of essays based on the retreat entitled, Mature Interspirituality: Wayne Teasdales Nine Elementsand Beyond. Her most recent book is a collection of poems entitled Are You Dancing with Me, Shiva? (Sacred Feet, 2018).

Andrew Vidich, PhD, is an award-winning author, educator, and international speaker. His books include Love Is a Secret, Light Upon Light: 5 Master Paths to Awakening the Mindful Self and Let There Be Light: Experiencing Light Across the Worlds Sacred Traditions. Andrew has been an adjunct assistant professor of religion at Manhattan College and Iona College in New Rochelle, New York. He is a founding member of The Interfaith Council of New York and a member of the council of trustees of The Temple of Understanding. He is the public relations director and board member for the Science of Spirituality Meditation Center in Amityville New York.

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Meditation and Contemplative Studies Certificate Training ...