235. From Charismatic to Orthodox: A Psychologist's Journey of Faith and Discernment With Dr. Anita Marchesani235. From Charismatic to Orthodox: A Psychologist's Journey of Faith and Discernment With Dr. Anita Marchesani
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
Psychologist Dr. Anita Marchesani shares her movement from New Age influences and charismatic spaces into the Eastern Orthodox Church, stressing spiritual discernment and humility. The conversation focuses on how true healing is sought in Christ rather than chasing intense supernatural experiences.
53:54•13 Apr 2026
From New Age Confusion to Orthodox Calm: Dr Anita’s Candid Story of Faith and Discernment
Episode Overview
- Uncontrolled pursuit of supernatural experiences, even for comfort, can lead to serious psychological and spiritual harm.
- True safety in spiritual experiences comes from letting God initiate and staying within biblical guardrails, rather than forcing encounters.
- Suffering and painful emotions are seen as invitations to the cross and transformation, not just problems to be removed quickly.
- Regular stillness, humility and surrender before God create a better place to receive genuine healing from Christ.
- Eastern Orthodox practice places strong emphasis on Christ’s real presence in communion, ongoing healing, and the prayers of the saints within clear spiritual boundaries.
“Discernment is not being able to tell right from wrong. Discernment is being able to tell right from almost right.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey and deeper questions of faith at the same time? This conversation between host Heidi Mortenson and psychologist Dr. Anita Marchesani brings spiritual hunger, mental health, and church life into one honest chat. Dr. Anita shares her unusual spiritual background – Hindu father, Catholic mother, Mennonite best friend – and how that mix led her into New Age practices as a teen.
She describes watching a close family member slide from transcendental meditation and astral projection into such severe distress that she was hospitalised, warning that *“dabbling in that is dangerous. Not that it can be, but it is.”* For anyone who’s ever chased a high, whether chemical or spiritual, her story lands as a sober wake-up call.
You’ll hear how years later, after intense study about Jesus and the Bible, a simple bedtime plea – *“Dear God, if this Jesus thing is real, can you let me know?”* – was followed by a vivid dream of Christ that changed everything. From there she became a Christian, served in a charismatic Protestant church, and eventually moved into the Eastern Orthodox Church. Dr.
Anita explains why unfiltered pursuit of supernatural experiences can harm vulnerable people, especially where there are “no guardrails” and blame gets shifted onto those who aren’t instantly healed. She contrasts that with Orthodoxy’s emphasis on humility, suffering, and inner transformation, describing communion, icons, the saints, and even formal exorcism at entry to the church. Her focus stays firmly on Christ as healer, not on quick fixes for pain.
If you’re in recovery, wrestling with spiritual experiences, or wary after church hurt, this episode offers grounded language for sorting out what draws you closer to Jesus and what might actually be pulling you away. What would it look like for your own healing journey to start with stillness and truth, rather than chasing the next emotional high?
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