How Sex Abuse and Spiritual Emergence Are Related in Spiritual Teachers
Spiritual Teachers and Spiritual Emergence
Those on a path of spiritualemergence, seeking spiritual growth, often assume that their spiritual teachersare leading lives committed to helping others. Why? Becausethey have been helped by their teacher. It can create a raw spiritual crisis, a spiritual emergency, when theyfind that their esteemed teacher is not 100% dedicated to beneficial good works--.thattheir teacher may, in fact, have problems and actually be hurting people.
The scandal around John of God,an internationally renowned spiritual healer imprisoned in Brazil in December,2018, on charges of sexual abuse, has rocked the world of thousands who reveredhim as a healer. And yes, it istrue, there were people who experienced such things as complete remission fromaggressive brain cancer under his care; and, yes, they have before and after X-raysby reputable hospitals to prove it. Matthew Ireland is one example. Hesurvived a 4th stage glioblastoma, and is now healthy, cancer-free,married with two children. Heattributes his healing to personal work he did at John of God’s spiritualhospital.
Those who experienced thepowerful healing of John of God considered him to be a spiritual teacher ofteachers. They wonder: “how is it that the same man who has been sopowerful in bringing the light of healing to people—can also be abusive?” More than six hundred women have reportedbeing abused from ages ten to over sixty! Those who have followed John of God,perceiving him as all good, naturally may feel disillusioned, angry, regretful,or choose to deny the abuses, thinking John can ONLY be good.
John of God is Not Alone
John is not alone. There are many other healers, spiritualteachers and even priests who have fallen into the same personal problems anddisillusioned their followers. Mainstreamnews has recently been full of reports of hundreds of Catholic priests withpedophilia. These priests alsofound youth to sexually abuse within their church congregations in past decades. They also found a way to hidetheir sex addiction.
Men devoted to communionwith God who shepherd their followers through healing, ritual, prayer, confession,and community service are not immune to the trials of spiritual emergence. In fact, cultivating spiritual giftsthrough prayer and service, such as the gift of healing, or inspired speech, maybring challenges. Followers ofthese spiritual teachers may become jealous, or seductive, wanting to drink fromthe cup of power that teacher, healer or priest, represents to them.
The Ideal Spiritual Teachers
What does a person dedicatedto spiritual emergence do with a growing chorus of acknowledgement fromfollowers? Often these gifted spiritualteachers use the acknowledgement to feed their egos and revel in the glamour offame, and the ease of manipulating their followers. If they were only interested in spiritual growth they would,instead, pass the accolades on to the Creator (God), the one who bestowed theirgifts.
What protects us fromdiverting spiritual energy into egotism or immoral sexuality is profound,dedicated focus on attaining Self-realization. In other words, when we dedicate our energies with singularfocus to the highest spiritual goal of enlightenment we will not be seducedinto diversions that take us away from that goal.
A person who is notdedicating their energy singularly towards this highest goal may well findenergy diverting into areas that are unethical and/or unhealthy. Over-drinking is an example…Think ofthe fat friars of the Middle Ages who loved their beer and wine and forgot theneeds of their flocks while indulging their love of drink. Think of more modern day guru figuresand spiritual teachers taken to task for having sexual relations with somestudents while abandoning others.
An enlightened orSelf-realized person will be dependably compassionate and wise. That person is not seeking fame orfortune, overindulgence in food and drink, or sexual exploits. They have transcended the pull and thediversion of acting out sexually in a way that could hurt others. You may recognize that person by theircalmness and peace as well as their 100% dedication to help others in theirspiritual emergence.
Emma Bragdon, PhD. is the Executive Director of Integrative Mental Health for You, IMHU.org. Shehas been studying spiritual healing in Brazil since 2001. She is the published author of 7 books and teaches courses to certify “Spiritual Emergence Coaches”. EB@IMHU.org
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