tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31075014820668318872024-02-20T09:49:36.697-05:00Kundalini Research Network BlogKRNwebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537302827845421643noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3107501482066831887.post-82535331593633150282011-06-09T17:05:00.002-04:002011-06-09T17:11:43.662-04:00Kundalini 101: The Energy and How It Works<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKgNFYiV95RolDk9ALlWY5_3mVlUUUzzDtv-f5rRqsv_qvxVwKtRUBzxreeR4jlRamVQLXLNnCa127Z-lVTL9P-PrVqX78f4_KMmN1cPcwERi4VHRPp2EQK9EdjvyrAjTwx7EAlt9pfH8/s1600/BarbaraHWhitfield_Full_Color_250x364_300ppi_04152009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKgNFYiV95RolDk9ALlWY5_3mVlUUUzzDtv-f5rRqsv_qvxVwKtRUBzxreeR4jlRamVQLXLNnCa127Z-lVTL9P-PrVqX78f4_KMmN1cPcwERi4VHRPp2EQK9EdjvyrAjTwx7EAlt9pfH8/s200/BarbaraHWhitfield_Full_Color_250x364_300ppi_04152009.jpg" width="137" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbara Harris Whitfield</td></tr>
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<div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Kundalini 101:</span></b></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Energy and How It Works</span></b></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Barbara Harris Whitfield</span></b></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">From her book</span></b></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Spiritual Awakenings</span></i></b></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></b></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">WHAT CHANGES US IN A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> One thing to consider is that we may have had a powerful energy force activated within us. One name that has been given to that energy is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundalini">Kundalini</a>. Scientists from the Kundalini Research Network (KRN) have begun to define Kundalini as "the evolutionary energy/consciousness force. . . . [Its] awakening effects a transformative process in the psycho-physiological and spiritual realms and results, ultimately, in the realization of the oneness of the individual and universal consciousness."</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transpersonal_psychology"><i>Transpersonal</i></a> psychotherapist Bonnie Greenwell, physicist Paul Pond and others of KRN<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[i]</span></span></span></a> hypothesize that Kundalini is associated with and may be the cause of mystical experiences, psychic ability, creativity and genius. Some observers note that Kundalini may be linked to some forms of mental illness. One of KRN's goals to is make Kundalini known to the Western world, especially the scientific and medical communities, therapists, health care workers and those who have had Kundalini experiences but may not realize it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Phenomena associated with the rising or arousal of Kundalini energy is occurring with increasing frequency to Westerners who have never heard of it and have done nothing consciously to arouse it. The term "rising" is often used in this way to describe the arousal of the Kundalini energy to an undetermined level that may or may not complete itself as a sustained evolution of consciousness. Felt as vast rushes of energy through the body, Kundalini-rising can create profound changes in the structure of people's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual lives.</span></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Western Research</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> Bonnie Greenwell addressed some of the problems and joys of Kundalini-rising in her doctoral dissertation, which she has published as <i>Energies of Transformation: A Guide to the Kundalini Process</i>. This book summarizes her six years of research and experience working with individuals who have awakened Kundalini.</span></div><div style="margin: 5pt 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">After centuries of hiding in nearly every culture on the globe under the guise of a secret esoteric truth, the Kundalini experience is reported more and more frequently among modern spiritual seekers, and it appears to be occurring even among people who are not pursuing disciplined or esoteric spiritual practices. When this happens to those who have no understanding of the profound correlations between the physical and mystical experiences, it can leave them bewildered and frightened, even psychologically fragmented. When they turn to traditional physicians, psychotherapists or church advisors, their anxiety is compounded by the general lack of understanding in Western culture regarding the potentiality in the human psyche for profound spiritual emergence and its relationship to energy.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[ii]</span></span></span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">How Kundalini manifests itself in experiencers is called the physio-Kundalini syndrome.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[iii]</span></span></span></a> Researcher <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Greyson">Bruce Greyson</a> did a scientific study of the physio-Kundalini hypothesis. He reported those results at the 1992 KRN conference. </span></div><div style="margin: 5pt 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">As a group, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near-death">near-death</a> experiencers reported experiencing almost twice as many physio-Kundalini items as did people who had close brushes with death but no NDE, and people who had never come close to death. As a check on whether the physio-Kundalini questionnaire might be measuring nonspecific strange experiences, I threw into the analysis the responses of a group of hospitalized psychiatric patients. They reported the same number of physio-Kundalini [index] items as did the non-NDE control group. There were two unexpected and ambiguous "control" groups in my studies: people who claimed to have had NDEs but described experiences with virtually no typical NDE features; and people who denied having had NDEs but then went on to describe prototypical near-death experiences. In their responses to the physio-Kundalini questionnaire, the group that made unsupported claims of NDEs were comparable to the non-NDE control group, while the group that denied having NDEs (but according to their responses on the NDE scale, did) were comparable to the group of NDErs. In regard to awakening Kundalini, then, having an experience mattered, but thinking you had one didn't.</span></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Manifestations</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> Because <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_medicine">Western medicine</a> does not acknowledge the East's physio-Kundalini model, symptoms of Kundalini arousal are often diagnosed as physical and/or psychological problems that fit within the Western allopathic diagnostic categories. For example, the shaking, twisting and vibrating so well known to experiencers could be diagnosed as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurological">neurological </a>disorder. It is also hard to recognize the energy presence because it manifests itself in so many different patterns. Because its symptoms mimic so many disorders of the mind and body, even people familiar with the Kundalini concept are unsure whether they are witnessing rising Kundalini energy or distresses of the mind and body. The danger is in accepting prescriptions for drugs that Western physicians give to alleviate symptoms and possibly stopping the continuation of this natural healing mechanism. Any symptoms that can be alleviated by using the Kundalini model should not be treated and suppressed with drugs.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">In studying the manifestations that Kundalini arousal may take, Greyson compiled a questionnaire entitled <i>The Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index</i>, containing 19 manifestations in three categories:</span></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Motor manifestations</span></b><br />
<ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Spontaneous body movements</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Strange posturing</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Breath changes</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Body locking in certain positions</span></li>
</ul><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Sensory manifestations</span></b><br />
<ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Spontaneous tingling or vibrations</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Orgasmic sensations</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Progression of physical sensations up the legs and back and over the head</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Extreme heat or cold (in isolated areas of the body)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Pain that comes and goes abruptly</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Internal lights or colors that light up the body (or are seen internally)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Internal voices (and internal whistling, hissing or roaring noises)</span></li>
</ul><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Psychological manifestations</span></b><br />
<ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Sudden bliss or ecstasy for no reason</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Sudden anxiety or depression for no reason</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Speeding or slowing of thoughts</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Expanding beyond the body</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Watching the body from a distance</span></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Ring">Kenneth Ring</a> and Christopher Rosing reported almost identical results as Greyson's in their latest research, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Ring">The Omega Project</a>: "Near-death experiencers reported experiencing almost twice as many physio-Kundalini items as did people who had close brushes with death but no NDE, and people who had never come close to death."<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn4" name="_ednref4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[iv]</span></span></span></a></span></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The Concept of Energy</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> Kundalini is a natural phenomenon with intense psychological and physical effects that can catapult a person into a higher state of consciousness. This analysis is based on the reality that we are extensive fields of consciousness as well as biological beings. As fields of consciousness, we have a spirit-body made of various energy systems. Various experiences can manifest in the energy or spirit body. These can be highly emotional and are usually connected to activities in the autonomic nervous system and the hormonal and muscular systems of the physical body. These experiences can be repressed in our memories but are manifested as stress in our energy/spirit/biological body. Felt as "blocks in our energy," they can be released emotionally and physically.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn5" name="_ednref5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[v]</span></span></span></a> Thus, Kundalini is fueled by emotion and helps us to release a lifetime of buried stress, resulting in a physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually more healthy person.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Whether this energy is called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%27i">Chi</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi">Ki</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prana">prana</a>, Kundalini, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_%28esotericism%29">bioenergy</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Spirit">Holy Spirit</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vital_force">vitalforce</a> or simply <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_%28esotericism%29">energy</a>, the assumptions about it are similar. Several healing aids use a concept of releasing this stored energy: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiatsu">Shiatsu</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarity_therapy">polarity</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupuncture">acupuncture</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acupressure">acupressure</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki">Reikian body</a> work, bioenergy integration, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holotropic">holotropicintegration</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%27ai_Chi">T'ai Chi </a>and some forms of massage. In discussing an energy model, there is a common limitation set up by the tendency to concretize the energy, to make it tangible, to view it as physical stuff with physical properties. The concept of energy in the human body, and any form of life, is best understood as dynamic, a verb not a noun. There is no such thing as energy in physical form. Rather, there is activity described in energetic terms.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">So when we speak of life energy, we characterize activity, not a measurable physical entity. According to the Chinese explanation, energy is like the wind, invisible but with visible effects such as waves on a pond stirred by a breeze. The concept of energy is a useful way of describing the deeper hidden patterns and processes that underlie the more visible effects. The results of the energy, the visible waves on the pond, can be seen in the lives that we lead, the love that we share and the selfless service that we extend. Or as the Bible puts it, "By their fruits you shall know them." (Matthew 7:20.)</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">This invisible energy appears to be a deep, hidden pattern or process of integration that unifies all of our dimensions, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. We could also call it the creative intelligence that is working to make us whole.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn6" name="_ednref6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[vi]</span></span></span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">My first encounters with Kundalini energy were intense. Over the years they have tapered off to gentle, subtle and infrequent. Here's an example of a joyful experience:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I'd take my daily four-mile walk in the hot Florida sunshine. Often, I came back feeling euphoric and swam or showered and then meditated. Sometimes I perceived tingling sensations moving up my back and feel myself surrounded in Light. I became acutely aware of the love that connects and is all living things. Sometimes, I felt sweet currents like honey flowing downward in my head, behind my face. I felt my hands expand and then my very being went out into It. I chuckled inside over my feeling of bliss and I heard the chuckle echo and rebound through the Universe. On the days that happened, I perceived the energy fields around everything.</span></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Chakras - Energy Centers of Transformation</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra">Chakra</a> is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit">Sanskrit </a>for wheel and describes energy centers or transducers that convey energy from one dimension into another. In this case the energy is conveyed from our environment to our energy body to our physical body, or in reverse-from our inner life to our awareness (if we are awake or conscious of our inner life) and then out to our environment. There are seven major chakras, and many more minor ones, contained in our subtle energy body that interact with our physical body. Each can be visualized as a center where many of the streams of energy-nadis or meridians-come together through the human body. <i>Each chakra mediates a different level of consciousness with the outer environment.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">This system works for our growth and healing potential. Chakras modulate discrete frequencies that represent every variety of human experience on the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual levels. A pain in our hearts, a bright idea, a gut feeling, a tingling up our spines are all feelings originating in the vortex of a chakra energy center. So are experiences of oneness, sexual desire, self-pity, a beautiful singing voice and even addictions.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn7" name="_ednref7" style="mso-endnote-id: edn7;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[vii]</span></span></span></a> A lump in our throat, butterflies in our stomach, pressure in our heads-all originate from a chakra picking up our inner life or perceiving the outer environment, then broadcasting it to us through our physical system until we feel it can focus on it.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IKQIlmc5bTy7MuQ88JK845z7K6xvwjRjcKA3TMMqGg6YbHDNUA6q93l-jGbEoiBf6VbX8aVodbxchMe-g5OQy7q_XxOnYoiOl79v7e0DTzC10s1FPZRwz1INLypz2h5Y3j7VZdWUrZsj/s1600/SA_CHAKRAS_GRAPHIC_4x4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IKQIlmc5bTy7MuQ88JK845z7K6xvwjRjcKA3TMMqGg6YbHDNUA6q93l-jGbEoiBf6VbX8aVodbxchMe-g5OQy7q_XxOnYoiOl79v7e0DTzC10s1FPZRwz1INLypz2h5Y3j7VZdWUrZsj/s1600/SA_CHAKRAS_GRAPHIC_4x4.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Human Chakras</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">After a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_awakening">spiritual awakening</a>, many of us want to stay in the higher chakras, the higher spiritual levels, and not deal with the lower three. However, we need the balance of all seven.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Beginning at the bottom, the <i>first chakra</i> is located at the base of the spine and opens down toward the ground. It keeps us alive in the body and draws sustenance from the soul or True Self. It is our sense of grounding, our work of survival on the planet. When working properly it is our sense of security. An imbalance brings on fear.