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Post by emilyburfoot on Nov 30, 2020 14:12:44 GMT
Welcome to my blog My name is Emily Burfoot. My blog is about mental health and its place in society, which I have been independently researching for over fifteen years since my first spiritual Near Death Experience aged 20. I have also been sectioned twice, but have now become free from medication and the psychiatric system. I would like to inspire others to access the healing power that lies within our own self-knowledge and self-acceptance.
I studied Geography at Oxford University, and graduated in 2006. The main area of interest within my degree was the philosophy of ideas connecting the natural and human sciences, and the nature of scientific enquiry.
Since graduating, I have conducted extensive experiential research into various different approaches to personal development and mental healing, including meditation, yogic movement, contemplation, coaching using a variety of techniques, compassionate listening, esotericism, and direct observation of a wide variety of mental states. I have compiled my research, alongside a commentary on the Western mental health system, in a series of books entitled “Mental”, which are soon to be published.
I have thirteen years’ professional experience in a wide range of industries. At the start of my career I worked for an education leadership charity as a marketing and events manager, alongside key British education thought-leaders. Following this, I taught science in a secondary school, before learning about corporate strategy and organisational power dynamics through my work as a Directors’ PA and project manager in the Executive Search, drinks, marketing, recruitment and finance industries in London.
I have a strong interest in the outdoors, music (especially trance), and all forms of creative expression including cooking, writing and art. I am a skiing enthusiast as well as a former competitive rower, although these days the exercise is much more likely to be jogging or dog-walking than gruelling training sessions or mountain sports.
I have chosen this platform to publish my blog because:
- The administrator of the site is a talented and undervalued good friend - I am likely to reach new audiences with my writing, who share my interests in mental health and healing - I would love to read your comments and responses, which you can post anonymously by becoming a member
Thank you for reading, and have a great day!!
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Post by Admin on Nov 30, 2020 16:00:51 GMT
My name is Emily Burfoot. My blog is about mental health and its place in society, which I have been independently researching for over fifteen years since my first spiritual Near Death Experience aged 20. I have also been sectioned twice, but have now become free from medication and the psychiatric system. I would like to inspire others to access the healing power that lies within our own self-knowledge and self-acceptance. Welcome to the forum Emily. The philosophy of ideas connecting the natural and human sciences, and the nature of scientific enquiry is a fascinating area. i hope this forum can be fruitful for you.
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Post by Admin on Nov 30, 2020 16:48:44 GMT
My name is Emily Burfoot. My blog is about mental health and its place in society, which I have been independently researching for over fifteen years since my first spiritual Near Death Experience aged 20. I have also been sectioned twice, but have now become free from medication and the psychiatric system. I would like to inspire others to access the healing power that lies within our own self-knowledge and self-acceptance. Well done on your own healing & progress. Everyone is a unique individual with unique experiences & circumstances. i went through 4 hospitalizations & 8 major episodes of severe psychosis & just gave up fighting it all in the same way around 17 years ago (after stopping all medications 5 times), & came to a pragmatic acceptance of the schizophrenia diagnosis / condition / medication as the 'lesser evil'. Mental health is such a controversial / debated & contested area. Some people do make remarkable healings from it all & others not as well. i'd think there are individual, in depth & highly complex reasons for why that is. My own life has become on one level more a matter of survival; especially over the past 10 years; & i don't have the same care for the anti / pro psychiatry / pharma War / debate & labelling theories; & think it's somewhat of a moot point in relation to people's life & death survival. Within the realities of the current society / system; some people are better rejecting psychiatry / medication / diagnoses - other people are helped by it all, it is again highly individual. i feel the primary focus should be on proper funding, resources & research put into mental health areas; with far more of a focus on human rights based better care / treatment - within a society / system of comprehensive integrated health & social care services; where everyone is better looked after in relation to their individual needs. & then it all again on one level becomes socioeconomic / political, as with so much else. Anything that can help / inspire people heal / recover / feel better is a good thing. i think the 'mentally ill' as a group / demographic do lack being more accepted by the wider society, & lack having more valued social roles in society. Possibly peer support areas are one avenue that may help with this. i have a whole range of experience / qualifications as well; although no higher education - just further education - & have been evaluating it all in relation as to what to do with the rest of my own life. Some of my main experiences & interests have been within art & deign, computers & holistic healing areas - however the same goes for millions of other people as well; & it's been very hard with this condition to create a stable career & more valued role in society.
