Spiritual experiences through a non-pathologizing and cultural lens Within the medical model, there has been a history of categorizing intense spiritual experiences that many people go through as delusions, psychosis, or symptoms of a larger mental health condition. Although some people may choose to view their experiences through the lens of these terms and find meaning within them, many others feel that their experiences are just as meaningful despite having a label of psychosis put upon them. Certified peer specialists must be able to validate how people make meaning of their religious or spiritual experiences alongside their broader lived experience. Likewise, a certified peer specialist is not in a position to change how a person perceives or values their spiritual experiences and needs to take steps to ensure that they do not try to convince a person that their experiences are symptoms of a diagnosis, especially if the person does not view them that way. It is important to reflect on how our biases may impact our perception of people's experiences as a symptom versus an intense spiritual experience. Other examples of intense spiritual experiences that could be easily misunderstood in the context of mental health or substance use services system include, but are not limited to, speaking tongues, shamanistic cultural experiences, spiritual visions or messages, and cultural ceremonies to name a few. Among many Indigenous cultures, mental health and substance use are not defined as diseases, diagnoses, or moral maladies, nor are they viewed as physical or character flaws. Instead, they are seen as symptoms of imbalance in the individual’s relationship with the world. For indigenous communities, healing is often intuitive; it is interconnected with others and comes from within, from ancestry, from stories, and from the environment. FURTHER READING: • Multicultural Competence, Intense Spiritual Experiences, and Mental Health: A Self- help, Peer Support and Service Provide Technical Assistance Tool o https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/30746226/multicultural- competence-intense-spiritual-experience-star-center • CRAZYWISE: A Traditional Approach to Mental Illness, Phil Borgese, TEDxSanJuanIsland o https://youtu.be/9_KSYu1Tqx8 • Judaism Madness and Spirit, Caroline Mazel-Carlton, Madness Radio o https://www.madnessradio.net/judaism-madness-and-spirit-caroline-mazel- carlton-madness-radio/
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