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">When we talk about getting grounded we mean staying with issues of this reality, coming back to practical issues and common sense. Experiencers and spiritual seekers in general have a tendency to intellectualize and fantasize, or go into their heads and indulge in wishful or magical thinking. A great many New Age concerns can turn into escapist delusions. This danger can be averted by solid grounding-getting down to basics, or first chakra issues.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The problem of staying grounded comes up over and over again at support group meetings and research conferences. If you need grounding, it's advisable to stop reading books on Kundalini for a while.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn8" name="_ednref8" style="mso-endnote-id: edn8;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[viii]</span></span></span></a> Put yourself with safe friends who are grounded, take a barefoot walk outdoors - if possible, hug a tree or lie down on the earth. Adjust your diet to foods that are grounding, like meats, root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots-and the favorite standard among researchers and experiencers, fast-food french fries! The salt and grease will bring you down immediately. We also agree that during these periods you should meditate and practice yoga less.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Grounding requires the willingness, honesty and courage to face ourselves as we are and our world as it is - no distance, no exclusions, no avoidances, no anesthesia. When we are solidly grounded our heart chakra can function openly because our first chakra is balancing it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The <i>second chakra</i> is approximately two inches below the navel. If it is healthy and well-balanced, the second chakra is responsible for fluid actions and nurturing, being able to accept our own feelings and tolerate others. We feel at home in the world. If damage was done to this chakra in childhood or if it is out of balance now for some other reason, there is a sense of separation, abandonment, rejection, anger, rage, fear of loss, etc. Many teachers believe that this is the chakra of emotional healing, going back to very early childhood development. The second chakra is also the seat of our sexuality.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The <i>third chakra</i> is called the solar plexus and is at the level of the diaphragm. It includes the realms of social interaction, education, mental development and career. It equips us to interact effectively with the fundamentals of the external world. The virtues of justice, fairness and equality, and the institutions of law, politics and education develop from the third chakra. Feeling hungry or empty is also a third chakra expression.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn9" name="_ednref9" style="mso-endnote-id: edn9;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[ix]</span></span></span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">As I said above, avoiding these first three chakras is another way of attempting spiritual bypass or high-level denial. Since we need to live in the physical world, we will achieve harmony and balance only by embracing these three levels of consciousness defined by chakra one, two and three. Not to embrace them invites dis-ease and disharmony and imbalance.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">During a spiritual awakening, our partially dormant and often totally shut down upper four chakras may be aroused or opened. Anyone pursuing psychospiritual growth will, over time, open these chakras. If we are aware of this and encourage these openings by doing our emotional work-dealing with our unfinished business-we will know when our consciousness level is shifting from one chakra to another.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The <i>fourth chakra</i> is located at heart level and relates to our capacity to love, to open up our hearts and to give. When this chakra is blocked a person may appear to be cold or inhibited, or may exhibit passivity in his or her life. This chakra governs joyfulness and is the master control center for regulating the emotions. Many, if not most, NDErs that Bruce Greyson, Ken Ring and I interviewed appeared to have had a heart chakra opening. You can tell by a vivid description of love-what we thought it was before and especially what we know it is now. In the classic <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, Scrooge's transformation at the end of the story is an excellent example of a heart chakra opening.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">We have heard of a few cases where relatives have taken experiencers to court because of the after effects of a sudden heart chakra opening. Like Scrooge, these new experiencers want to give away their possessions. I will discuss more about caution in the next chapter under the sub-heading "Romantic Projection" (p. 83). I don't mean to be a wet blanket on expressions of the heart; expressing my heart and extending myself on the heart level is my reason for living. It is the way I live, but I need to caution that heart openings without healthy grounding can backfire and we can hurt ourselves, our families and unsuspecting others.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The <i>fifth chakra</i> is located in the throat and is a synthesis of head and heart energy. Those who have opened this center are able to <i>express</i> their heart experience of being alive. We are standing in the Light of our own soul. We are truly in a relationship with ourselves and the Universe.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The <i>sixth chakra</i> is between our eyebrows and often is called the third eye. Its opening is a direct result of spiritual practice. Meditation, selfless service and compassion are its prerequisite. From this opening there is a realization of unity, a marriage of opposites, the blending of male and female, mind and emotion, resistance and flow. In our inner life we discover our soul flame's identity and fall madly in love with our self.(10) It used to be that the closer we got to God, the more <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox">paradox</a> there was in our lives. Now we move closer to God and at the same time confusion and paradox dissolves. In more grounded terms, this means a synthesis between both sides of our brain (see chapter 7), which then births a higher wisdom and creativity.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The <i>seventh chakra</i> at the top of the head funnels unlimited spiritual energy in and draws energy up from the lower centers in the process we know as enlightenment. We do not pray; we are prayer. We are no longer doing, just being. We have become our Higher Self.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn10" name="_ednref10" style="mso-endnote-id: edn10;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[x]</span></span></span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">A Word of Caution</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
This map of consciousness mediated through our energy body has been studied in great depth by ancient scholars and scientists in the East. There have been no easy translations yet to give Westerners a clear grasp of how Kundalini energy and the chakra system can work in our lives when we are so embedded in Western culture. Our best guide to all of this is our personal inner voice. As we travel our individual journeys, our inner life will become clearer and that subtle voice stronger. Read and learn from all available teachers and guides, but keep only the knowledge and information that rings true for you. Throw away the rest (see chapter 8).</span></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Ego Inflation</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The experiencers with Kundalini symptoms who contacted Bruce Greyson and me often were scared, concerned, and wanted to know more. Some wanted to help with the research and occasionally claimed to be authorities. Some claimed that their Kundalini arousal had transformed them into gurus.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Probably the biggest problem at this early stage of understanding is ego inflation. Many who have read the Eastern literature identify strongly with the gurus. Eventually we pass through this stage, realizing that we are Westerners and that it's hard to translate these Eastern metaphors when our cultural roots are so completely different. Our reward for getting through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_%28spirituality%29">ego </a>inflation is humility, which is the solid foundation of a truly spiritual, healthy and whole human being. Some don't experience ego inflation and others get stuck in it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humility">Humility</a>is the willingness to continue learning our whole lives. Being humble is that state of being open to experiencing and learning about self, others and God.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn11" name="_ednref11" style="mso-endnote-id: edn11;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[xi]</span></span></span></a> In this openness we are free to avoid the pitfalls of ego inflation and to connect with God again here in this reality. In this state of humility and second innocence, we can experience whatever comes.</span></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Spiritual Bypass</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> If we try to ignore our pain and achieve the higher levels of our consciousness, something, usually our false self/negative ego or shadow self, will hold us back until we work through our particular unfinished business. Trying to bypass the work that needs to be done on our negative ego/shadow backfires. This is called spiritual bypass, premature transcendence or high-level denial.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn12" name="_ednref12" style="mso-endnote-id: edn12;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[xii]</span></span></span></a> Spiritual bypass can be seen in any number of situations, from being born again in the fundamentalist sense, to focusing only on the Light, to becoming attached to a guru or technique. The consequences often are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial">denial </a>of the richness and healthy spontaneity of our inner life: trying to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_freak">control </a>oneself or others; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_white_thinking">all-or-nonethinking and behaving</a>; feelings of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear">fear</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shame">shame </a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confusion">confusion</a>; high tolerance for inappropriate behavior; frustration, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addictions">addictions </a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsive_behavior">compulsions</a>; and unnecessary <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain#Psychogenic">pain </a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffering">suffering</a>.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn13" name="_ednref13" style="mso-endnote-id: edn13;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[xiii]</span></span></span></a></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Recently I heard two glaring examples of spiritual bypass. First, a prison counselor complained of inmates who carried Bibles everywhere and <i>refused rehabilitation</i> because they had been so-called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_again_%28Christianity%29">born again</a>." They are classic examples of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial"><u>high-level denial</u></a>. Second, a family therapist had been treating a severely <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysfunctional_family">dysfunctional family</a> in which the father was an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic">alcoholic </a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_offender">sexual offender</a>. </span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He had molested all of his daughters and, as soon as that was revealed, claimed instant healing in a spiritual experience. He joined a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalist#Criticism_of_fundamentalist_positions">fundamentalist </a>church whose minister did the family a terrible disservice by supporting the "spiritual awakening" of this charming and persuasive talker, claiming the father no longer needed to feel guilt or remorse.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">While at first glance these seem to be extreme examples, many of us know someone who has never done any inner work and is making everyone around them crazy with constant Bible quoting or by extolling some definitive path. When I see someone pushing an exclusive, restrictive system, I become cautious. Spiritual awakenings are universal, <i>include everyone</i> and exclude no one. They include all beliefs, are <i>anti nothing</i>, <i>require no allegiance</i> and <i>embrace all</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<b>About Barbara:</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Barbara Harris Whitfield, RT, CMT</b> is a researcher, therapist and author. She shares a private practice in Atlanta, with her husband Charles Whitfield, MD helping adults who were traumatized as children. She presents workshops on near-death experiences, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanatology">thanatology </a>(the study of death and dying), and spirituality. Find more about Barbara, her research and work as a therapist at: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.Barbara-Whitfield.Blogspot.com">www.Barbara-Whitfield.Blogspot.com</a></div><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Endnotes</b></div><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[i]</span></span></span> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Including physicians Evon Kason, Bruce Greyson, Robert Turner and Lee Sannella.</span></b></div></div><div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[ii]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">From Energies of Transformation: A Guide to the Kundalini Process.</span></b></div></div><div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[iii]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Bentov, Sannella, and Greyson 1992.</span></b></div></div><div id="edn4" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref4" name="_edn4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[iv]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Ring and Rosing. "The Omega Project," The Journal of Near-Death Studies, 1990.</span></b></div></div><div id="edn5" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref5" name="_edn5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[v]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Working with Kundalini energy and specifically by balancing the chakra system, alternative therapies suggested in this book can do more to alleviate these unwanted sensations than Western allopathic medicine has shown.</span></b></div></div><div id="edn6" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref6" name="_edn6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[vi]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">This information comes from an editorial I wrote for The Journal of Near-Death Studies (13:2, Winter 94) entitled "Kundalini and Healing in the West."</span></b></div></div><div id="edn7" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref7" name="_edn7" style="mso-endnote-id: edn7;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[vii]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">From a workshop and unpublished book by Gloria St. John, A Journey Throughout the Chakras. For further information see bibliography.</span></b></div></div><div id="edn8" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref8" name="_edn8" style="mso-endnote-id: edn8;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[viii]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">I caution against reading Kundalini literature during emotional turbulence because it can promote more energy flow, or awareness of energy flow into your body. Your false self and True Self struggle for control, and focusing on Kundalini energy, or using it to distract can lead to ego inflation. Stay grounded. The waters are rough enough without making them rougher for yourself.</span></b></div></div><div id="edn9" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref9" name="_edn9" style="mso-endnote-id: edn9;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[ix]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">From Gloria St. John's workshop.</span></b></div></div><div id="edn10" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref10" name="_edn10" style="mso-endnote-id: edn10;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[x]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">St. John</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">. op. cit.</span></b></div></div><div id="edn11" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref11" name="_edn11" style="mso-endnote-id: edn11;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[xi]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Whitfield, Spirituality and Recovery, 1985.</span></b></div></div><div id="edn12" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref12" name="_edn12" style="mso-endnote-id: edn12;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[xii]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">Whitfield, Co-Dependence, 1991. Small, Awakening in Time, 1991.</span></b></div></div><div id="edn13" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref13" name="_edn13" style="mso-endnote-id: edn13;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[xiii]</span></span></span></a> <b><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 7.5pt;">This is a compilation of C. Whitfield's ideas.