My name is Sean Blackwell, and I've been researching the spiritual dimension and healing potential of bipolar disorder since 2007. However, prior to that, I was sent to the psychiatric hospital in 1996, for a short, but traumatic stay. For me, my experience of so-called "acute psychosis" was more like a spiritual awakening, something for which I am forever grateful.

How I went from being hospitalized to wanting to help people heal their bipolar disorder is quite a story. My inner journey led me on a quest which took me across both North and South America. In fact, it was on a shamanic tour of Peru that I met my wife, Ligia Splendore, who is now a transpersonal psychologist here in Brazil. Together, we live near the city of Sao Paulo, where we help people with bipolar disorder and other related disorders.

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My book, "Am I Bipolar or Waking Up?", shares all the details of how we came to this calling. By the time you're finished, you will have a clear idea of who we are and what we're about.

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I also share an abbreviated version of my awakening in "Breaking Open - Finding a Way through Spiritual Emergences", a book that dedicated individual chapters to the stories of others who have had spiritual breakthroughs which initially fit the description of mental illness. If you are looking for a broader understanding of the topic, I highly recommend picking this up!

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