About this episode
Dr. Gersten practices integrative psychiatry and nutritional medicine out of his office in Encinitas, California. In this interview we discuss his book Are You Getting Enlightened Or Losing Your Mind? A Psychiatrist's Guide for Mastering Paranormal and Spiritual Experience. Dr. Gersten writes from his personal experience, his work with patients, and the wisdom of the ages. He is the author of The POW Survival Guide (dedicated to the Allied Troops of Operation Desert Storm), mental imagery consultant to Rodale Press on 18 books, columnist on Alternative Medicine for The Life Connection, publisher of Atlantis the Imagery Newsletter, and author of more than 300 published articles. He has consulted with the White House on alternative medicine. Dr. Gersten is also an accomplished musician and composer of 2200 songs and 7 symphonic works. Being half doctor/healer and half artist/musician allows him to bring a wide breadth of experience to his work with patients. While psychiatry tends to focus on what's wrong, Dr. Gersten strives to place as much emphasis on “what's right,” helping through his clinical work, personal experience, and writings, to help people deepen their spiritual connection, find their purpose or mission and remove the obstacles to their dreams. He has worked in most aspects of psychiatry, from suicidal, homicidal, and psychotic hospitalized patients...to out-patient strategic psychotherapy...to state psychiatric hospitals...to peak performance, training LPGA and high-level amateur golfers in the mental game. His expertise in mental imagery has created the possibility to help people beyond the scope of traditional psychiatry. Dr. Gersten's site Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded 5/12/2013 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Overview 00:04:24 - Synchronicities and the merging of the self and the absolute 00:08:22 - The Seen and Unseen Universe 00:12:36 - The Death Rate in Med School 00:17:07 - The Evolution of Psychiatry 00:22:16 - The Energy of Others 00:25:56 - Thunder Before Leaving 00:29:33 - The Devoid of Conscience Question 00:34:03 - Attunement to our essence as a measure of sanity 00:38:38 - Contrasting a Mystic and a Schizophrenic 00:43:34 - Spiritual Insights and Delusions 00:48:56 - Auras and Psychotic Symptoms 00:53:08 - Reaching a Breaking Point 00:56:37 - Kundalini Awakening Experience 01:00:28 - The Radiant Vision of Michelangelo's David 01:04:32 - Kundalini Awakenings and the Challenges They Pose 01:07:47 - The overlap between mania and kundalini 01:11:19 - Spiritual therapy and the risks of natural therapies 01:15:04 - The Paradoxical Case of Rapid Healing in Schizophrenia 01:18:55 - The Importance of Stability and Foundation 01:24:15 - The Alibi of Crazy Wisdom and Inappropriate Behavior 01:29:39 - The Swastika Symbol in India 01:33:59 - A Psychic Encounter with Colonel Diaz and Noriega 01:38:19 - The Dark Side of Paranormal Experiences 01:42:09 - Entities and Vulnerability 01:46:01 - Confronting the Unwanted Visitor 01:49:35 - The Journey of Inner Rearrangement and Stabilization 01:54:10 - Inner Awakening and Alignment 01:59:39 - Unity in Trinidad and Tobago 02:03:22 - Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up Save