</span></b></div></div></div>KRNwebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537302827845421643noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3107501482066831887.post-25664924479832167042011-05-31T21:39:00.003-04:002011-06-01T03:13:53.352-04:00Article: Near-Death Experiences and the Physio-Kundalini Syndrome<div class="WordSection1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXOcKe0A_z8IDOyeEP2o6gTzNP8lPNXAiaEyGO-D4nX03lIRtQ5t-POqpBfwt0EloGiDD2ZsjiXmKD9deO5RYM9ZrnYZwQOYNcYLgZALpbsw5Yy0RwlPO8QC_V-07WQHZcrpylvIxgthD/s1600/Kundalini_Square_graphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHXOcKe0A_z8IDOyeEP2o6gTzNP8lPNXAiaEyGO-D4nX03lIRtQ5t-POqpBfwt0EloGiDD2ZsjiXmKD9deO5RYM9ZrnYZwQOYNcYLgZALpbsw5Yy0RwlPO8QC_V-07WQHZcrpylvIxgthD/s200/Kundalini_Square_graphic.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Near-Death Experiences </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">and the </span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Physio-Kundalini Syndrome</span></b></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Bruce Greyson, MD</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Abstract: Near-death experiences (NDEs), transcendental experiences on the threshold of death with profound implications for both patient care and religious belief, have been hypothesized to be related to a biological process known in the Eastern traditions as kundalini arousal. In a test of this proposed association between kundalini and NDEs, a sample of near-death experiencers acknowledged significantly more symptoms of a physio-kundalini syndrome than did comparison groups, including a sample of hospitalized psychiatric patients.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Near-Death Experiences</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Near-death experiences (NDEs) are profound spiritual or mystical experiences that many people report as they approach or start to cross the threshold of death.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[1]</span></span></span></a> The contents and after-effects of NDEs suggest that they are more than just hallucinations.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[2]</span></span></span></a> The contents do not appear to be influenced by past religious beliefs, but do have a profound effect on religious or spiritual beliefs after the experience.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[3]</span></span></span></a> Near-death experiencers (NDErs) also report a consistent positive change in attitude toward the transition from life to death.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn4" name="_ednref4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[4]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> There is still no accepted scientific cause for NDEs. As complex a phenomenon as the near-death experience does not lend itself to a simplistic mechanistic explanation. Despite the psychological or physiological interpretations of the NDE proposed by some authors,<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn5" name="_ednref5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[5]</span></span></span></a> the experience is almost universally regarded by those who report it as spiritually authentic. This not necessarily paradoxical, as the measure of an experience’s authenticity is not the nature of its trigger, but rather its ability to promote authentic spiritual growth.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn6" name="_ednref6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[6]</span></span></span></a> One of the most consistently documented features of the near-death experience is its profound range of after-effects, including decreased fear of death, decreased competitiveness, decreased interest in personal gain, and increased joy of life, altruism, and interest in spirituality.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn7" name="_ednref7" style="mso-endnote-id: edn7;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[7]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Some investigators in the field of consciousness and near-death studies have suggested that the significance of the near-death experience may be its role as a catalyst for human evolution.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn8" name="_ednref8" style="mso-endnote-id: edn8;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[8]</span></span></span></a> They view the reported mental, physical, and spiritual after-effects of NDEs as indications of an accelerated development in near-death experiencers of intuitive functioning on a different order, and as similar to changes traditionally reported by people awakening to a higher-order state of consciousness. But if evolution of consciousness implies the continuing biological evolution of humanity, then personality transformations should be accompanied by signs of biological transformation.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kundalini</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> In Eastern spiritual traditions, the biological mechanism of both individual enlightenment and evolution of the species toward higher consciousness is called kundalini, a potential force that once awakened can produce a variety of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual effects. The ancient yogic texts described a life energy present in all living beings called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prana</i>; corollary energies have been identified in many other cultures, such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">huo </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chi </i>of Tibetan yogis, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">quaumaneq </i>of Eskimo shamans, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">incendium amoris</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">photismos </i>of Christian mystics, Henri Bergson’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">élan vital, </i>and the more recent terms “bioenergy,” “bioplasma,” and “orgone energy.” Kundalini was described as a normally dormant mechanism or organizing principle that could be activated or aroused under certain conditions, to strengthen or purify an individual’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prana, </i>transforming its effects upon the individual. Comparable potential forces or organizing principles also have been described in other traditions, for example, as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shakti, </i>the Odic force, the Holy Spirit, the Pearl of Great Price, the Serpent Power, the Rod of Aaron, the Sacred Fire, Osiris, and the Sun Behind the Sun.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn9" name="_ednref9" style="mso-endnote-id: edn9;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[9]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Kundalini has been held responsible for life itself, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn10" name="_ednref10" style="mso-endnote-id: edn10;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[10]</span></span></span></a> the sexual drive, creativity, genius, longevity, and vigor,<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn11" name="_ednref11" style="mso-endnote-id: edn11;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[11]</span></span></span></a> and our evolution toward an ultimate, magnificent state of consciousness<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn12" name="_ednref12" style="mso-endnote-id: edn12;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[12]</span></span></span></a> The dormant kundalini is said to be situated at the base of the spine, and when aroused can travel upwards along the spinal cord to the brain, where it can stimulate a dormant chamber of the brain (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the brahma randhra), </i>leading to biological transformation and immensely expanded perception.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn13" name="_ednref13" style="mso-endnote-id: edn13;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[13]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kundalini and Near-Death Experiences</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Eastern traditions have developed elaborate lifelong practices and lifestyles with the intent of awakening kundalini; this is, in fact, the implicit purpose of yoga.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn14" name="_ednref14" style="mso-endnote-id: edn14;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[14]</span></span></span></a> However, the same ancient Eastern traditions have also recognized that when the brain is deprived of oxygen, kundalini as the life force in rare circumstances may actually rush to the brain in an effort to sustain life. In fact, one unorthodox yoga sect practices suffocation by tongue-swallowing in the hope that kundalini would rush to their brains and produce enlightenment,<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn15" name="_ednref15" style="mso-endnote-id: edn15;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[15]</span></span></span></a> a practice that may have a Western counterpart in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">la petite mort, </i>in which a considerable number of adolescents die each year seeking orgasmic initiation by asphyxiation.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn16" name="_ednref16" style="mso-endnote-id: edn16;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[16]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> This theoretical arousal of kundalini by life-threatening crisis has traditionally been regarded by most Eastern philosophers as dangerous.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn17" name="_ednref17" style="mso-endnote-id: edn17;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[17]</span></span></span></a> In Eastern traditions, kundalini would ideally be activated at the appropriate time by a guru who can properly guide the development of that energy. If awakened without proper guidance, as Kenneth Ring believes happens in a near-death experience,<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn18" name="_ednref18" style="mso-endnote-id: edn18;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[18]</span></span></span></a> kundalini can be raw, destructive power loosed on the individual’s body and psyche.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Though the vocabulary of the kundalini hypothesis is foreign to Westerners, the process bears some resemblance to the Christian concept of the Holy Spirit. The process of kundalini awakening is essentially a spiritual one, outside the domain of science. However, its traditional roles as the vehicle of evolution, if guided, or of psychosomatic havoc, if spontaneous, should be accompanied by observable physical and psychological effects.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Physio-Kundalini Syndrome</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Because Western medicine does not acknowledge the Eastern concept of kundalini or even the Westernized physio-kundalini model, symptoms of kundalini arousal are often diagnosed as physical and/or psychological problems that fit within the Western allopathic diagnostic categories. For example, the shaking, twisting and vibrating so well known to experiencers could be diagnosed as a neurological disorder. It is also hard to recognize the energy presence because it manifests itself in so many different patterns. Because its symptoms mimic so many disorders of the mind and body, even people familiar with the kundalini concept are unsure whether they are witnessing rising kundalini energy or disorders of the mind and body. However, taking psychotropic medications to alleviate symptoms, on the assumption that these represent a psychiatric disorder, may disrupt the natural healing mechanism of kundalini activation.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn19" name="_ednref19" style="mso-endnote-id: edn19;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[19]</span></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Three decades ago, biomedical engineer Itzhak Bentov formulated a scientifically verifiable version of the kundalini concept, which he called the physio-kundalini hypothesis; psychiatrist and ophthalmologist Lee Sannella developed the physio-kundalini model further, collecting cases, experimenting with ways to help channel it, and outlining research strategies.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn20" name="_ednref20" style="mso-endnote-id: edn20;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">[20]</span></span></span></a> While both scientists acknowledged that the physio-kundalini concept is less comprehensive than the classical kundalini model, they argued that its simplified, mechanistic description made it more accessible to scientific study.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Study</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Following up on Kenneth Ring’s suggestion that NDEs can arouse kundalini, I measured features of NDEs and features of kundalini arousal in people who had had near-death experiences and in two comparison groups.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>The participants in this research included 153 people who had had NDEs, 55 who had come close to death but did not have NDEs, and 133 people who had never come close to death. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> I gave all 321 participants the NDE scale to identify the presence of a near-death experience and quantify its depth. The NDE Scale, with a range of 0 to 32, has high internal consistency and correlation with other measures of NDE, reliably differentiates near-death experiences from other reactions to a brush with death, and produces scores that do not change over decades.<sup>21</sup> The 153 participants identified as NDErs had a mean score of 16.7 on the NDE scale, whereas the 55 participants classified as not having an NDE had a mean score of 2 on the NDE scale. The third group of 113 participants had never come close to death.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> I analyzed responses of NDErs and control subjects on a nineteen-item questionnaire that I based on the Bentov-Sannella physio-kundalini model.<sup>22 </sup> This questionnaire includes motor “symptoms,” such as spontaneous body movements, strange posturing, breath changes, and the body getting locked in to certain positions; somatosensory symptoms, such as spontaneous tingling or vibrations, orgasmic sensations, progression of physical sensations up the legs and back and over the head, extreme heat or cold, pain that comes and goes abruptly; audiovisual symptoms, such as internal lights or colors that light up the body, internal voices, and internal whistling, hissing, or roaring noises; and psychological symptoms, such as sudden bliss or ecstasy for no reason, and speeding or slowing of thoughts; and expanding beyond the body and watching the body from a distance.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> As a group, near-death experiencers reported experiencing almost twice as many physio-kundalini items as did either people who had had close brushes with death but no NDEs, or people who had never come close to death. As a check on whether the physio-kundalini questionnaire might be measuring nonspecific unusual experiences, I also analyzed the responses of a group of hospitalized psychiatric patients; they reported the same number of physic-kundalini items as did the non-NDEr comparison groups.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> There were two additional unexpected comparison groups in my studies, as shown below: people who claimed to have had NDEs but described experiences with virtually no typical NDE features; and people who denied having had NDEs but then went on to describe prototypical near-death experiences. In their responses to the physio-kundalini questionnaire, the group that made unsupported claims of NDEs were comparable to the non-NDEr comparison group, while the group that undeservedly denied having NDEs were comparable to the group of NDErs. In regard to kundalini arousal, then, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">having </i>a near-death experience mattered, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">thinking </i>you had one didn’t.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Table: Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-loHsrVPuLguyeLEO5NNGZ9u3kDJDOY1mR-b1k_D-_-coRhObG5JJqtsKr9BJP-WMTk1BUXMmROQmbWE0E2dvGVA7_rShXBShaIQ-RpBNuFjXvNFYPgUvaeF6xfq7tGfFamtMD8U0d1d5/s1600/Table_PhysioKundaliniSyndromeIndex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-loHsrVPuLguyeLEO5NNGZ9u3kDJDOY1mR-b1k_D-_-coRhObG5JJqtsKr9BJP-WMTk1BUXMmROQmbWE0E2dvGVA7_rShXBShaIQ-RpBNuFjXvNFYPgUvaeF6xfq7tGfFamtMD8U0d1d5/s320/Table_PhysioKundaliniSyndromeIndex.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Here is a breakdown of all the items on the Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index in four categories of motor symptoms, somatosensory symptoms, audiovisual symptoms, and mental symptoms. Three of the four <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">motor</i> physio-kundalini symptoms were acknowledged significantly more often by NDErs than by the two comparison groups:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Table: Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index: Motor Symptoms</b></div></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: auto;" /> </span> <br />
