The Canary

“Like Jeff, I also underwent a spiritual emergency which temporarily impaired my ability to function in consensual reality and everyday social life. Luckily, I was able see the experience through to a positive resolution with the support of my friends and family, obviating the need for traditional medical intervention such as hospitalization or medication. Yet since becoming a licensed psychologist, I have often found myself face-to-face with individuals in the same state of consciousness that Jeff and I had been in: convinced that they were reincarnations of great spiritual figures, reporting communication with religious figures, believing they had a messianic mission to save the world etc. I think accounts such as Jeff’s can help sensitize both the culture and the mental health professions to recognize when people are having a temporary spiritual emergence episode so that they won’t be hauled off to a hospital when much less restrictive approaches would achieve the same or even better outcomes. I applaud Jeff's courage in getting this out into the world. ” - By David Lukoff, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Institute of Transpersonal Psychology Founder, Spiritual Competency Resource Center

Description

The Canary tells the story of a young man experiencing psychosis and his journey back to consensual reality and hope. It is written in an engaging style and can make you laugh, wince, or cry - sometimes on the same page. Jeff Malderez gives us a vivid picture of how it feels to go through what he now thinks of as a 'spiritual emergency'. Jeff's story identifies aspects of the environment which might precipitate sensitive souls, like the miners’ canaries, to suffer such emergencies/crises. He concludes with messages to fellow 'canaries', those involved in the care of people in psychosis, and young people who could be creating an environment for themselves in which such crises might occur.