Spiritual Experiences in Counselling

Three questions are addressed. First, what are spiritual experiences? The one-two-three-infinity theory of spirituality is questioned, and it is suggested that there are at least nine distinguishable spiritual experiences. Second, how do we use such experiences in counselling? Examples are given of how this approach is useful in counselling. and particularly in dream work. The importance of intuition is stressed, and group work is discussed. Third, what are the implications for the training of counsellors? The issues of ego inflation and psychosis are raised, and it is suggested that the training of future counsellors needs to include the coverage of such issues, as well as the more general material dealt with in this paper.