<div class="WordSection2"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GG0PQU2llnuDK-F1LvDxxxjrF8tm-fzsS9inVrN9bwxGQi9JhSAUwDQDGYXAkV73zKX21S3IrhJhbXfMvQ8KeWh-7QN62DrwaqDnpb8i0jKL-xirfLYYT9jqwTnFgy3RYkkS5l7q4kkr/s1600/table_PKS_MOtorSymptoms.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GG0PQU2llnuDK-F1LvDxxxjrF8tm-fzsS9inVrN9bwxGQi9JhSAUwDQDGYXAkV73zKX21S3IrhJhbXfMvQ8KeWh-7QN62DrwaqDnpb8i0jKL-xirfLYYT9jqwTnFgy3RYkkS5l7q4kkr/s320/table_PKS_MOtorSymptoms.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> While some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">somatosensory</i> physio-kundalini symptoms, such as spontaneous orgasmic sensations, ascending anatomic progression of sensations, and unexplained isolated temperature changes, are more commonly reported by NDErs than by the comparison groups, the differences were not statistically significant, possibly because they are either too infrequent in any group, as with temperature changes so extreme as to burn other people, or too common in all groups, as with spontaneous unexplained pains and tingling or vibratory sensations:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b>Table: Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index: Somatosensory Symptoms</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9W6WYXx0jJlhWCb1PixGwOmG-OlXs9tsstG97tC8cx80S6NKCgjCFuXYH8tJP9xRj54iEqGj4voPNaUjJla3GAaSDDvia0DRfX1jxoNrbUKNUDqbrm-HAz8PdumacaCdQ-pzZh-p0XiO/s1600/table_PKS_SomatoSensorySymptoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9W6WYXx0jJlhWCb1PixGwOmG-OlXs9tsstG97tC8cx80S6NKCgjCFuXYH8tJP9xRj54iEqGj4voPNaUjJla3GAaSDDvia0DRfX1jxoNrbUKNUDqbrm-HAz8PdumacaCdQ-pzZh-p0XiO/s320/table_PKS_SomatoSensorySymptoms.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> With the exception of unexplained internal noises, which were reported significantly more often by NDErs than participants in the comparison groups, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">audiovisual</i> physio-kundalini symptoms were acknowledged either so commonly by all groups, as with internal voices, or so rarely, as with internal lights or colors, that differences between groups were not significant:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Table: Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index: Audiovisual Symptoms</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQ87RRK19TmxADQgwIqmDOGia1kxRWupFf8TFsRnM6tks_bVGGng3uTGtjCoOSUtqawxriJT-Nt4e0sWk6114lvFKCKwDFi7T67asRiocbwBat9w7z_RApptvhvrOsnaaQE5nqEjzLWK8/s1600/table_PKS_AudioVisualSymptoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQ87RRK19TmxADQgwIqmDOGia1kxRWupFf8TFsRnM6tks_bVGGng3uTGtjCoOSUtqawxriJT-Nt4e0sWk6114lvFKCKwDFi7T67asRiocbwBat9w7z_RApptvhvrOsnaaQE5nqEjzLWK8/s320/table_PKS_AudioVisualSymptoms.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b> </b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> Finally, with regard to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">psychological</i> physio-kundalini symptoms, sudden unexplained positive emotions, changes in thought processes for no apparent reason, and watching oneself from a distance or “witness consciousness” were reported significantly more often by NDErs than by either comparison group; whereas sudden unexplained negative emotions and the “greater body” experience were not reported with significantly different frequency by the different groups: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Table: Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index: Psychological Symptoms</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcM3AeXBd8ESm1DEeOC1QGKLwbungj0iqeMKehcwnjjYN_YvHA9TjlG_mdrx9kTaO8Am5Ewl88ftbCNnmtxyQPX0xFA-Kr7iUVXb8ggeDL4ksnfO9KUjtN3sLDci4thorl1RsHsgFTO43j/s1600/table_PKS_PsychologicalSymptoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcM3AeXBd8ESm1DEeOC1QGKLwbungj0iqeMKehcwnjjYN_YvHA9TjlG_mdrx9kTaO8Am5Ewl88ftbCNnmtxyQPX0xFA-Kr7iUVXb8ggeDL4ksnfO9KUjtN3sLDci4thorl1RsHsgFTO43j/s320/table_PKS_PsychologicalSymptoms.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b> </b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Summary</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">In summary, 10 of the 19 symptoms on the physio-kundalini syndrome index, most notably the motor and mental symptoms, were significantly more common among the NDErs than among the comparison groups: assuming strange positions, becoming locked into position, changes in breathing, spontaneous orgasmic sensations, ascending progression of sensations, unexplained heat or cold moving through the body, internal noises, sudden positive emotions for no reason, watching oneself as if from a distance, and unexplained changes in thought processes. These ten items then may be useful indicators of kundalini arousal.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Also of note, among the 153 near-death experiencers, there was a significant positive correlation between NDE Scale score and number of physio-kundalini symptoms reported. That is, those with deeper NDEs reported more physio-kundalini symptoms.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Social psychologist Kenneth Ring and his student Christopher Rosing reported almost identical results in their<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>Omega Project:<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>near-death experiencers reported experiencing almost twice as many physio-kundalini items as did people who had close brushes with death, but no NDE, and people who had never come close to death.<sup>23</sup></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Here then we have near-death experiencers reporting precisely the kind of physiological changes that are associated in Eastern traditions with the bioenergy that drives evolution. From verbal reports of such evidence as patterns of physiological functioning and disease history, as well as physio-kundalini manifestations, we can identify which items best differentiate NDErs from comparison groups.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Implications</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> The data from this study<span class="MsoEndnoteReference">2</span><sup>2</sup> demonstrate that a number of physio-kundalini symptoms derived from classical descriptions of kundalini arousal are reported more often by NDErs than by comparison populations. This finding corroborates the anecdotal evidence of previous investigators that NDEs are associated with kundalini. It must be borne in mind that the physio-kundalini syndrome, this consistent pattern of physiological and psychological symptoms, is connected with the classical kundalini arousal of Eastern spiritual traditions only by theory and circumstantial evidence. A true measure of kundalini awakening, such as an enduring state of higher consciousness, is beyond our current ability to measure.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Although in theory the physio-kundalini syndrome may imply spiritual evolution, in practice it often denotes a crisis requiring adjustment. While there has been little scientific literature on kundalini, there has been even less from a clinical perspective. What has been written by physicians and therapists suggests that common physio-kundalini symptoms and individuals’ responses to those symptoms are often mistaken for physical and mental illnesses, with tragic results.<sup>24</sup> Given that the increasing frequency of near-death experiencers was estimated by a Gallup Poll more than a quarter century ago to be 5% of the adult American population,<sup>25</sup> this study suggests that the physio-kundalini syndrome may be far more common in Western society than previously imagined.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> This documentation of the frequency of kundalini and of its association with events such as the near-death experience may foster greater awareness of kundalini among the scientific and medical professions. Studies of kundalini phenomena should be enlarged to encompass other populations at risk, such as combat veterans, heart transplant patients and those with terminal illnesses, and individuals following spiritual paths.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Further research and dialogue among scientists and clinicians may help individuals experiencing kundalini arousal to cope with the psychophysiological rises and fulfill the promise of spiritual growth.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> Finally, based on those findings, it is possible that future work in this area could lead to vital new insights into the evolution of humanity toward a different order of consciousness, echoing a major theme in many books written about the near-death experience: that the importance of the near-death experience is not its association with death, but its implications for life.<sup>26</sup></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><b>Endnotes</b><br />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[1]</span></span></span></a> Greyson, B. “Near-Death Experiences and Spirituality,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zygon: Journal of Science and Religion, </i>Vol.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>41, No. 2, June 2006, 393-414.</div></div><div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[2]</span></span></span></a> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman TUR","serif";">Kelly, E. W., Greyson, B., and Kelly, E. F., “Unusual Experiences Near Death and Related Phenomena,” in Kelly, E. F., Kelly, E. W., Crabtree, A., Gauld, A., Grosso, M., and Greyson, B., <i>Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21<sup>st</sup> Century.</i> Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2007, 367-421.</span></div></div><div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[3]</span></span></span></a> Greyson, B., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">op. cit.</i></div></div><div id="edn4" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref4" name="_edn4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[4]</span></span></span></a> Ring, K., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heading Toward Omega: In Search of the Meaning of the Near-Death Experience.</i> New York: William Morrow, 1984.</div></div><div id="edn5" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref5" name="_edn5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[5]</span></span></span></a> Blackmore, S.J., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dying to Live: Near-Death Experiences.</i> Buffalo: Prometheus, 1993; Woerlee, G.M., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mortal Minds: The Biology of Near-Death Experience</i>, Buffalo: Prometheus, 2005.</div></div><div id="edn6" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref6" name="_edn6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[6]</span></span></span></a> Helminiak, D., “Neurology, Psychology, and Extraordinary Religious Experiences,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journal of Religion and Health, </i>1984, Vol. 23, No. 1, March 1984, 33-46.</div></div><div id="edn7" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref7" name="_edn7" style="mso-endnote-id: edn7;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[7]</span></span></span></a> Ring, K., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">op.cit.</i>; Ring, K., and Valarino, E.E., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lessons From the Light: What We Can Learn From the Near-Death Experience. </i>New York: Plenum/Insight, 1998. </div></div><div id="edn8" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref8" name="_edn8" style="mso-endnote-id: edn8;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[8]</span></span></span></a> Grey, M., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Return from Death: An Exploration of the Near-Death Experience. </i>London: Arkana, 1985; Grosso, M., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Final Choice: Playing the Survival Game. </i>Walpole, N.H.: Stillpoint Press, 1985; Ring, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">op.cit.</i></div></div><div id="edn9" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref9" name="_edn9" style="mso-endnote-id: edn9;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[9]</span></span></span></a> Kason, Y., Bradford, M., Pond, P., and Greenwell, B., “Spiritual Emergence Syndrome and Kundalini Awakening: How Are They Related?” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Proceedings of the Academy of Religion and Psychical Research<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;"> </span>Annual Conference</i>, 1992, 85-118<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">; </i>Kieffer, G., “Murphy’s ‘Impossible Dream’ of a Great Evolutionary Leap,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ascent</i>, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1992, 1-8; Murphy, M., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Future of the Human Body: Explorations Into the Further Evolution of Human Nature</i>. Los Angeles: Tarcher, 1992; Sannella, L., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Kundalini Experience: Psychosis or Transcendence? </i>Lower Lake, CA: Integral Publishing, 1987.</div></div><div id="edn10" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref10" name="_edn10" style="mso-endnote-id: edn10;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[10]</span></span></span></a> Krishna, G., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Biological Basis of Religion and Genius. </i>New York: Harper and Row, 1972.</div></div><div id="edn11" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref11" name="_edn11" style="mso-endnote-id: edn11;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[11]</span></span></span></a> _______, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Awakening of Kundalini, </i>New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975.</div></div><div id="edn12" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref12" name="_edn12" style="mso-endnote-id: edn12;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[12]</span></span></span></a> _______, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What is and What Is Not Higher Consciousness. </i>New York: Julian Press, 1974.</div></div><div id="edn13" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref13" name="_edn13" style="mso-endnote-id: edn13;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[13]</span></span></span></a> _______, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Biological Basis of Religion and Genius, op.cit.; </i>Krishna, G., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Awakening of Kundalini, op.cit.</i></div></div><div id="edn14" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref14" name="_edn14" style="mso-endnote-id: edn14;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[14]</span></span></span></a> _______, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Secret of Yoga. </i>New York: Harper and Row, 1972.</div></div><div id="edn15" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref15" name="_edn15" style="mso-endnote-id: edn15;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[15]</span></span></span></a> Dippong, J., “Dawn of Perception: A True Rebirth,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chimo</i>, Vol. 8, No. 4, 1982, 31-37.</div></div><div id="edn16" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref16" name="_edn16" style="mso-endnote-id: edn16;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[16]</span></span></span></a> Kieffer, G., “Kundalini and the Near-Death Experience,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journal of Near-Death Studies, </i>Vol. 12, No. 3, Spring 1994, 159-176.</div></div><div id="edn17" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref17" name="_edn17" style="mso-endnote-id: edn17;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[17]</span></span></span></a> Krishna, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Awakening of Kundalini, op.cit.</i></div></div><div id="edn18" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref18" name="_edn18" style="mso-endnote-id: edn18;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[18]</span></span></span></a> Ring, K., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heading Toward Omega, op cit.</i></div></div><div id="edn19" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref19" name="_edn19" style="mso-endnote-id: edn19;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[19]</span></span></span></a> Whitfield B.H., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spiritual Awakenings: Insights of the NDE and Other Doorways to our Soul. </i>Deerfield Beach, FL: HCI, 1995.</div></div><div id="edn20" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref20" name="_edn20" style="mso-endnote-id: edn20;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">[20]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Bentov, I.,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness</i>. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 1977</span>; <span style="font-size: 10pt;">Sannella, L., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Kundalini Experience.</i> Lower Lake, CA: Integral Publishing, 1987.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">21 </span></sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Greyson, B., “The Near-death Experience Scale: Construction, Reliability, and Validity,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, </i>Vol. 171, No. 6, June 1983, 369-375; Greyson, B., “Near-Death Encounters With and Without Near-Death Experiences: Comparative NDE Scale Profiles,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journal of Near-Death Studies, </i>Vol. 8, No. 3, Spring 1990, 151-161; Greyson, B., “Consistency of Near-Death Experience Accounts Over Two Decades: Are Reports Embellished Over Time?”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Resuscitation, </i>Vol. 73, No. 3, June 2007, 407-411; Lange, R., Greyson, B., and Houran, J., “A Rasch Scaling Validation of a ‘Core’ Near-Death Experience,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">British Journal of Psychology, </i>Vol. 95, No. 2, May 2004, 161-177.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">22</span></sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> For data analysis, see Greyson, B., “Near-Death Experiences and the Physio-Kundalini Syndrome,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journal of Religion and Health,</i> Vol. 32, No. 4, Winter 1993, 277-290; and Greyson, B., “The Physio-Kundalini Syndrome and Mental Illness,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, </i>Vol. 25, No. 1, 1993, 43-58.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">23 </span></sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ring, K., and Rosing, C., “The Omega Project: An Empirical Study of the NDE-Prone Personality,” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journal of Near-Death Studies, </i>Vol. 8, No. 4, Summer 1990, 211-239.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">24</span></sup><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Greenwell, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">op. cit.;</i> Grey, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">op. cit.; </i>Sannella, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">op. cit.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">25</span></sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Gallup, G,, Jr., with Proctor, W., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Adventures in Immortality: A Look Beyond the Threshold of Death. </i>New York: McGraw-Hill, 1982.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;">26</span></sup><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Whitfield, B., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Full Circle</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">: The Near-Death Experience and Beyond. </i>New York: Pocket Books/Simon and Schuster, 1990; Whitfield, B., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Spiritual Awakenings: Insights of the NDE and Other Doorways to our Soul, op. cit.; </i> Whitfield, B., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Natural Soul</i>. Pittsburgh: Sterling House, 2009; Ring, K., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heading Toward Omega, op. cit.; </i>Grosso, M., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> op. cit; </i>Grey, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">op. cit. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Bruce Greyson, MD</b> is Professor of Psychiatric Medicine,Carlson Professor of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences, Director, Division of Perceptual Studies Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences at University of Virginia Health System</div><br />
