Collective Soul Revival
An online peer support meetup for those dis-entangling from self-negating “nondual” spirituality—including neo-advaita—and recovering from harmful effefcts, while restoring reality all dimensions of our humanity, and rebuilding a healthy, engaged, connected personal sense of self.
An online peer support meetup for those dis-entangling from self-negating “nondual” spirituality—including neo-advaita—and recovering from harmful effefcts, while restoring reality all dimensions of our humanity, and rebuilding a healthy, engaged, connected personal sense of self.
If self-negating spiritual teachings have messed you up, stripped away your humanity, pushed you to the edge of sanity, left you reeling with a gut sense that something’s seriously wrong, or simply questioning them—whether it’s the shifts they trigger or the teachings themselves--you’re not alone! It's tough to find people who get this rare journey. Collective Soul Revival is a safe, affirming haven where folks come together to process adverse experiences with dehumanizing, negation-heavy spiritual teachings—ones that dismiss our sense of self, reality, or any part of our humanness as illusions to dissolve or detach from forever. Most of us in the group have been adversely impacted by modern self-negating “nonduality" including neo-advaita and radical nonduality, but also other Eastern-infused, detachment-driven paths based on “liberation” via self-erasure, whether from Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, or a mashup of them all. Some dived into formal meditation, while others (most of us) also or primarily engaged with 'no self' / self-dissolution “direct pointers," like self-inquiry.
What we’re navigating:
Depersonalization, derealization, dissociation, motivation loss, loss of meaning and purpose, nihilism, loss of agency, depression, apathy, isolation, social struggles, daily functioning impairment, executive function fog, memory and empathy issues, solipsism, shame, guilt, terror, job struggles, livelihood loss, parenting and family strain, suicidality, appetite loss, etc.
Link: Read some first-hand accounts of what people have experienced
Depersonalization, derealization, dissociation, motivation loss, loss of meaning and purpose, nihilism, loss of agency, depression, apathy, isolation, social struggles, daily functioning impairment, executive function fog, memory and empathy issues, solipsism, shame, guilt, terror, job struggles, livelihood loss, parenting and family strain, suicidality, appetite loss, etc.
Link: Read some first-hand accounts of what people have experienced
There's many great support groups out there for a wide variety of spirituality-induced crises, including ones for adverse effects of mindfulness meditation - what makes this group a bit different is that most of us been heavily impacted by "instant enlightenment"/“direct pointer” approaches, such as self-inquiry, which have their own unique impact, so it meets a relatability factor not always guaranteed in other groups.
The teachings we’ve been impacted by:
Any Eastern or East-meets-West “enlightenment” flavor—Neo-Advaita, Radical Nonduality, “Direct Paths,” ego-dissolution frameworks—that push permanent eradication, illusorization or detachment from the personal self as the ticket to “liberation from suffering,” often branded as enlightenment, Self-Realization, or awakening. Some of the core messages include:
- “Non-doership”—there’s no doer.
- Reality and the “separate self” are a dream to wake up from.
- The world’s just an illusion, a mind-projection.
- The ego’s the root of all suffering—dissolve it or dis-identify for salvation.
- The personal self is “false,” to be melted into a “true self” of pure awareness.
- “You’re not a person.”
- Renounce preferences, judgments, goals—suffering’s cure.
- A dissolved self is the pinnacle of wellbeing and spirituality.
What you’ll find here:
- A warm, confidential space to share your story, how you've been affected by these teachings in negative ways, and the current challenges you're facing
- Validation and support from others who’ve absorbed similar teachings and facing similar adverse effects*
- Encouragement to re-build/re-embrace your personal experience and sense of self.
- Forging friendships with others who get it and can truly relate!
*Those who have had a nuanced experience including both negative and positive effects from these teachings are encouraged to join - the only pre-requisite is that you feel ready to or are exploring stepping away from a self-negation/dissolution path. If you're looking to dig deeper into dissolution, this group won’t be the right fit.