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Post by Admin on Nov 30, 2020 17:18:21 GMT
I studied Geography at Oxford University, and graduated in 2006. The main area of interest within my degree was the philosophy of ideas connecting the natural and human sciences, and the nature of scientific enquiry. Hope OK to make another reply - i don't want to hijack your thread. Part of this project / forum has been looking at the question of how to integrate more the hard & soft sciences - the biomedical with the integral / holistic / spiritual, etc - as i suppose millions of other people have wondered, contemplated & debated. Project Plan - healingsanctuary.proboards.com/thread/57/project-planMy 'own' integral perspective is that we can take an integrated 4 fold model of reality - physical / mental health - Biology (physical body/ brain) Psychology (inner World / Universe of thoughts / feelings / emotions) Sociology / Environment Soul (incarnated aspect of the Self / Being) / Spiritual (higher aspects of the self) / Transpersonal (experiences beyond the Ego [body / mind / emotions]) - & we can see this as well from an Atheist perspective as being psychogenic / cultural. Mind, Body, Soul, Spirit & environment. healingsanctuary.proboards.com/thread/259/holistic-integrated-view-mental-healthThere is nothing new in such a holistic model & it's the same problem of integration with the hard sciences / establishment & application within the wider society / system; & what 'forms' it would take & look like in practical terms. Society does naturally create models & approaches around these 4 areas (biology / psychology / sociology / spirituality) & also integral models / fields. We don't as yet however have a Theory / Model of Everything, & Universal Application of all these areas. Theory of Everything - healingsanctuary.proboards.com/thread/5941/theory?page=1What would a Universal Wisdom / Knowledge / Explanation of Reality look like? & what would it entail in practical application?
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Post by snowstorm on Nov 30, 2020 17:59:28 GMT
Welcome Emily, will be interested to read what you write.
I agree with Admin, would like to see the healing power of proper human rights for mental health patients and better quality care - proper funding and support without stigma.
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Post by emilyburfoot on Nov 30, 2020 21:01:45 GMT
Thank you for the welcome!! I feel very blessed to be among such a community of intelligent and experienced people It has taken me a long time for it to fully dawn on me that my voice is not the only right voice, but I'm getting there and I hope you'll help keep me humble!!
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Post by Admin on Nov 30, 2020 21:23:18 GMT
Thank you for the welcome!! I feel very blessed to be among such a community of intelligent and experienced people It has taken me a long time for it to fully dawn on me that my voice is not the only right voice, but I'm getting there and I hope you'll help keep me humble!! Thanks. i'm not sure that there is a categorical 'right & wrong' within all these areas - under a different scenario i may have got successfully long term medication free / more fully recovered & have a totally different perspective / opinions on it all. i can understand why there is such a plethora of different opinions / perspectives / camps within all these areas & all the myriad of anti / critical / pro / alternative psychiatry / pharma perspectives, & all the myriad of biological, psychogenic, sociological / traumagenic, spiritual & integral theories. Still so much that we don't know with it all; & different things work for different people. So much polarization, fragmentation, differences of opinion & different camps within society & all these areas i don't however think is helping to create a more unified mental health movement to better the general treatment of the mentally ill in society as a whole; & to more properly address all the health & social issues we face as a society / civilization. i have tried to make the project / forum outline as inclusive of all people / views as possible. As long as it's not forcing other people to believe as you do feel free to share what you like & feel.
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Post by emilyburfoot on Dec 5, 2020 22:00:51 GMT
Have you ever noticed yourself holding your breath? 05.12.2020
There are so many things to consider in mental health care and the mental health debate.