<b>Address: </b> <br />
<address>University of Virginia Health System</address><address>Division of Perceptual Studies </address><address>210 10th Street NE, Suite #100</address><address>Charlottesville, VA 22902-5328</address><address>Phone: 434-924-2281</address><address>Fax: 434-924-1712</address><i>Email Address: </i><a href="mailto:cbg4d@virginia.edu"><i>cbg4d@virginia.edu</i></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> <i> </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div></div>KRNwebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537302827845421643noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3107501482066831887.post-71067279025904738722011-05-27T23:50:00.001-04:002011-05-28T00:19:27.527-04:00Article: Humility as a Way of Life<div class="MsoTitle" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbptWcweuIyqXbcxW3RbjySUk2V61eVb3yENpuzOiKgswTTH3bq1ujjxJyLXs2MI3plPn8R1jSQEUvmHjDZm4fV8L0h-F3Iq4hefT76g70niWaQyYnfu02KG4C7Iyt6OIRk7PukJD4lf9k/s1600/Humility_Square_graphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbptWcweuIyqXbcxW3RbjySUk2V61eVb3yENpuzOiKgswTTH3bq1ujjxJyLXs2MI3plPn8R1jSQEUvmHjDZm4fV8L0h-F3Iq4hefT76g70niWaQyYnfu02KG4C7Iyt6OIRk7PukJD4lf9k/s200/Humility_Square_graphic.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Humility as a Way of Life</b></span></div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="centerbold" style="text-align: justify;">We offer this chapter from our 2006 book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Power of Humility: Choosing peace over conflict in relationships </i>because we believe that humility is the most important ingredient for a smooth spiritual awakening. We define humility as having the openness and willingness to learn more about self, others and the God of our understanding. The opposite of humility is arrogance or what we define as “<i>Spiritual bypass</i>.” In a spiritual bypass we try to bypass our needed psychological and emotional work and “Hang out with God.” But sooner or later this doesn’t work and we have to “get down” and finish our unfinished business. Here in this chapter we cover the characteristics and traits of humility and by breaking it down it may become easier to grasp. These traits will also help when looking for a teacher or therapist. Truly spiritual people are humble – and by this we do not mean being a doormat. We mean people who demonstrate these traits, especially being “<i>nobody special</i>” and the wonderful spiritual characteristic of “<i>don’t know</i>.” This text is excerpted from Chapter 2.</div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Wishing you the best on your <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_journey">Spiritual Journey</a>,</span></div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Charles and Barbara Whitfield</span></div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Jyoti and Russell Park</span></div><div class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> </span></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Humility</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Taken from its origin <i>humus, </i>meaning “earthly”, the general dictionary definition of humble is two fold: 1) not proud or arrogant; modest, and 2) meek; submissive; low in rank or conditions (Random House 1980, Oxford 1971). It is in part on this first definition that we have focused and expanded.</div><div class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Characteristics</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> We believe there are at least 12 key characteristics of humility. These include 1) openness, 2) an attitude of “don’t know,” 3) curiosity, 4) innocence, 5) a child-like nature, 6) spontaneity, 7) spirituality, 8) tolerance, 9) patience, 10) integrity, 11) detachment, and 12) letting go – all of which lead to inner peace. Like the hours on a clock, each of these is an important part of the power of humility (see figure 1)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViWed6idSOKi6Y0-3W_pIY9J2opAGrgvC8F2jIzhhcnX5btJb5gimMbAgrXUh_C8bo5P9BcGWZQC7SEeIJy07nBhTLGTpL1RLttlTBkljHauPraTGZx9t6vxz7TzTVe1Ei0Z2NCL60a5I/s1600/12-characteristics-of-humility-clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViWed6idSOKi6Y0-3W_pIY9J2opAGrgvC8F2jIzhhcnX5btJb5gimMbAgrXUh_C8bo5P9BcGWZQC7SEeIJy07nBhTLGTpL1RLttlTBkljHauPraTGZx9t6vxz7TzTVe1Ei0Z2NCL60a5I/s1600/12-characteristics-of-humility-clock.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Figure 1. 12 Characteristics of Humility</span></div><div class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Openness</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> Early in this book we began to define humility as being open to learning more about our self, others, and God. This openness is perhaps its most basic and key characteristic. Without being open to what <i>is</i> I may miss countless chances to learn, experience and grow. When we have humility there is no such thing as failure. Each act or experience has something to teach us even if it doesn’t turn out the way we planned.</div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">“Don’t Know”</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengcan">Third Chinese Patriarchof Zen, Seng Ts’an</a>, wrote: “The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent, everything becomes clear and undisguised. Make the smallest distinction, however, and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart. If you wish to see the truth, then hold no opinions for or against anything.” <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal;">[1]</span></b></span></span></b></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> Having an attitude of not knowing the answer to every question or conflict I encounter gives me the chance to let go of always needing to come up with an answer or even be right, which may block my ability to experience inner peace and serenity. This “don’t know” stance is a basic and effective tenet of Buddhist philosophy and practice. By not knowing, I expand my possibilities. I don’t limit myself. And I thereby have a greater chance to avoid conflict in or outside of triangles.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Course_in_Miracles">A Course inMiracles</a> says: “Let us be still an instant, and forget all things we ever learned, all thoughts we had and every preconception that we hold of what things mean and what their purpose is. Let us remember not our own ideas of what the world is for. We do not know. Let every image held of everyone be loosened from our minds and swept away.” It continues, “Be innocent of judgment, unaware of any thoughts of evil or of good that ever crossed your mind of anything.” (648t, 12)</div><div align="left" class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Curiosity</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> Have you ever thought you already knew the truth about someone or something and found out later that you were wrong? Having humility, including openness to learning more, an attitude of “don’t know,” and being curious about people, places and things, can help us to work through conflicts, including when we find ourself caught in the pain of a Level 1 triangle (see Figure 2, below). Curiosity drives us to see the authenticity of other people. Instead of the old habit from Level 1 of projecting on to others our conflicts and other unfinished business, our curiosity opens us to acceptance instead of prejudice and rejection.</div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="center"><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;"><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Figure 2. Triangles</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWRiFEX7CO4CRb5BuARceLDTdvK-Wie-w4856zFNz9lEvS_hYORGVWznbV_UoTFjISJO3loe1ylDBnF9P2P_sg-2a5PygsEEA5TZNKAZDSnJBep6fUZNW6-_tPcaeWF3BfizZDtQ5aJ2R/s1600/bhwpres_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWRiFEX7CO4CRb5BuARceLDTdvK-Wie-w4856zFNz9lEvS_hYORGVWznbV_UoTFjISJO3loe1ylDBnF9P2P_sg-2a5PygsEEA5TZNKAZDSnJBep6fUZNW6-_tPcaeWF3BfizZDtQ5aJ2R/s320/bhwpres_3.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top"><div class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%;"></div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></div><h2> </h2><h2 style="text-align: center;">Innocence</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">As we look at newborn infants we are reminded that we are innocent at our core. If God made us, and we are each a part of God, how can we also be sinners (as some religions claim)? A Course in Miracles suggests that we are not. Rather than being born in “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin">original sin</a>”, the Course says that we are born innocent. We are already and eternally innocent.</div><div align="left" class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">While the Course describes various aspects of innocence, it defines it as being the same as having Christ’s vision, which it also calls true perception and right-mindedness. Innocence means that we never see what does not exist (i.e., the ego and its world), and always see what does (God and God’s real world). At the core of our being what we are innocent about or unaware of is our ego and its world of pain. </div><div align="left" class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left; text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">After reading parts of the Course, we (BW & CW) realized that upon entering the dream of the ego’s world, we unknowingly caused our own pain. We were and are innocent, and were simply in a dream. The lion and the lamb lying down together symbolize that strength and innocence are not in conflict, but naturally live in peace. A pure mind knows that innocence is strength. We enter into our innocence each time that we co-create peace with another with whom we may be in conflict.</div><div align="left" class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Child-like </h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">The romantic poets, especially <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blake">William Blake</a>, spoke often of our innocence. In his long poem “Songs of Innocence and Experience”, Blake said that we are innocent and that we can contact our innocence through the child within us (Blake 1794). In Workbook lesson 182 the Course says “… there is a Child in you who seeks his Father’s house…. This childhood is eternal, with an innocence that will endure forever.” (339w, 4:3-4) To us, this is one of the most moving of the Course’s 365 workbook lessons.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> The Course says that whenever we are in conflict we are in our ego, projecting sin, guilt and shame onto the person(s) with whom we are in conflict. If we see sin and badness in another we lose the peace of our innocence. If we see any error in them and attack them for it, we hurt ourselves. (41t, 7:1) It says that “You cannot know your brother when you attack him. …You are making him a stranger by mis-perceiving him, and so you cannot know him.” (41t, 7:4) </div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Spontaneity</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Being spontaneous means living as our real self in this moment of now. Our real self only exists in the eternal now. As soon as we honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with more ease and joy. Every time we let our selves go into the past (usually from guilt or shame) or project into the future (usually from fear), we are energizing our ego, which usually causes us conflict and pain. We know we are in our ego when we are not at peace. In our True Self we not only experience stillness and peace, but also joy and intense aliveness. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eckhart_Tolle">Tolle E1999</a>)</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Spirituality</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> Spirituality is about our relationship with self, others and the God of our understanding. And, it is much more. Whereas religion takes us by the hand and we follow the usually preordained path of those who have gone before us – spirituality is about our own personal path. We do it our own way and in our own time. We form an experiential bond with self, others and God that we may or may not find in religion. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> By breaking new ground our journey becomes our goal. This is what the Course calls, “The Journey without Distance.” It says: “The Journey to God is merely the reawakening of the Knowledge of where you are always, and what you are forever. It is a journey without distance <i>to a goal that has never changed.” (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Course_in_Miracles">ACIM</a>)</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">Our goal in living our journey is to surrender, including surrendering to the moment we are in. Surrender is not weakness. It is strong. A person who has surrendered has spiritual power. In this surrender, there are no longer problems. There are only situations. And, if we don’t like the situation we can choose again. (ACIM; Tolle 1999) As part of humility, spirituality leads to detaching from or letting go of our numerous attachments, resulting in inner peace.</div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Tolerance</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> Tolerance involves the capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs, preferences or practices of our self, others and God. The Buddhist teacher Cheri Huber says, “Suffering is resisting what is.” If a situation is intolerable and we suffer from it, we have three options 1) remove ourselves from the situation, 2) change it or 3) accept it as it is (Tolle 1999).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> We can be <i>pushed</i> by our pain and suffering or <i>pulled </i>by our spiritual vision.</div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Patience</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> Patience may be one of our hardest lessons to attain. When we are in our ego, we want it <i>right now</i>. Our ego has no patience and as such may lead us to believe we are being mistreated, empty, bored or otherwise in pain. It’s almost humorous to realize the spectrum of emotions we experience when we find our selves stuck in our ego. All we need do is slide over to patience and if we struggle with patience – practice tolerance in our struggle. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">An effective way out of pain from being in conflict with a person, place or thing is to use prayer. When we are not at peace, we can remember that we are in our ego. In our prayer we simply ask for help and then surrender to the God of our understanding. On a humorous note, we can consider the prayer for patience: “Lord give me patience, and give it to me Now!”</div><h2 style="text-align: center;"> Integrity</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i>Humility breeds integrity and vise versa</i>. They support and feed one another in a positive way. Integrity means wholeness. <span lang="EN">Integrity is one of the most important and oft-cited of virtue terms. It is also puzzling. For example, while it is sometimes used instead of ‘moral,’ we also at times distinguish acting morally from acting with integrity. We believe that humility leads to integrity. And, people with true integrity have humility at their base and actions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN"> What a conflicted world may need now is integrity – in ourselves, in our relationships and in our private and political systems. The more we incorporate humility in our interaction and intra-actions (i.e., our inner life), the more we move up the Four Levels that we describe in this book, and the more integrity becomes an active part of our being. Why? Because integrity means we are whole, we are working from our authentic self, who God made us to be, and at the same time we are wholely taking in the people and the world around us.</span></div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Detachment</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detachment">Detachment</a> involves withdrawing our emotional attachment to a person, place, thing or outcome of any situation -- including our conflicts. It involves releasing our attachment or connection. Detachment is sometimes mistakenly interpreted to mean “not care about,” but the word actually means “to separate from.” It requires a willingness to let go and allow others to take responsibility for their own lives. This is especially difficult for the “rescuer” in a<span style="color: red;"> </span>Level 1 triangle, (explained in Chapter 4) who feels driven to jump in and help or “fix” the “victim’s” plight. If the rescuer does not learn to detach, they often become the victim. </div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> Detachment is a keystone skill in recovery for members of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Anon">Twelve Step fellowship of Al-Anon</a>. Many of the principles of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism">Buddhism </a>and related paths illustrate similarities with Al-Anon’s view of detachment. