| Jambo:
I agree that individual examination, and knowledge of the student (by a teacher or person offering anecdotal evidence), is important. i do not think that OBEs, among other experiences, are necessarily psychotic breaks, though i agree that they can be, and one can only know through examination of the individual.
one of the problems of 'diagnosing' is first understanding what OBEs are. since there is a lot of conflicting language and descriptions of OBEs, lots of ways of describing how to develop the ability (with or without yoga), and lots of ways of having them "for real" it can be hard to determine if an individual, with whom one may be having a casual conversation, has had a 'for real' experience or a psychotic break or a flight of fancy (which i believe is most common). For individuals who do not study in this area--and why should they, specificly, when yoga studies are so vast?--it is extremely difficult.
most yoga teachers focus in a couple of areas of research when they become teachers. the first place to start, generally, is in asana--the bare bones of practice, alignment, sequencing, modifications. most will move into anatomy and physiology from there, and then energetic work (chakras). And then, they pick topics. Some go into pranayama and meditation; others go into philosophy of various sorts, or they pick a special topic of interest (for instance, i study a lot of mantra and sound healing right now--i don't teach it or use it in classes, but i do study it to continue my growth and perhaps introduce it in the future. i do chant Om in classes, as taught to me by my teacher directly). very few ever really get into the more strange and esoteric practices, and many do long before they're ready for them, intellectually or otherwise (which is often why those who do sometimes seem 'off' or 'strange' and it's not just because they study something of which many people are skeptical).
the average yoga teacher isn't necessarily prepared to handle psychotic breaks or OBEs. most aren't able to help students with basic social and emotional problems. many aren't able to help with basic injuries and physical problems. this is why it's important to find a good teacher, in general, one who is experienced in yoga themselves, and connected to teachers one way or another.
but, this is not to say that this is the only way. i honestly believe that the average, good-faith seeker will be able to manage whatever comes their way, and will be given the wisdom of yoga, etc, through the divine source within. ultimately, the teacher is the imminent presence of the divine--whether or not an external teacher is present. this is how some teachers can be excellent, and have never taken a yoga class or anything else. By their own spiritual seeking, they have come into wisdom and share that with others.
in my mind, though, any spiritual seeking can be 'dicey.' it is truly a knife's edge to walk. As jesus said, the way is narrow. i have this in my own spiritual experiences, but one of the most interesting is that time when i'm without a teacher. not just yoga, but anything spiritual. i may be with a teacher for a time, and then have an alone time, and then have another teacher or go back to the original teacher. to me, this is the vinyasa of the universe. But i recognize that when i don't have certain external 'touchstones' i'm at greater risk for falling off the knife's edge, and causing harm to myself and others. This doesn't keep me from practicing and learning and seeking during teacher-less times, but i am well aware that i could be going off the deep end in my own psychological, emotional, spiritual, or even physical traumas. and that having a teacher as a touchstone to bounce things off of can help me avoid these sorts of problems.
as to videos, etc, i answer this in a couple of ways. First, most videos are relatively basic and simple, and reach largely into the physical. while there is the danger of having an extreme experience, it's relatively difficult overall, let alone with basic videos. Second, i ultimately trust that the divine will help that person find an appropriate teacher when the time comes, if a video is all they have available tot hem. there's nothing wrong with personal/private, individual inquiry, as long as one is aware of the risks. Most aren't aware of the risks.
and the risks aren't terrible. it's nothing that can't be overcome. I mean, really, my client's husband's OBE experience was really basic, and had he allowed me to simply explain what happened to him, he'd likely be able to say "ok, i get that." and then go right back to yoga--practicing alone or otherwise. The fear could have been overcome relatively simply, i would say, just through explaination. And he didn't need me to explain it, as there are resources out there that do. But instead, he isolated himself and abandoned something that was otherwise very beneficial for him. And if it had been a psychotic break instead, that too could be dealt with in a number of ways--and been overcome.
so, any spiritual inquiry, without touchstones from other humans, wisdom texts, etc, can be dicey. spiritual inquiry is a narrow way, because it's easy to get sucked in by the ego, by old wounds and traumas, and to confuse these with reality. but that's part of the process of spiritual inquiry as well--falling off that knife's edge and learning from it.
for myself, as a teacher, i'm skeptical in general when people start to approach me with their experiences that they think may be 'spiritual enlightenments' or whatever else. our body-minds and egos connected are great at giving us feelings and experiences that are great (LSD-like or whatever), but are just distractions. a teacher who understands this can tell the difference rather quickly. And i've found that i can tell the difference rather quickly too. my BS meter starts going off. diagnosing myself is harder, which is why i have a priest to help. but, if it seems like something extreme--real, but not necessarily a spiritual development--then i'll recommend touchstones who may be better able to deal with these things. I can really only work within my own knowledge, and if i suspect that someone has surpassed my knowledge, i can send them to a teacher or other person who may have that knowledge. And i don't hesitate to do so.
Edited by zoebird 2006-03-23 9:14 AM
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