Prescriptions. Diagnoses. Mindset. Trauma. PTSD. Abuse. Cultural background. Law.
You never, ever hear anyone talk about breath. Why?
It’s natural. It can’t be commercialised or sold. And it’s boring for the intellect that wants something more intelligent to grasp and build a career from. But are we missing a point here?
One of the main books that shifted my mindset in my journey from mental illness to mental health was The Gene Keys, by Richard Rudd. Based on the Human Design system and the Taoist I Ching, it integrates esoteric wisdom and modern biochemistry into a comprehensive model for human evolution out of the shadows and into the light. Please recommend it you know who is interested in human development. It is a total game-changer.
For me, the way it changed the game was to validate the spiritual experiences that I have on a regular basis, which cause very strong emotion, and sometimes cause me to exhibit socially unacceptable behaviour which is misdiagnosed as mental illness. You can think I’m mentally ill if you like, but my perspective is that society, with its prejudices, social divisions and irrational fears between different social groups, is just as crazy as me, if not crazier. This is the subject of my upcoming book.
The Gene Keys allowed me to access the possibility that I’m NOT actually crazy. I’m just not ruled by my fears, and because of this I can tune in very easily to a higher plane of human development in which peace and prosperity are far more universal, while conflict and its associated drama play a much smaller part in our consciousness.
One of the amazing truths in the Gene Keys is the assertion that fundamentally, our wellbeing simply comes down to our breathing patterns. Mired as I was in my intellect at the time, I didn’t realised the profoundness of this statement when I first read it. But as I have evolved, and learned some breathwork techniques, I have released that I can use conscious breathing to change my mental state in as little as five minutes.
Fear-based breathing patterns, says Rudd, are inherited from our parents, and are restricted and irregular. Have you ever noticed yourself holding your breath when you are nervous? The fear and the breathing restriction becomes a vicious circle, feeding each other, and if you are unlucky this can become a panic attack.
By contrast, the breathing pattern that promotes wellbeing is far fuller and smoother. Perhaps this is how our “triggers” create havoc for us: by changing our breathing pattern to being fear-based rather than exuding the self-confidence and self-assurance that create harmony, happiness and success. Perhaps, if it is genetic or womb-programmed as Rudd asserts, the breathing pattern is also the vehicle through which social stratification by socioeconomic and racial group is entrenched throughout a lifetime.
The incredibly beautiful and empowering thing about equating wellness with breath patterns is that it places the locus of control for healing with the individual. Breathwork is an enormously undervalued tool in our armoury against poor mental health. Since I began regular breathwork sessions, the amount of stored trauma being released from my body has exploded.
This presents both an opportunity and a problem. The opportunity is that, by changing my breathing habits to be more regular and deeper, I am creating more space for flow and joy in my life (incidentally, I believe this is also why exercise is so powerful a creator of wellbeing – since it promotes deep breath flow).
The problem is that when trauma is released from where it is stored in the muscles, it then goes into our conscious awareness, and if we are not careful, we start identifying with it and acting from a traumatised space. This can lead to undesirable social consequences, and for this reason, doctors advise against breathwork for people with certain psychiatric diagnoses.
However, despite the risks, I feel it’s worth a mention, and far more respect in the mental health community. Encouraging participants to be in touch with how their body feels minimises the risks and enhances the mind-body connection necessary for full recovery from medication. Shorter sessions mean that trauma is released in lower doses and are more likely to lead to a relatively harmless tantrum rather than a hospital admission.
So why not watch your breathing this week? Are you creating from a relaxed space, or a constricted one? And which is more likely to bring about the peace and prosperity you need in your relationships, your social group and your bank account?
Thanks for listening.
