Bipolar Support Group

I would be interested to hear of people's spiritual experiences that can result during an episode. I have had some of these myself and on two occassions my mania's were dramatically different from the norm. I felt energised and happy but in a quiet and peaceful way as opposed to a frenetic and wild way. Though many of us enjoy the manic phases before they get too out of hand they can not compare to this more 'spiritual elevation of mood' that can occur.

For those of you interested in the spiritual aspects of bi-polar disorder there is an interesting on-line group entitled Wake The Planet founded by a man called Sean Blackwell who has also produced a series of very interesting videos (see You Tube)on links between bi-polar mania and enlightenment for example. Very interesting and thought provoking.

I guess it is partly a matter of what you view as enlightened or as spiritual. You certainly don't have to have a mental disorder to have a spiritual awakening. So I am really not sure what to say or how to respond.

Well the point is that there may be some positive aspects to bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia that are totally ignored by the medical profession. These aspects are largely ignored by psychiatrists during periods of hospitalizations. I wasn't trying to imply that sufferers have a monopoly on 'enlightenment' or spirituality. I think to feel spiritual is to feel at one with yourself, to feel complete, to feel total peace and love and to wish to spread that love and peace to all around you. That was my experience and is the experience of many others I have contact with. I didn't feel that I was 'enlightened' and although I am interested in Buddhist teachings I cannot imagine a state of enlightenment that lasts and am not sure that I really believe that anybody can be totally enlightened - but this term does have different meanings to different people.

I've had two types of "hyper-religious episodes". One, is when I feel like God is speaking to me. I dont hear his voice, but I interpret every event durring the day as a special message just for me. I feel like I can do anything, and be anything I want all because of my faith and nothing else. This has gotten me into lots of trouble... Then there is the other kind of hyper-religious episode that are not so fun. I feel doomed. I feel ashamed beyond discription because I know my maker is disappointed. I feel that being alive is a sin. There is an extreme amount of guilt because I know every bad thing I have ever done contributed to extra pain and suffering for my savior...

I dont think hyper-religious episode are possitive at all. Even though sometimes it feels good, its false! Its not true spirituality. And it can be a big let down when suddenly you are not manic any more. Its not the "spirituality" I dont like, its that while you are manic you cant interpret those feeling accurately... I dont know, I hope Im saying this clearly...

I've probably had some more extreme experiences with this (to the point of delusions). Where I believe that God has send me to the Earth for a special reason to education people that God loves them and that all God's creatures are created equal. Which doesn't sound so bad, but then it will often escalate to me believing I'm a prophet. I don't really consider them positive because like whatthefisup said, it's false. When I'm not hypomanic I realize that it's not real.

Hi Souzina, I think this is a valuable and worthwhile topic. I just wanted to mention that for the future, you may want to be aware we have a special thread set-aside for conversations of this type in "Personal beliefs and experiences"

http://www.mdjunction.com/forums/bipolar-support-forums/ lounge/189735-personal-beliefs-and-experiences

whatthefisup

Thanks for your reply which I found interesting. I agree with you that it can be a let down when the episode is over and those feelings disappear. It is prefererable I'm sure to achieve spirituality by other methods, which often take a long time before you reap the benefits but at least those benefits are more likely to last - whether its through meditating for years, following a particular religion/philosophy or simply by being actively helpful and loving to those in need

The experience that I refered to in my earlier post was not highly religious however and it gave me a sense of what is possible, of what we can be capable of as human beings. My ego seemed to disappear and I wanted only to help others, to listen to them and to find out what they wanted, just to make others happy. Later on I did have a more religious experience where what sounded like the voice of God or another spiritual being spoke to me and asked me whether I wanted to stay in this life or whether I wanted to leave. I had a sense of seeing warm and inviting bright light and wanting to leave but I chose to stay because of my husband. It seems that it was a bit like a near death experience. Maybe it was just a hallucination after not sleeping for five nights or maybe it was something that cannot be explained. I certainly felt like I was ready to die at the time and I have read that you can die from mania.

Once again I achieved a great sense of peace but was taken to the hospital the next day against my will so that feeling didn't last. These days I try to meditate at least a couple of times a week and follow some teachings that refer to compassion, forgiveness and how to stop anger from arising and this is leading me in what I feel is a more spiritual direction. I would never wish to have another episode of bi-polar disorder just to experience something profoundly spiritual. Though I have had wonderful experiences the consequences of these episodes are too painful to make it truly worthwhile. But the memories remain with me and I do find this aspect of the illness interesting.

Reply to

EmieP

Thanks for replying to this topic. I was very interested in your experience. I think it was lovely that you felt God had sent you to send such a beautiful message about all creatures being equal. When you said after you left your hypomanic state you realised it was not real, I found that sad in a way. Have you ever thought that in some ways you were reaching your potential. Personally I believe that all creatures are equal and for that reason I won't kill anything. I believe that all people are equal too in that we are all living beings who deserve to be loved. So I actually find what happened to you quite inspiring. Though of course I understand that for you imagining you were a prophet and then losing that belief and believing it to be totally false was a negative experience rather than a positive one. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Souzina,

I generally do share the same beliefs, but it's taken to the next level where I believe it's my duty to educate the world. Sometimes it'll get to the point of me believing I need to start a new religion and path to God. I feel the need to gain a following and spread the message God has told me. It generally is a fairly good experience, but then when I come back down from the hypomania I tend to just feel insane for even believing I was a prophet in the first place. It's rather common for this to happen to me when I have longer hypomanic episodes (lasting a week or so as opposed to half an hour).

Hello,

I was diagnosed with BP after a suicide attempt. I most recently had a nightmarish dream/vision where I was in hell, pitch black except that the figures of people being forced off a cliff were in silver. I watched this from the bottom of the cliff at first, but then I found myself amongst them trying to get them to turn around, but the more I tried to go against the people screaming towards the cliff, I could not stop them. I had this dream/vision confirmed months later when I was reading "Apocalypse of Peter", where an angel took him to the depths of hell and showed him this same event, which was the punishment of homosexuals. I am absolutely drained. I can't sleep, I can't eat, I am on the verge of packing a backpack with a few clothes and becoming homeless, as I have been in a homosexual relationship for 8 years. I don't know what to make of this....I'm sorry if I am bring anyone down over this.

Desperate