Welcome to the bipolarORwakingUP
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where you can...
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Consultation
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Mission
My name is Sean Blackwell. I’m not a psychiatrist, psychologist or doctor of any kind. I’m not a minister, monk or guru. What I am is a messenger, and my message is this:…
Until now, society has treated "bipolar disorder" as a dangerous mental illness. However, for many people, it also has the potential of being a powerful opportunity. Handled fearfully and aggressively, it can severely limit the quality of your life. Supported courageously and compassionately, it can not only be healed, but can also help to facilitate your own spiritual development.
It’s a simple message, but in a modern world that denies our spiritual dimension, it’s a message that is difficult for most people to hear, let alone accept.
Now, you may think this message is completely new. In fact, it is not.
Psychiatrist Dr. Stanislav Grof, a founder of transpersonal psychology, has shared a similar message in books like The Stormy Search for the Self , and Spiritual Emergency – When Personal Transformation Becomes a Crisis . At their respective clinics, Dr. John Weir Perry and Dr. Loren Mosher took this approach, supporting people through episodes of first-break acute psychosis, achieving spectacular results, usually without the need for medication.
Then, in the early '90’s, Dr. David Lukoff and Dr. Francis Lu began the almost impossible task of getting spiritual experiences recognized as a valid diagnostic category by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, which they were able to do in the DSM 4-R. In an effort to further expand this category for the upcoming DSM 5, thirty-seven other doctors have joined them in this battle.
However, as heroic as these pioneering doctors have been, they’ve all missed one very important thing – marketing!
For the most part, they have concentrated on educating other doctors and therapist regarding their work, and rightfully so. But, up against the multi-billion dollar propaganda machine of Big Pharma, their message has not come close to reaching the mainstream. That’s where I come in.
You see, before moving to São Paulo, Brazil in 2002, I´d worked in the advertising business for about a decade. It was there that I learned how even the most complex ideas can be shared with people in a simple, powerful, and entertaining way. Since 2007, when I discovered that most people diagnosed with bipolar disorder were having experiences not so different from my own spiritual awakening a decade earlier, I’ve made it my mission to get the word out about this very important, yet highly controversial topic.
Like I said, what I’m doing here is nothing new – old hat. As you watch my video series or read my book, there are very few ideas introduced that have not been championed for decades by doctors far more respected and experienced than myself. The only difference is, I make their theory come to life.
And, as these ideas get out there, it does seem that more and more people are "waking up" to what will surely be a revolution in not only how we perceive bipolar disorder, but in how we look at our society, and ourselves.
So, while it’s true that I may be just a messenger, I am a messenger on a mission – and slowly but surely, that message is being delivered.
Sean Blackwell
Videos
Since the summer of 2007, the "hyper" slide-show videos I´ve uploaded on YouTube have been the heart and soul of bipolarORwakingUP. Through these videos, I´ve introduced the little known theories of pioneering transpersonal psych-ologists such as Dr. Stanislav Grof, Dr. John Weir Perry and Dr. David Lukoff, to an entirely new audience.
As expected, my work has been met with mixed responses. Still firmly attached to the unproven theories of mainstream psychiatry, some people have reacted with tremendous anger. Most viewers though, have been astonished, as my videos bring a much more hopeful and credible way of understanding their experiences in non-ordinary states of consciousness.
As one viewer wrote, “You give us our dignity back.”
Not only that, but, as the series continues, I explain how these experiences are actually part of a deeply mysterious healing process that can help facilitate the evolution of the spiritual consciousness of the person in crisis. Creating this series was not an easy task, as most people have no idea of what “spiritual consciousness” actually means!
The basis for my work on consciousness stems from the genius of Ken Wilber – a visionary author of over 20 books on this subject. I focus on spiritual consciousness and evolution a great deal, because it is my belief that only when our society begins to view our moments in non-ordinary states as part of the spiritual evolution of all humanity, that we will begin to treat these highly sensitive situations in a more compassionate way.
I´ve produced over 40 videos to date, and the best place to view them is on my YouTube channel. However, there is one short series of videos that
I wish to share with you here.
As I said, the ideas in my videos come from a small group of pioneering doctors and theorists. But, after studying this subject for a number of years, I’ve come to a few conclusions of my own.
These conclusions have to do with why it is so difficult to establish a separation between authentic spiritual experiences, and the type of highly disturbing, possibly damaging mental disorders that are best dealt with using psychiatric medications.