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Post by Admin on Dec 5, 2020 22:42:35 GMT
Hi Emily Thank you for sharing. One of the main books that shifted my mindset in my journey from mental illness to mental health was The Gene Keys, by Richard Rudd. Based on the Human Design system and the Taoist I Ching, it integrates esoteric wisdom and modern biochemistry into a comprehensive model for human evolution out of the shadows and into the light. Please recommend it you know who is interested in human development. It is a total game-changer. i have the book, it is highly recommended; not got round to properly studying it. i've got burnt out from reading - felt like i have read enough. i feel a lot of authors / books do discuss similar things. i think there is a very deep irony in being labelled as mentally ill within a species / society / culture / system / civilization that could itself be considered insane. i'm not sure on the whole debate as to what mental illness is / isn't & the spirituality & mental health debate. i do tend to think that some things are more mental illness, some things more spiritual crisis / emergence & some things more differential - however that is just my own perspective on it all. i'm not sure that we fully know all the complexities & different potential individual weightings of biological, psychogenic, sociological & spiritual factors implicated. Very hard to not get caught up in conflicts & dramas; however of course it is better for everyone to try & rise above it all. i have been practicing various breathing / meditation / contemplative practices for many years - it does help. Any engagement with mind / language really involves forms of duality - the only way out of that is ('beyond' the mind) in silence / stillness; the non-dual & non-verbal state.
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Post by naominash3 on Dec 6, 2020 2:24:07 GMT
Welcome, Emily!
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Post by emilyburfoot on Dec 6, 2020 15:17:55 GMT
Thank you admin!! Yes, I agree that going beyond the mind is the only way out of duality and conflict. MUCH easier said than done of course, and the more intellectual you are, the harder it is to escape the mind...
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Post by emilyburfoot on Dec 6, 2020 15:19:56 GMT
How can we balance our need for individuality with shared vision? 06.12.2020
If you have ever worked as part of a large organisation, you will have come across the tension that often exists between honouring individual differences, and creating group cohesion.
And if you have ever managed people within an organisation, you will have come across the difficulty that arises when you are managing people who just don’t fit your mould. They might be inept, or they might just really trigger you with their behaviour. Perhaps, no matter how hard you try, you simply struggle to communicate with them to a point where they can grow and develop in harmony with the organisation’s objectives. You might be forced to dismiss them, or “manage them out” of the organisation, or reallocate them to a part of the organisation where their “dysfunction” has less of an impact.
As we move towards models of organisational dynamics that are more tolerant of neurodiversity, this is a crucial issue. And dare I suggest that it doesn’t just apply to neurodiversity, but to all diversity, because norms concerning acceptable behaviour are socially constructed, and therefore differ across boundaries of different racial, ethnic, religious and national communities. Of course there is a more universal moral code, but tastes in terms of behavioural expectations and standards probably account for more disagreements than we would like to admit.
Put simply, it is our own lack of patience and tolerance towards those who are programmed with different social understandings from us that leads to the systematic exclusion of huge numbers of capable and high-potential people from roles that would allow them to achieve their self-actualised potential.
Or maybe the commercial and target-driven nature of capitalism simply doesn’t allow for that kind of patience and freedom, even within the non-profit sectors. In this world, Time and Money are King and Queen.
Many organisations are attempting to overcome prejudice and discrimination in a variety of ways, including blind candidate screening. However, for me, this is simply a band aid for the recruitment process, and doesn’t address the root cause of discrimination. I feel that the root cause is created by the sense of discomfort we feel when associating with people who behave in unexpected or apparently rude ways, or fail to respect power hierarchies that are unconsciously considered to be sacred, despite their injustices and failings.
The way that organisational behavioural norms are determined is through “culture”. The plus side of an organisational culture is that it creates a feeling of cohesion and security. The negative side of culture is that employees cannot bring all of themselves and their personality to work, for fear of upsetting intolerant and prejudiced people.