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths">The Four Noble Truths</a> of Buddhism include: 1) Life involves suffering; 2) Attachment, desire, selfish craving or clinging of our ego causes our suffering; 3) Detachment is the cure for suffering; 4) Detachment can follow an<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eightfold_Path"> Eightfold Path </a>(Smith 1957). This Eight Fold Path includes Right Association (i.e., with people who have positive attitudes and clarity). It also involves several key principles and spiritual practices that embrace integrity and meditation.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal;">[2]</span></b></span></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoYTdr-9Th-c5H0CA8qAk3dh1QNGAbaAjmYo_h1eTZWLQNkeC5WOxf2b55z9QfVtlK7aI_smQSiXtiaWaxWGEZBCg4ILp-l_yhqOKFzhU7oNTGEr65hF9TamM7lR2vTvIptPBpLJ6o0Qz/s1600/components-and-practices-of-detachment-whitfield-POH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoYTdr-9Th-c5H0CA8qAk3dh1QNGAbaAjmYo_h1eTZWLQNkeC5WOxf2b55z9QfVtlK7aI_smQSiXtiaWaxWGEZBCg4ILp-l_yhqOKFzhU7oNTGEr65hF9TamM7lR2vTvIptPBpLJ6o0Qz/s1600/components-and-practices-of-detachment-whitfield-POH.jpg" /> </a></div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;">* </span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%;">Modified from Naranjo 1983; 1994</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">In summary, expanding upon the work of Naranjo, we see at least six principle features of detachment. From a lower self-perspective, these include non-resistance, non-attachment and mindfulness. From a Higher Self perspective, these include God-Mindedness and Remembering, Loving, and Letting Go. (See Figure 2.1, above.)</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Letting go </h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> Letting go is both a process and an event. When we can remember, it is also often a series of continuous events. We work in our recovery process to let go of our accumulated baggage from our past traumas, including how our ego has beaten us up. Letting go is in large part about letting go of our ego. When we let go of our ego, being humble becomes easier. </div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> When we are whole, when we are living as our True Selves, we can help the people we love by being present with them, and loving them unconditionally. But we can’t fix anyone. We surrender our ego’s need to control this reality we share with our loved ones and move into the larger Reality, where our inner life and the Light of unconditional love work together. As we move into balance, our relationships move into balance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> As we give everyone around us the space to be who they are, which also involves unconditional love, we give ourselves the same space. One of the rules of the Universe becomes so obvious: We treat others as we want to be treated and then everything we give out comes back. </div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Being Humble</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> Having summarized these twelve characteristics above, we will now describe some further principles of humility in recovery and in life. </div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> Gaining humility is a major milestone in recovery. It usually signifies a life transformation, in that the person flows more with life, functions better, and tends to be at a lower risk of falling back into Level 1 functioning and pain. For all concerned the term “humble” is thus positive and is a great strength, and is not generally viewed as a weakness. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Gratitude</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> As we let go and watch our relationships transform, transcend or dissolve – we not only recognize all the characteristics above playing out in us and our loved ones – gratitude moves in and possibly even takes over as an underlying continual attitude or mood. </div><div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">When the stressful pressure of conflicted and painful relationships is released --something needs to take its place. (The Universe seems to fill in a vacuum) And, that something that takes it’s place is peace and gratitude. We feel better. Our ego isn’t running our inner life anymore. Our inner life is now more of our Sacred Person (See the<i> Map of the Self</i>, below) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><h2 style="text-align: center;">Being “Nobody Special”</h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">“The story of life, of humanity, of the universe, is vast in terms of what we know, or what we can ever understand. Death comes, like birth, and there is nothing we can do about it. Strutting and fretting our brief hour upon the stage of life is really quite meaningless. In stepping back and seeing the play from the perspective of one's true nature, compassion arises for all. Humility becomes one's natural clothing. There is no one, no person, no doer, no diver, yet all is blissful when the mind with all its knowledge, memory and emotional residues stands back and lets go its hold on life.”<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(<b style="font-weight: normal;">Whenary R 2005<i>)</i></b></span><i></i></div><div align="left" class="centerbold" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> In the process of humility we work through a cycle early in our life from becoming ego-attached or “somebody special,” to then becoming ego-detached or “nobody special.” <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Dass">Ram Dass</a> and Levine (1976) said “We are in training to be nobody special. It is in that nobody – special-ness that we can be anybody. The fatigue, the neurosis, the anxiety, the fear, all come from identifying with the somebody-ness. But you have to start somewhere. It does seem that you have to be somebody before you can be nobody. If you started out being nobody at the beginning of this incarnation, you probably wouldn’t have made it this far… It’s that force of somebody-ness that develops the social and physical survival mechanisms. It’s only now, having evolved to this point that we learn to put that somebody-ness, that whole survival kit, which we called the ego, into perspective. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> “At first you really ‘think’ you’ve lost something. It’s a while before you can appreciate the peace that comes from the simplicity of no-mind, of just emptiness, of not having to be somebody all the time. … You spent the first half of your life becoming somebody. Now you can work on becoming nobody, which is really somebody. For when you become nobody there is no tension, no pretense, no one trying to be anyone or anything, and the natural state of the mind shines through unobstructed – the natural state of the mind is pure love, … pure awareness. Can you imagine when you become that place you’ve only touched through your meditations? … You’ve cleared away all of the mind trips that kept you being who you thought you were. … You experience the exquisiteness of being in love with everybody and not having to do anything about it. Because you’ve developed compassion. The compassion is to let people be as they need to be without coming on to them. The only time you come on to people is when they’re actions are limiting the opportunities for other human beings to be free.” (Ram Dass & Levine, 1976)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> In a society where everybody has to be somebody special, what a joy it can be to walk along and be nobody special. It is freeing, peaceful and serene. We learn to listen and hear. And where we are when we are nobody special is in the heart of our True Self. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-step_program">Twelve Step fellowships</a> also suggest being nobody special by their principle of anonymity. Their Twelfth Tradition says, “<i>Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities</i>.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> At the beginning of this chapter we noted 12 key characteristics of humility. These include 1) openness, 2) an attitude of “don’t know,” 3) curiosity, 4) innocence, 5) a child-like nature, 6) spontaneity, 7) Spirituality, 8) tolerance, 9) patience, 10) integrity, 11) detachment, and 12) letting go – all of which lead to inner peace. Most of these are important components in the process of becoming and being nobody special, which is also a hallmark of humility.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">© 2006 Whitfield C, Whitfield B, Jyoti, Russell Park</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Charles Whitfield and his wife, Barbara Harris Whitfield, Jyoti and her husband Russell Park are board members of the Kundalini Research Network. </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;"><br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="ftn1" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a> Translation by Richard B. Clarke of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hsin_Hsin_Ming">HSIN HSIN MING</a></div><div class="MsoFootnoteText"><br />
</div></div><div></div><div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;"><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal;">[2]</span></b></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> <b><span style="letter-spacing: 1pt;">The Eightfold Path of Buddhism includes:</span></b><span style="letter-spacing: 1pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 1pt;">1) right knowledge (learning the truths and the path), 2) right aspiration, 3) right speech (language, honesty, clarity & positivity), 4) right behavior, 5) right livelihood, 6) right effort, 7) right mindfulness, 8) meditation.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoFootnoteText" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</tbody></table></div>KRNwebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537302827845421643noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3107501482066831887.post-68980094882040745102011-05-26T16:54:00.003-04:002011-06-01T03:12:24.951-04:00Article: Spiritual Energy: Perspectives from a Map of the Psyche<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoY3jOwBp5F7XulCwDAU0OAPp4f3OjvYlT-ON5qyIhc2xlDMbj5OV-T7oukHzhGsd_9fZVITcVtCHNFXUOfepsilRzMInpEy67d2MnwWGQ3WPK6y9sySuAMVUw221_konDnppRXo-l1CZU/s1600/CHARLES_WEB_GRAY_JACKET_PHOTO_CLEAN_400x533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoY3jOwBp5F7XulCwDAU0OAPp4f3OjvYlT-ON5qyIhc2xlDMbj5OV-T7oukHzhGsd_9fZVITcVtCHNFXUOfepsilRzMInpEy67d2MnwWGQ3WPK6y9sySuAMVUw221_konDnppRXo-l1CZU/s200/CHARLES_WEB_GRAY_JACKET_PHOTO_CLEAN_400x533.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div class="MsoTitle" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Spiritual Energy: Perspectives from a Map of the Psyche</span></b></div><div></div><div class="MsoTitle" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: black;">and The Kundalini/Recovery Process</span></i></span></b></div><h2 align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%;"></span></h2><h2 align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%;">Charles L. Whitfield,</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%;">MD</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">Have you had a spiritual awakening? Or do you wonder if you might leave had one? A spiritual awakening is an experiential opening to a power greater than ourselves. As a result, we become more aware of and open to our self, others and the Universe. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">Based on informal surveys that I have done on people attending my workshops over the years, I estimate that at least one in three people have had a spiritual awakening of some sort. Perhaps 25 % of those spiritual awakenings were triggered by near-death experiences. The remaining 75 % are triggered by numerous other experiences, from meditation, to childbirth to ''hitting bottom'' in a critical or desperate life situation. Some of these events have opened some people to experiencing the painful yet often freeing Kundalini process.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> Who or what is it that actually does the awakening? Is there a part of us that begins to become more aware and opens to our self, others and the God of our understanding? My sense is that it is a spiritual energy that starts to awaken us to our Real or True Self, and helps us learn about our ego or false self.</span></span></div><h1 style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: small;">Who Am 1? A Map of the Mind</span></h1><div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Throughout the struggle of the human condition, many people have asked some important questions: Who am 1? What am l doing here? Where am l going? How can I get any peace? While the answers to these questions remain a Divine Mystery, I have found it useful to construct a map of the mind or psyche.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></b></div><div align="center"><span style="background-color: blue;"></span><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black;">Higher Power</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Higher Self</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12.0pt; text-align: center;">True Self</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Ego</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><b><span style="color: black;">(God, Goddess, All-That-Is, Universe)</span></b></div><h2 style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(Atman, Guardian angel, Cosmic Consciousness, Holy Spirit, Ruach ha Kadosh)</span></h2><h2 style="line-height: normal; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">(Soul, Child Within, Heart)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;">(<b>false self</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shadow</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Toxic wounding</b> )</span><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt;">sorting and handling</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;">internal and external reality</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></div></td> </tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: black;">…and while the map is not the territory, maps can be useful.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;">Other names for or dimensions of the True Self, who I really am, include the real or existential self, the human heart, the soul, chakras 4 and 5, and the Child Within. They are all the same because they are our True Identity. I also have within me a Divine Nature, sometimes called a guardian angel, Atman, Buddha Nature, Christ Consciousness, chakras 6 and 7, Higher Self, or simply Self. And both of these, my True Self and my Higher Self are intimately connected to my Higher Power, God/Goddess/All-That-is, a part of which is also within me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> I see this relationship---True Self, Higher Self and Higher Power as being such an important relationship that I can also view it as being one person, which I call the Sacred Person. In a loving, supporting and teaching way, pervading throughout the Sacred Person is the Holy Spirit ( Kundalini, Chi, Ki, Ruach ha Kadosh and Divine Energy). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> As a part of the Mystery, my True Self makes or constructs a curious assistant to help me in limited ways as I live out this human experience. We can call this assistant, this sidekick, the ego –also known as the false self or co-dependent self. When this ego is helpful to us, such as in screening, sorting and handling many aspects of our internal and external reality, we can call it positive ego. But when it tries to take over and run our life, it becomes negative ego. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> This map of the psyche is more evolved than the maps of Freud, Jung and their colleagues of up to 100 years ago, when they used the term “ego” to mean both True Self <i>and</i> false self. Since the 1930s the self psychologists and the object relations psychologists have begun to make this more precise differentiation between True Self and false self and today we use ''ego'' synonymously with false self. (This understanding is in contrast with many writers who still lump the True Self and false self together and call it the “ego.”)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> A contemporary holy book called A <i>Course in Miracles</i> says in its introduction:</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoQuote" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoQuote" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>What is real cannot be threatened.</b></i></div><i> </i><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoQuote" style="text-align: center;"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is unreal does not exist.</b></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoQuote" style="text-align: center;"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Herein lies the peace of God.</b></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b><span style="color: black;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">[1]</span></b></span></span></b></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> What is real is God and God's world, that of the Sacred Person. The ego and its world is not real, and therefore in the grand scheme of the Mystery, does not exist. Herein, when we make this differentiation, lies our peace and serenity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> But growing up in a dysfunctional family and dysfunctional society of origin, we may have become wounded. That wounding made our Child Within, or True Self, go into hiding, and the only one left to run the show of our life was our ego (false self). And since it is not able or competent to run our life successfully, we often end up feeling confused and hurt. