Integrating Psychotherapy with Fasting and Other Spiritual Practices

Vaughan has devoted much of her career to the discussion of spiritual practices and psychotherapy. According to Vaughan (1993, 2005), fasting - like meditation - is a doorway to mystical experience. Transpersonal scholars often talk about combining fasting with other practices to enhance the spiritual experience (Buhner, 2003; Cortright, 1997; Grof, 1998; Rothberg, 2000; Walsh, 2004).

The type of meditation that Kornfield teaches and promotes is the vipassanâ meditation of the Theravâda school of Buddhism. Theravada Buddhists traditionally combine fasting with meditation, fasting every day from noon until sunrise the following day (Thompson, 2000). Fasting is central to Buddhist practice in the monastic community as a demonstration of discipline and dedication to following the path of the Buddha.

Fasting is done in conjunction with prayer in order to make the prayer a more potent message. In Christianity, Judaism, and Islamic religions, fasting and prayer are commonly combined (Rogers, 2004).

In Christianity, fasting and praying are Bible-based disciplines that have been considered appropriate throughout all centuries in every part of the world. Bill Bright, an author who devoted his career to writing about prayer and fasting, said, "Fasting combined with prayer is a spiritual atomic bomb that releases the power of God" (as cited in Rogers, 2004, p. 177).

Meditation, prayer, and fasting are often combined with other spiritual practices, such as chanting and drumming. This type of broad integration is common in shamanic traditions (Villoldo & Krippner, 1987). The shaman, often thought of as an intermediary between the visible world and an invisible spirit world, is not unlike the modern transpersonal psychotherapist who strives to heal others at every level of their being.

When one delves deep into a spiritual practice, profound psychological changes can occur. While these changes can be exceptional human experiences, they may also be disturbing. A transpersonal psychotherapist can help to explore the exceptional experiences and process and release the uncomfortable ones. Transpersonal psychotherapy is a superior avenue for integrating spiritual practices into one's life. Vaughan (2009) put it best when she said, "Both psychotherapy and spiritual practice contribute to psychological health and spiritual growth. Unresolved psychological issues can impede healthy developments at any stage, and sometimes such issues surface only after much spiritual practice." This is where the transpersonal psychotherapist can do his or her best work.

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