More Info:
While this space welcomes, and values the role of questioning elements of self-negating nondual ideology - to loosen the grip of views portrayed as "Absolute Truth" that have felt damaging or limiting, this isn’t a philosophy debate club, and we’re a dogma/indoctrination-free zone. The focus is on giving ourselves permission to explore alternate perspectives of our own choosing, and moving forward in your own unique way, not on swapping one dogma for another. No pressure to adopt a specific new worldview, just space to unpack, heal, and connect with others who really get what you're going through.
While this group isn’t guided by any over-arching philosophical lens, it’s founded on the conviction that—despite how impossible it can feel--you can revive your personal sense of self and reality, and revive your engagement with the interpersonal world, even after absorbing self-negating teachings that may have dissolved your sense of self. And furthermore, the perspective that re-embracing our personhood doesn't need to be seen as regression (as it’s often framed) but as a step forward toward multi-dimensional wholeness and fully human-ness.
If you’re considering moving away from self-negation, dis-identification, or detachment and start rebuilding—emotionally, psychologically, relationally—this could be a great group for you.
Meeting details:
Sundays, 12–1:30 PM EST on Zoom. Suggested donation: $15/session—but give what feels right. No one’s turned away for lack of funds!
How to Join:
Please fill out this short form (link) and I will contact you with all the details!
Facilitator
The facilitator Jessica Eve, is a trained spiritual crisis peer support group facilitator who has been down this path personally, and has extensive experience supporting folks through crises tied to self-negating nondual spirituality, especially Neo-Advaita & Radical Nonduality.
Link: Hear about my personal journey
Link: Read my spiritual emergency coach bio in the IMHU directory
The facilitator Jessica Eve, is a trained spiritual crisis peer support group facilitator who has been down this path personally, and has extensive experience supporting folks through crises tied to self-negating nondual spirituality, especially Neo-Advaita & Radical Nonduality.
Link: Hear about my personal journey
Link: Read my spiritual emergency coach bio in the IMHU directory
If you have questions or aren't sure if the group is the right fit for you, email Jessica at [email protected]
Encouraging testimonials from past participants 💪🏾
"Without this group, I can't imagine where I'd be at right now."
“I am doing much better now and feel as if I'm actually living a life again, with a sense of meaning and fulfillment."
“I was able to starting getting some peace of mind, after thinking I was losing my mind.”
"Coming to these meetups saved my life.”
"I'm able to laugh and connect with my loved ones more. And most importantly, through these meetups, I am gradually succeeding in deprogramming myself from all those self destructive ideologies!"
“I was very depressed and so hopeless and alone and thought I would go mad but being part of the group helped me feel like I could be "Me" again and gave me so much comfort and hope."
"I realize now that the most difficult and painful thing was the feeling of "being alone," which this has helped so much with!"
"I don't feel sad about falling into the traps of these teachings anymore because after coming out from this mental matrix, I feel more ME now and I'm more powerful and confident than ever. They tried to take away my Self and my Individuality from me but they failed and I ended up re-discovering myself and now able to embrace my individual and unique identity."
"Without this group, I can't imagine where I'd be at right now."
“I am doing much better now and feel as if I'm actually living a life again, with a sense of meaning and fulfillment."
“I was able to starting getting some peace of mind, after thinking I was losing my mind.”
"Coming to these meetups saved my life.”
"I'm able to laugh and connect with my loved ones more. And most importantly, through these meetups, I am gradually succeeding in deprogramming myself from all those self destructive ideologies!"
“I was very depressed and so hopeless and alone and thought I would go mad but being part of the group helped me feel like I could be "Me" again and gave me so much comfort and hope."
"I realize now that the most difficult and painful thing was the feeling of "being alone," which this has helped so much with!"
"I don't feel sad about falling into the traps of these teachings anymore because after coming out from this mental matrix, I feel more ME now and I'm more powerful and confident than ever. They tried to take away my Self and my Individuality from me but they failed and I ended up re-discovering myself and now able to embrace my individual and unique identity."
If you are having thoughts of suicide, please use these resources 🙏🏼
Crisis Text Line - US onlyInternational Suicide Hotline List
The National Alliance on Mental Health Illness
United States Suicide and Crisis Support
United Kingdom Suicide and Crisis Support