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> The way out is to begin to differentiate between identifying with my True Self and my false self, and to heal my wounds around all of the past traumas that hurt and confused me. That is what I have described in my books.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">[2]</span></span></span></a> While all of this information is useful to know on a cognitive level, it is <i>healing</i> only on an experiential level. To heal, I have to experience working through my pain, as well as living and enjoying my life. If we can identify with having a Kundalini arousal, the gift is the co-operation of a spiritual energy that can assist us as we heal. </span></div><h3 align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"></span></h3><h3 align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Spiritual Awakenings and the Recovery Movement</span></h3><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> Over the decades of the 1980s and the l990s, and into the 21<sup>st</sup> century, an increasing number of people have begun to awaken to many of their traumatic experiences and are beginning to heal themselves. This phenomenon, called the recovery movement, with its free and effective Twelve Step Fellowships, is part of a new paradigm, a new and expanded understanding and belief about the human condition and how to heal it. This approach is so effective and has developed so much momentum for two reasons: it is <i>grass roots </i>- its energy comes from the recovering people themselves, and it employs the most accurate and healing of all the accumulated knowledge about the human condition. But what is different about this knowledge is that it is now <i>simplified</i> and <i>demystified, </i>as shown elsewhere.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn3" name="_ednref3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">[3]</span></span></span></a></span></div><h1><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Traps in Spiritual Awakenings</span></span></h1><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> There are some traps in spiritual awakenings. After having had our particular spiritual experience and possible Kundalini arousal, one trap is 1) being misled by other people who may try to steer us off of our personal spiritual path. These others may be therapists, counselors, clergy, gurus, family or friends who themselves may not understand and may even have distorted boundaries. And so they may label our awakening and subsequent signs and symptoms as being psychotic, the “work of the devil”, hallucinations, flaky, or try to invalidate our experience in some other way. They may try to put us on or even force us to take 2) toxic drugs--from sedatives to antidepressants to major tranquilizers, to “mood stabilizers”. Or lock us up, or shame and guilt us in other ways. But the fact remains that we have had a spiritual awakening and something has been aroused in us, and we are looking for validation and support on what actually happened, including on the rest of our journey.</span><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> When we allow our Kundalini process to evolve naturally, the result is usually psychological and spiritual growth over time. A problem is that many of the symptoms and experiences mimic what psychiatry and psychology calls “mental disorders.” Today most psychiatrists and some psychologists, social workers and counselors aren’t able to recognize Kundalini and instead prescribe or recommend one or more psychiatric drugs in an attempt to lessen the patients symptoms. In Kundalini awakenings we become progressively more connected with self, others and God. These psychiatric drugs are toxic to the brain and body and tend to shut down or aggravate the normal flow of the Kundalini process. The drugs slam the door shut to our psycho-spiritual growth.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> Psychiatrist Peter Breggin, MD said, “It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine accurately the psychological condition of a person who is taking psychiatric drugs. There are too many complicating factors, including the drug’s brain-disabling effect, the brain’s compensatory reactions and the patient’s psychological responses to taking the drug. I have evaluated many cases in which patients have deteriorated under the onslaught of multiple psychiatric drugs without the prescribing physicians attributing the patient’s decline to drug toxicity. Instead, physicians typically attribute their patients’ worsening condition to ‘mental illness’ when in reality the patient is suffering from adverse drug reactions.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> Breggins’s work has reflected the sometimes-missing conscience of psychiatry. For anyone who accepts help in the form of psychiatric drugs, realize that you are entering into an area that you may regret or may not be able to stop. Each drug has toxic effects that turn out to be as bad as or worse than the original complaint and often leads to more drugs to counter these toxic effects, which include drug withdrawal. Breggin spells this out in his comprehensive textbook.</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn4" name="_ednref4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">[4]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> In his groundbreaking book <i>Kundalini, Psychosis or Transcendence?</i> Lee Sannella MD said, “There are many undergoing this process who at times feel quite insane. When they behave well and keep silent they may avoid being called schizophrenic, or being hospitalized, or sedated. Nevertheless their isolation and sense of separation from others may cause them such suffering. We must reach such people, their families, and society, with information to help them recognize their condition as a blessing, not a curse. Certainly we must no longer subject people, who might be in the midst of this rebirth process, to drugs or shock therapies, approaches which are at opposite poles to creative self-development."<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn5" name="_ednref5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">[5]</span></span></span></a> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> Another trap is 3) the frustration that usually comes with trying to do what is called a <i>spiritual bypass</i>. A spiritual bypass happens when we try to avoid working through the pain of our prior traumas, so that we may try to jump from an earlier stage of healing directly into the most advanced stage. Because this concept is crucial to making sense of and handling spiritual awakenings and the movement of spiritual energy (also called <i>Kundalini, Ki, Chi</i>, and the like), I will describe briefly the generic stages of the healing or recovery process.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Stages of Recovery</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> A spiritual awakening and movement of spiritual energy may happen during any of the following stages of<i> </i>recovery.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"> </span>Stage Zero</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> Stage Zero is manifested by the presence of an active Illness or disorder such as an addiction, compulsion or another disorder, including any physical illness. This active illness may be acute, recurring or chronic. Without recovery, it may continue indefinitely. At Stage Zero, recovery has not yet started. It may be at this stage that the spiritual awakening happens either from a near-death experience, or bottoming out from the illness, or the like. The actual trigger for the awakening could cause what we call “retraumatization.” First we carry traumas from our past, possibly our childhood, that may not have been “metabolized,” and now we are traumatized by the trigger for the spiritual awakening. This retraumatization brings back the past traumas that may have been suppressed. If this is validated immediately then we can avoid a more painful acute stress disorder. If it is not validated, we eventually may experience acute and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD.) This trauma and its effects commonly underly the Stage 0 through 3 wounding and work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">__________________________________________________________</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">Table. Recovery and Duration According to Stages, </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"> with Ease of Understanding and Using Spiritual Energy</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">__________________________________________________________</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: black;">Recovery Condition Focus of Approximate Understanding &</span></i><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: black;">Stage Recovery Duration Using Spiritual Energy</span></i></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"> 3 </span><span style="color: black;">Human/Spiritual Spirituality Ongoing Easier</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">2</span><span style="color: black;"> Past trauma Trauma-specific 3-5+ years Some difficulty</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"> recovery program </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">1 </span><span style="color: black;">Stage 0 disorder Basic-illness full 1/2 to 3 years Difficult</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"> recovery program</span></b></div><div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.5pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">0</span><span style="color: black;"> Active illness Usually none Indefinite Most difficult</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">________________________________________________________</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><h2><span style="font-size: small;">Stage One</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> At Stage One, recovery begins. It involves participating in a full recovery program to assist in healing the stage Zero condition or conditions. If a person has a spiritual awakening while in Stage Zero they may try to bypass doing Stage One recovery work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> During Stages Zero and One clinicians who don’t understand or are not educated regarding Kundalini arousal may want to prescribe psychoactive drugs (antidepressants and antipsychotics). This will likely have a detrimental affect that could abort the transformational process. These drugs may give some relief for a short time but will soon numb the person out and “dumb them down,” like a chemical straight jacket.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn6" name="_ednref6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">[6]</span></span></span></a> Even worse, these drugs can cause psychotic symptoms for those in a delicate phase of their process. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> We can reframe depression as unresolved grief. The label of depression creates a frozen diagnosis. There is no movement. When we allow our grief from past traumas to surface in Stage One or Stage Two, we may experience a bittersweet release emotionally and even the sensing of energy movement. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> Once the Stage Zero condition is resolved, in a Stage One program, Stage Two therapy groups are a safe productive place to identify and release grief coming from our past.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: small;">Stage Two</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> Stage Two is one that many people also may try to bypass. It involves healing the effects of past traumas, sometimes called adult child or co-dependence issues. Once a person has a stable and solid Stage One recovery--one that has lasted for at least a year or longer--it may be time to consider looking into these issue. An <i>adult child</i> is a term that has been used to refer to anyone who grew up in an unhealthy, troubled or dysfunctional family. Many adult children may still be in a similar unhealthy environment, whether at home, in one or more relationships, or at work. Because a Kundalini arousal brings up our unconscious material, working a Stage Two recovery will likely help us heal, and authentic humility assists us here and in our spiritual growth. Being humble is facilitated by having the courage to make the choice, moment by moment, to let go of ego-centered thinking and behaving.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn7" name="_ednref7" style="mso-endnote-id: edn7;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">[7]</span></span></span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> Spiritual practices and awakenings can revive and exacerbate unresolved conflicts. This is not necessarily bad, since the process can bring to the surface issues and difficulties requiring attention, and it can result in considerable healing and personality integration.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn8" name="_ednref8" style="mso-endnote-id: edn8;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">[8]</span></span></span></a> If a treating therapist can respect these spiritual awakenings as a possible Kundalini arousal, they will be able to support a trusting relationship where the patient feels cared for and safe. This will create a positive attitude in which the patient expects that the process will prove valuable and healing. Thus, opening to and talking about the experience can be helpful and can be facilitated by psychotherapy.<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn9" name="_ednref9" style="mso-endnote-id: edn9;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">[9]</span></span></span></a> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
</div><h2><span style="font-size: small;">Stage Three</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> Stage Three recovery is the one into which we may be compelled prematurely by having a spiritual awakening. It includes the experience of spirituality and its incorporation into our daily life. This is an ongoing process</span>. In this stage we make meaning out of our past. We are now aware of being free of old beliefs and can use this stage to get comfortable with a fresh outlook while creating stability in our life while practicing gratitude and humility. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn10" name="_ednref10" style="mso-endnote-id: edn10;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[10]</span></span></span></a></div><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Conclusion</span></span></h1><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> If we try to go around or bypass the darkness to get to the Light, i.e., if we try to ignore the lower to get to the higher levels of our consciousness, something-- we can call it our shadow (Jung) or repetition compulsion (Freud) -- will pull us back until we work through our particular unfinished business. <i>Trying to avoid</i> this work of Stages One and Two recovery can also be called <i>premature transcendence </i>or <i>high- level denial.</i> This is seen in any number of situations, from being prematurely born again, to having a spiritual awakening and focusing only on the Light, to becoming attached to one way that is the “only” way. Its consequences are often active co-dependence: denial of the richness of our inner life; trying to control one self or others; all-or-none thinking and behaving; feelings of fear, shame and confusion; high tolerance of inappropriate behavior; frustration, addiction, compulsion, relapse, and unnecessary pain and suffering.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> The way out of this trap is to develop humility (i.e., openness to learning more about self, others and God)<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_edn11" name="_ednref11" style="mso-endnote-id: edn11;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt;">[11]</span></span></span></a> and work through the pain of wherever we may be, or just enjoy the joyous feelings. Those who are actively addicted or disordered can work through a Stage One full recovery program. Those who are adult children of troubled or dysfunctional families can work through Stage Two recovery. We need to stay mindful of these necessities: we cannot let go of something if we do not know experientially what it is that we are letting go. We cannot transcend the unhealed; and we cannot connect experientially to the God of our understanding until we know our True Self, our human Heart. People who have progressed in their Kundalini Process join a Stage Two or Three therapy groups to help support themselves in their new experience of co-creating their life with a Higher Power. Their new expansive and creative abilities may not fit in to their original life/relationships and being in a weekly group gives them a place to talk about their feelings and check themselves out with fellow aspirants. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> If we can expand our beliefs and bring our higher nature into our everyday life—we can experience true humility. Kundalini Energy invites us to stretch beyond the limits of who we thought we were and become all that we are. This process allows us to experience a healing unity with ourselves, others and our Higher Power.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: black;"> © Charles L. Whitfield 2008</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: black;"> for The Kundalini Research Network</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Charles L. Whitfield, MD</b>, is a pioneer in trauma recovery, including the way we remember childhood and other trauma and abuse. A physician and front-line therapist who assists trauma survivors and spiritual seekers in their healing, he is the author of fifty published articles, and ten best-selling books on trauma psychology and recovery including Healing the Child Within and Alcoholism and Spirituality. He lives and practices addiction medicine, trauma psychology, and holistic psychiatry in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Whitfield is one of the authors in the compilation, Kundalini Rising, published by Sounds True. For more information go to <a href="http://www.barbara-whitfield.blogspot.com/">www.Barbara-Whitfield.Blogspot.com</a> </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br />
