Many religions teach ideologies that psychologically traumatize millions of people. Yet few helping professionals are trained to help people heal from religious trauma. Religious abuse can result in anxiety disorders, PTSD, spiritual suppression, sexual dysfunction, and communal shunning. Indoctrination also results in societal harms such as the oppression of women and LGBT communities and climate change denial. When people leave religious total identity systems, they face a major life crisis. The process of transitioning and healing has a general shape and stage-specific challenges. Challenges, like grieving the death of god, overcoming fear of hellfire torture, and rebuilding the self-relationship damaged by teachings about sin and surrender of agency, are commonplace. How can we help people suffering within oppressive religions? How can we facilitate spiritual and life transitions for those questioning their religion? How can we help those in recovery heal from religious trauma? This lecture will define the basic issues and advocate activism, training, and research.
If you would like to work with me to transform your trauma into the place of your power and fulfill your potential, schedule a Free Transform Trauma into Power Session. In this session, my intention is to help you gain clarity and support, learn a few powerful suggestions, and see whether one of my Coaching Programs is a good fit for you.
Do you feel psychologically traumatized by religion, or isolated and disempowered by trauma and limiting beliefs in your life? I’m Andrew Jasko, Master of Divinity (M.Div.), M.A., Counseling Psychology in progress, and I work to help you transform your trauma into the place of your power and connect to a healthy, authentic spirituality that works for you (whether that’s as a spiritual, atheist, religious, transitioning, or agnostic identifying person). I was born into a minister’s family and became a preacher and missionary to India, after studying theology at Wheaton College and Princeton Seminary. As a Christian, my relationship with God was my passion, but unhealthy religious teachings caused me an anxiety disorder, sexual repression, and spiritual disillusionment. I felt alone, traumatized, and abandoned by the divine. After an agonizing crisis of faith, I rejected religion and spirituality. Then, I had an unexpected spiritual awakening through mystical and spiritual practices like meditation, psychedelics, and connecting my heart’s desires and intuition through my Divine Mindfulness practice. My passion is to help you in your spiritual or life transition to heal and connect with your authentic spiritual wholeness.
BOOK ME TO SPEAK: andrew@lifeafterdogma.org about healing religious trauma and psychology, spirituality and mental health, interpreting the Bible through a mystical, nondual lens, psychedelics, and other topics. I also provide consultations for therapists and ministers and speak on podcasts and video channels.
Hey, Andrew–I’d love to talk with you about Original Sin and religious trauma for a series of essays I’m writing. I’m very into the evolutionary story and its potential as a human focus to replace religion. (Have you ever read Loyal Rue’s Nature is Enough? His stuff is brilliant, I think.)
If you’d like to see what I’m up to, visit http://www.thebigchewpodcast.com, which I did until about a year ago; on http://www.meetyourmyth.com, I have essays posted as well.
I’d love to hear more about the stages of coming out of religion, your thoughts on missionary work, and to talk about the trauma inherent in the Western cosmology, which sure sucks. What do you think?
Great to hear from you Maria, glad to hear about your work! Here is an article about the religion and trauma: https://lifeafterdogma.org/2018/11/09/christianity-is-a-trauma-reaction/ and here is a podcast https://thelifeafter.podbean.com/e/religion-of-trauma-with-andrew-jasko/. I have three or four articles on the blog that relate to the missionary work.
Andrew–forgot I’d sent this outside my own email, which is mariatstadt@gmail.com