If you have been following my story over the last few months, you will be aware that I have been collaborating with a group of like-minded individuals who are attempting to create an organisation in which all personalities, big or small, are welcome and honoured. Not only that, but we are attempting to create a space in which we each take responsibility for ourselves and there is no buck-passing or blame game. Instead, we are patient with each other and our needs for self-care. We offer support to each other when we can, and we don’t exert undue pressure on each other to perform. If someone is struggling, someone else will offer to take over. We continually evaluate our skillsets and capabilities in a culture of honesty and openness.
This means that we are MUCH more health-centred than profit-centred at the moment. But since we are all about health, I feel this reflects a sense of integrity to our core values and mission. Plus, money cannot buy you health, so on balance we feel this prioritisation of health over profit is a very worthwhile exploration into a sustainable business model of the future.
I’m sure that you’ll appreciate that as an ideal, this is groundbreaking, and takes a huge amount of patience to work through. Not only that, but we all have lived experience of being stigmatised because of our mental health, so there are a lot of wounds and trauma to be worked through. It has therefore taken over six months of weekly voluntary Zoom meetings to even get to a point where we can start to consider financial input and the practical realities of our idealistic business model. But we are nearly there. We are looking at a hybrid system that combines individual businesses with a group umbrella, to re-invest excess profits back into projects that reflect our shared values of shedding the stigma around poor mental health and empowering those who have suffered to become free from their trauma and their past.
I slightly jumped the gun a few weeks ago when I invited you to comment on the name for our new organisation and brand. If you have already done this, then your response has already been taken into account. If not, you might appreciate the (much more professional) online survey tool we have designed as a group to collect this input.
The link to the survey is here and if you have not yet given your input we would be delighted if you would follow the hyperlink and give us your anonymous responses.
Once we are in a stronger position, we will, as I have mentioned, be looking for collaborations.
Thank you for listening.
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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2020 16:53:13 GMT
If you have ever worked as part of a large organisation, you will have come across the tension that often exists between honouring individual differences, and creating group cohesion. i have considered all this a lot in relation to mental health & all associated areas. i'm not sure that it's possible to fully reconcile certain areas / differences, as a lot of areas are diametrically opposed. There are fundamental differences between the World religions / spiritual systems - politics - national / socioeconomic & class systems. There are fundamental differences between anti / critical / pro / alternative psychiatry / pharma areas. There are fundamental differences between the hard & soft sciences. i argued anti / critical / alternative psychiatry / pharma & soft science areas for many years - now i've gone more to a pro psychiatry / pharma hard sciences side with it all. Everything is a duality & there are extremes on all sides as well. Very hard to create something that is all inclusive. Violent conflicts / Wars have been & are fought over all these differences; especially over World religions - politics - national / socioeconomic & class systems; even within deep polarizations / culture & race wars & social uprisings as we have been increasingly seeing around the World. i can see why / how all the polarization / conflict happens as well. & we are back with the solution (imo) of a genuinely non dual state of Being - i like Ramana Maharshi's response to it all - 'sat under a tree' all his life in a state of pure peace & bliss through a global pandemic, 2 World Wars, Indian Independence & everything else that went on & did Nothing about any of it.