From a scientific perspective, this theory should be considered a hypothesis, as it lacks truly objective quantitative data. But, having studied the stories of over 1,000 people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it is my opinion that the model introduced in this video, while not perfect, sheds a lot of light on very complex circumstances.
So, if you have a minute, please check out my “video-thesis”, Spiritual Awakening vs. Bipolar Disorder. The first three parts explain the model. Part four shows how this model maps the path, not only of our potential healing, but also our own spiritual evolution.
I hope you enjoy it!
Free
Excerpt
bipolarORwakingUP Excerpt.pdf
Check out my page at...
Consultations
As I´ve mentioned, I'm not a doctor or therapist - I'm a messenger. However, if you would like to talk to me personally, I offer one-hour video consultations via Skype for $60.
If you wish to schedule a time, please use the contact form to schedule an appointment. I will get back to you as soon as possible - usually within 24 hours.
MORE
bipolarORwakingUP
Gandhi did it....so can we.
Since I began bipolarORwakingUP, I´ve recieved a steady stream of stories from people around the world who feel that they are healing from their bipolar disorder, returning to their lives feeling reborn, as I did, a decade ago.
As you will see, the secret to healing is the acceptance of the sacred, spiritual aspects of these experiences, and the ability to surrender to this mysterious process.
Since the posting of some of these stories, a few people, to their suprise, have had more experiences in the spiritual non-ordinary states of consciousness normally associated with ‘psychosis’.
However, rather than looking at these ‘manias’ as proof of mental illness, I feel that our concern should not be focused on preventing these episodes, as much as compassionatly helping people through them, whenever they arise.
From what I´ve seen so far, there is truly nothing to fear from people in non-ordinary states - other than fear itself.
To read this very important record of recovery, please click anywhere on the page.
Sean
As I started on this journey, I realized that many of the thinkers and visionaries I´d been reading for the previous two decades had a tremendous about of insight into this condition known as bipolar disorder. The funny thing is, most of them just didn't realize it.
Each of the books featured in the library have had a profound influence on my work on bipolarORwakingUP. The list has been put together in order to introduce you to my favorites, all of which I think could help many of you. As you will see, there is a mix of the spiritual, the scientific, the philosophical and the psychological.
I intentionally mentioned most authors only once, in order to introduce you to as many as possible. Personally, I´ve read multiple books by many of these authors, and I hope you will too!
I´ve also ranked these books in terms of how much I think they have helped me on my journey, and provided a brief explanation of why. And yes, I put my own at #1! I’m not shy. All titles are linked to Amazon.com.
The Library can be found on our support network, Wake the Planet, under the 'RESOURCES' menu.
When you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a good psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist is very tough to find. Most of their theoretical training is based on out-dated Freudian theories, invalidating your spiritual experiences on the "Other Side."
Thankfully, there is one site on the Internet which acts as a global directory for those therapists out there that should have a bit more to offer in terms of spiritual understanding.
The site is called The Spiritual Emergency Service. They are based in Vancouver, and provide a detailed list of Canadian therapists, along with directory links for many other countries. Just click anywhere on the page to check them out!
Taking Action in Brazil
Together with my wife, Ligia, a transpersonal psychologist, we are also taking action here in São Paulo. This year, we have given 5 presentations at the Hospital Das Clinica´s Project for the study of Mental Health, Spirituality and Religion (PROSER). This is the largest hospital in Latin America. Ligia is also involved in an ongoing research project there. Next year, we plan to propose a project of our own on Spiritual Emergency.
All of our efforts at
the hospital have been
on a volunteer basis,
but we are making
much more progress
than I expected!
In addition, we also have a social network for people in Brazil diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Alma Bipolar means Bipolar Soul in Portuguese. With about 700 members now, our first live event is planned for the end of October, 2011.
Media
One of the main reasons I opened this portal was to introduce a wider audience to my work. Getting more media exposure for bipolarORwakingUP is a big part of that mission. So, if you are interested in getting in touch with me regarding interviews, conferences, etc., please fill in the contact form and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Unfortunatley, I don´t have time to reply to all of the e-mail I receive. If you do choose to send an e-mail for personal reasons, I encourage you to keep it to a paragraph or less. Thank you for understanding!
First they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
Then you win.
Mohandas K. Gandhi