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Post by Admin on Dec 6, 2020 18:01:53 GMT
If you have ever worked as part of a large organisation, you will have come across the tension that often exists between honouring individual differences, and creating group cohesion. i have considered all this a lot in relation to mental health & all associated areas. i'm not sure that it's possible to fully reconcile certain areas / differences, as a lot of areas are diametrically opposed. There are fundamental differences between the World religions / spiritual systems - politics - national / socioeconomic & class systems. There are fundamental differences between anti / critical / pro / alternative psychiatry / pharma areas. There are fundamental differences between the hard & soft sciences. i argued anti / critical / alternative psychiatry / pharma & soft science areas for many years - now i've gone more to a pro psychiatry / pharma hard sciences side with it all. Everything is a duality & there are extremes on all sides as well. Very hard to create something that is all inclusive. Violent conflicts / Wars have been & are fought over all these differences; especially over World religions - politics - national / socioeconomic & class systems; even within deep polarizations / culture & race wars & social uprisings as we have been increasingly seeing around the World. i can see why / how all the polarization / conflict happens as well. & we are back with the solution (imo) of a genuinely non dual state of Being - i like Ramana Maharshi's response to it all - 'sat under a tree' all his life in a state of pure peace & bliss through a global pandemic, 2 World Wars, Indian Independence & everything else that went on & did Nothing about any of it. i wrote this a while ago - How do we reconcile - All the World religions / spiritual systems & Atheism. Capitalism & Socialism - Left & Right Politics - & Global systemic alternatives - progressives & traditionalists - Globalist's & nationalists. Anti, Pro, Critical & Alternative psychiatry / Pharma - health professionals & service user opinions / needs. The biomedical / hard sciences with the soft sciences. Ethnic / Cultural / Geopolitical / National / Economic & other differences. Gender & Race issues. Poverty & Inequality. Human Rights issues / areas - health & social care. Corporate / Environmental issues / areas. healingsanctuary.proboards.com/thread/6485/reconcile& this the other day - Duality of Opinions You can find arguments / opinions / perspectives to back up any position on anything, especially now with the internet. Especially with mental / general health, politics, socioeconomics, religions / spirituality. i can see why the European Enlightenment / Age of Reason / Scientific Revolution came about. There is something to be said for a science based logic. What is the truth about everything? A lot of the internet / media / social discourse & debate / general public opinion mainly just seems like noise. Humans have always argued over what truth & reality is. Everyone's subjective reality / life experiences & circumstances is different; & people also argue over what objective reality is (on every level). healingsanctuary.proboards.com/thread/8691/duality-opinions______________________________________________________
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Post by emilyburfoot on Dec 6, 2020 19:05:49 GMT
i have considered all this a lot in relation to mental health & all associated areas. i'm not sure that it's possible to fully reconcile certain areas / differences, as a lot of areas are diametrically opposed. There are fundamental differences between the World religions / spiritual systems - politics - national / socioeconomic & class systems. There are fundamental differences between anti / critical / pro / alternative psychiatry / pharma areas. There are fundamental differences between the hard & soft sciences. i argued anti / critical / alternative psychiatry / pharma & soft science areas for many years - now i've gone more to a pro psychiatry / pharma hard sciences side with it all. Everything is a duality & there are extremes on all sides as well. Very hard to create something that is all inclusive. Violent conflicts / Wars have been & are fought over all these differences; especially over World religions - politics - national / socioeconomic & class systems; even within deep polarizations / culture & race wars & social uprisings as we have been increasingly seeing around the World. i can see why / how all the polarization / conflict happens as well. & we are back with the solution (imo) of a genuinely non dual state of Being - i like Ramana Maharshi's response to it all - 'sat under a tree' all his life in a state of pure peace & bliss through a global pandemic, 2 World Wars, Indian Independence & everything else that went on & did Nothing about any of it. i wrote this a while ago - How do we reconcile - All the World religions / spiritual systems & Atheism. Capitalism & Socialism - Left & Right Politics - & Global systemic alternatives - progressives & traditionalists - Globalist's & nationalists. Anti, Pro, Critical & Alternative psychiatry / Pharma - health professionals & service user opinions / needs. The biomedical / hard sciences with the soft sciences. Ethnic / Cultural / Geopolitical / National / Economic & other differences. Gender & Race issues. Poverty & Inequality. Human Rights issues / areas - health & social care. Corporate / Environmental issues / areas. I agree that these divisions are impossible to reconcile in the mind. For me, the reconciliation lies in our choice to put our ideological differences aside and behave in harmony despite our differences, which remain. All that is necessary is the choice to put health and human wellbeing as a higher priority than arguments. Obviously this is a "leftie" view, but there is evidence of this having happened before. Following the civil rights movement, a choice was made to attempt to overcome racism by recognising that we are all human beings. Since then, British society has moved forward a long way. We still have further to go, but we have moved forward in terms of rights, and diversity education and media representation. I see no reason why this model could not be emulated for mental health.
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