</div><div style="mso-element: endnote-list;"><b>Endnotes</b><br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[1]</span></span></span></a> Anonymous, (1976). <i>A Course in Miracles. </i>Course in Miracles Society, Omaha, NE</div></div><div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref2" name="_edn2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[2]</span></span></span></a> <span style="color: black;">Whitfield, C.L.: <i>Choosing God</i>: A Bird’s-Eye-View of <i>A Course in Miracles. </i>in pre-print draft, 1998.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">Whitfield CL: <i>Healing the Child Within</i>: Discovery & Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">Health Communications, Deerfield Beach, FL, 1987; Whitfield CL: <i>Boundaries and Relationships</i>: Knowing, Protecting and Enjoying the Self. Health Communications,Deerfield Beach, FL. 1993; Whitfield, CL, <i>The Truth about Depression: Choices for healing. </i>Health Communications, Deerfield Beach, FL. 2003; Whitfield, CL, <i>The Truth about Mental Illness: Choices for healing. </i>Health Communications, Deerfield Beach, FL. 2004; Whitfield, CL, <i>My Recovery: A personal plan for healing. </i>Health Communications,Deerfield Beach, FL. 2004;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">Whitfield, CL, Whitfield, BH, Jyoti, Park, R, <i>The Power of Humility: Choosing Peace over Conflict in Relationships. </i>Health Communications, Inc. Deerfield Beach, FL, 2006;<i> </i>Whitfield, CL You May NOT be Mentally Ill (in process.)</div></div><div id="edn3" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref3" name="_edn3" style="mso-endnote-id: edn3;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[3]</span></span></span></a> Whitfield, C., <i>Healing the Child Within, op. cit.; </i>Whitfield, C., <i>Boundaries and Relationships, op. cit.; </i>Whitfield, C., <i>My Recovery, op. cit.; </i>Whitfield, C., <i>The Truth about Depression, op. cit.; </i>Whitfield, C., <i>The Truth about Mental Illness, op. cit.</i></div></div><div id="edn4" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref4" name="_edn4" style="mso-endnote-id: edn4;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[4]</span></span></span></a> Breggin, PR, (2008). <i>Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry: Drugs, electroshock, and the psychopharmacutical complex. </i>2<sup>nd</sup> edition Springer Publishing, NY.</div></div><div id="edn5" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref5" name="_edn5" style="mso-endnote-id: edn5;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[5]</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"> Sannella, L. <i>Kundalini, Psychosis or Transcendence?</i> p.60 </span></div></div><div id="edn6" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref6" name="_edn6" style="mso-endnote-id: edn6;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[6]</span></span></span></a> Breggin, PR, <i>Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry, op. cit.</i></div></div><div id="edn7" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref7" name="_edn7" style="mso-endnote-id: edn7;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[7]</span></span></span></a> Whitfield, Cl. Et al, <i>The Power of Humility, op. cit.; </i><span style="color: black;">Whitfield, B. <i>Spiritual Awakenings: Insights of The Near-Death Experience and Other Doorways To Our Soul</i>. Deerfield Beach, Florida. Health Communications 1995.</span></div><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">Whitfield, B. <i>The Natural Soul.</i> SterlingHouse Books, Pittsburgh, PA 2009</span></div></div><div id="edn8" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref8" name="_edn8" style="mso-endnote-id: edn8;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[8]</span></span></span></a> Greyson B and Harris (Whitfield) B: “Clinical Approaches to the NDEr.” <i>Journal of Near-Death Studies </i>6, no. (fall 87) 41-50.</div></div><div id="edn9" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref9" name="_edn9" style="mso-endnote-id: edn9;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[9]</span></span></span></a> Grof, S & Grof, C (Eds), (1989). <i>Spiritual emergency, When personal transformation becomes a crisis. </i>Los Angeles: J. Tarcher.</div></div><div id="edn10" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref10" name="_edn10" style="mso-endnote-id: edn10;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[10]</span></span></span></a> Whitfield, B.H., <i>Spiritual Awakenings, op. cit.; The Natural Soul, op. cit.</i></div></div><div id="edn11" style="mso-element: endnote;"><div class="MsoEndnoteText" style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3107501482066831887#_ednref11" name="_edn11" style="mso-endnote-id: edn11;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[11]</span></span></span></a> Whitfield, C.L. et al, <i>The Power of Humility, op. cit.</i></div></div></div>KRNwebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537302827845421643noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3107501482066831887.post-79388531708476188612011-04-12T16:35:00.002-04:002011-06-01T03:16:25.821-04:00Article: Spontaneous Kundalini Awakening and Universal Transformation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbG1nqA8luljgJCbqdRbizvQvySwsucrIzdRUTm2Gy7idUDl9DDozjDa8Be2IWjJS8YdblLexTaaoSD8bCecPJdbZrcoGnqPP8miTBJGFbIlairNxzdFaaw62sMN3iahl-24_Qb4fX_dO/s1600/dorothy4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbG1nqA8luljgJCbqdRbizvQvySwsucrIzdRUTm2Gy7idUDl9DDozjDa8Be2IWjJS8YdblLexTaaoSD8bCecPJdbZrcoGnqPP8miTBJGFbIlairNxzdFaaw62sMN3iahl-24_Qb4fX_dO/s1600/dorothy4.jpg" /></a></div>From Dorothy Walters, PhD<br />
KRN Board member<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"> My kundalini awakening was abrupt and unexpected. It occurred almost thirty years ago, when I was a professor of English and women’s studies in a Kansas state university. The gist of it is that one day when I was reading a book that mentioned in passing the strange phenomenon of kundalini, I decided to see if I could awaken and then raise these energies up through my spine. I had little or no prior knowledge of such techniques. I knew no one who had heard of such a possibility. I had no familiarity with Eastern practices, gurus, yogis--these things were essentially unknown in that part of the world at that time. I had never even had a massage.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"> There was one additional piece that was also part of this puzzle. My (female) partner of many years was threatening to leave and my psyche was indeed in a disturbed state. Thus my “inner energies” were in a chaotic condition, as I responded to this inner turmoil.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"> My awakening happened like this: I sat quietly in my chair, and concentrated fully on breathing into the lower abdomen. Almost immediately I felt a rapturous flow of energy. Now, I thought to myself, I must bring this energy up. And so I began to breathe deeply, with the intent of lifting the energies from the base to my head. Suddenly, they seemed to shoot up, all the way to the crown, which opened in total rapture. The brain itself seemed to have become a vessel of delight. The crown opened to effulgent, ecstatic energies flowing in from above.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"> At this moment, I realized that this rapturous stream of energy was the life force itself, that which animates the entire universe, and that I was a minute part of this process, a wee speck in an infinite reality, that the “I” that I had constructedI was something that did not even exist except as a myth I myself had created and fostered.<br />
<br />
I sat with the experience as long as I could sustain it--perhaps a few minutes, during which I underwent the “opening of the thousand lotus petals” that yogis describe as part of their awakening experience. Some call this enlightenment.<br />
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For the next several days I existed in a semi-trance state, during which I experienced inner (visionary) initiation into both Tibetan Buddhist and yogic traditions.<br />
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I experienced daily bliss, simply by envisioning Shiva or Krishna, so that I might be in closer touch with these sublime energies, this divine reality.<br />
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This was the beginning of an experience that continued in one form or another for the next thirty years, and is still ongoing. It brought periods of both bliss and pain, conviction and searching, as I tried over time to sort out my experience, to unravel what it might “mean”, why it had happened to me, of all people. Was I now “enlightened”? This seemed unlikely, yet I knew that I had confronted a reality far beyond what I might ever have imagined as existing in this physical universe. I knew that there was indeed an unseen force, a presence, a divine impulse underlying the mundane appearance of the world, and that this was what was real. <br />
<br />
The name that was closest the nature of this revelation was simply love. I knew that each of us was loved in a special way, and that we must turn to and open to this love, allowing it to sustain us, for we were part of it and it of us.<br />
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As my unfolding progressed, I discovered I had certain new “talents.” I now saw auras from time to time, felt the energies of others when I was in (or near) their presence, felt music “inside the head” as if it were coming from within rather than from without. I sometimes sensed the energies of inanimate objects, such as paintings or ancient Chinese vases.<br />
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But most precious of all were the times of blissful union with the unseen Source, the “Guru Within,” who continued to lead and guide me. For years I at certain periods experienced these quasi-erotic energies flowing through my body during my practice (which took on various forms over time), often arriving as bliss streams in hands or arms or cheeks--as if something within were making love with me in unexpected places. These were not specifically sexual in nature, but rather sexual energy sublimated into a higher, more subtle level of experience.<br />
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And, as I have indicated, the process continues to this day, with ever more delicate manifestations of joy and bliss and love for others and all that is.<br />
<br />
What have I learned from all of this?<br />
<br />
<b> The Process:</b><br />
<br />
Extreme transformation (sometimes called the lightning stroke) can occur to anyone at anytime and under any circumstance. The amount of prior preparation is no guarantee that the gift will be granted. Some have little or no preparation, and fall quickly into the sea of bliss. Others practice dutifully for years and never experience the deep inner rapture.<br />
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Who will undergo this process is not predictable. Those who seemingly should arrive may never attain the goal of immediate realization. Others apparently less deserving may quickly ascend to the top of the mountain.<br />
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No one gets a free ride. The opening may be brilliant, transcendent even. But there will be times of balancing and integration, periods of pain and despair, as one attempts to deal with these unfamiliar energies now infusing one’s system, one day mounting into bliss, the next plunging into some kind of pain.<br />
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One may never ever know why this transfiguring event occurred that so totally turned one’s life around. One theory is that such awakenings are related to one’s past life development as for example (in my case) likely a tantric practitioner. (I consider all delicate energy work to be tantric in nature)<br />
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One must listen carefully to one’s own “inner guru,” who seems to be a combination of teacher, counselor, friend, and Beloved Within. The guru is very patient--it will stay with you until the process is “complete” or at least stabilized. In fact, it will remain with you forever, for it is an aspect of your own “higher self,” ready to guide and protect you during this entire life cycle.<br />
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This experience is not purely “spiritual” (something divorced from the material realm and the sensate body.) It is something that is felt deeply inside, like any sensation or emotion. It often carries a distinct “erotic” flavor, though it is definitely not merely sexual arousal or response. (The inner response is unique to each person, some of whom may experience the energies as heat or cold or electricity, rather than bliss per se.)<br />
<br />
The experience changes constantly, in texture, tone, magnitude and frequency. It is like listening to a piece of music again and again--every single occasion carries a different valence.<br />
<br />
Tone and texture change over time--becoming less intense, more subdued, less volatile, more stable. And--even when the energies are so settled that they are felt merely as subtle waves of light moving through the system, these too are beautiful and can leave one sighing with pleasure.<br />
<br />
It is extremely difficult to describe this journey, or to share any part of it, with those who have not traveled a similar path. What does one do when one’s body suddenly fills with rapture from simple movement or hearing a special musical phrase? Who can you tell in a world that seems to function on some other wave length, or in some other orbit? One asks, inevitably, “‘Am I the only one? Are there others like me?”<br />
<br />
One must adjust to the constantly unexpected. How do you react when--suddenly--you experience in your own body what another person is feeling (somatically) at the moment? What does it mean that you can--unexpectedly--feel in a palpable way the sweet energies emanating from a painting or an ancient vase? This is all part of the actual “expansion of consciousness” that so many describe.<br />
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You will benefit greatly from a friend or spiritual buddy with whom to share your experiences, particularly if you cannot find a suitable therapist or guide. This need--to tell one’s story to a sympathetic listener--is one of the greatest of all desires expressed by those undergoing deep transformation.<br />
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You can expect to be very, very lonely on this path, especially if you are committed to the Direct Path as opposed to one mediated by a guru or a specific teaching. The reward is that you will thereby make your own discoveries as you go, rather than having them imposed or interpreted by an outside agent. Outside agents are tricky. Some are untrustworthy, others simply limited by the restrictions arising from their own personal experience or tradition. Buddha told us to be a light unto ourselves, to lay down our own path. This way may be more difficult, but in so doing we honor both ourselves and the guide from within.<br />
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A s you progress, your practice will become ever more subtle, ever more delicate. Where at the beginning, you might have done hatha yoga in a typical way, now you may find that even a slight movement of fingers or eyes may produce delightful sensations of hands or arms or elsewhere, as if your “inner lover” were with you and leading you into these new levels of response. Ultimately, the sensations may disappear entirely, but often there is then an unexpected return of the divine within.<br />
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To complete your journey, you will need to find a way to “give back,” so that others may benefit from your experience. (This is the stage of the hero’s journey that Joseph Campbell calls “bringing the treasure back home.”) What this becomes will depend on your own experience. For me, language was the key. For several years I have presented a blog titled “Kundalinisplendor, Poems and Reflections on the Spiritual Journey. (<a href="http://www.kundalinisplendor.blogspot.com/">www.kundalinisplendor.blogspot.com</a>) Through this blog (and other sources) I often hear from those who are themselves experiencing deep spiritual transformation, often with no guide whatsoever or even without a trusted friend to share with. I try to offer these “aspirants” encouragement and support, along with suggestions for resources such as books and relevant websites or authentic teachers. However, mostly I just listen attentively to their stories and answer any questions within my scope of knowledge, and these correspondents are often quite grateful just to be in contact with someone who has made this arduous journey and survived.<br />
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I have also published three books growing out of my own experience--”Unmasking the Rose” is a detailed account of my own experience of Kundalini awakening, and “Marrow of Flame” and “A Cloth of Fine Gold” are collections of original poetry growing out of this ongoing journey. My reward is not in dollars and cents but rather the gratification that comes from knowing that other seekers find my work useful in their own spiritual progress.<br />
<br />
The Ultimate Significance of Awakening as Universal Process and Divine Connection<br />
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My own sudden transformation and unfolding was so unlikely that I often said I might not believe any of this it had not happened to me. But it did happen to me, and I have spent much time contemplating its meaning.<br />
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I feel my experience is not merely one of personal transformation, but rather an indicator of how the great “shift‘ now so talked about may happen, and in fact is happening. People are transforming on all levels and in an infinite number of ways. Kundalini itself, once virtually unknown to most of us, is now a widely acknowledged phenomenon. Spiritual pursuits of many kinds are springing up daily, as people seek to move forward in their own spiritual ascent. What is going on all around today is the “next stage of human consciousness” so many have predicted. This growing phenomenon is the means by which human and divine achieve ever closer connection, for it is the true "divinization of matter,," It is the ultimate state of "Oneness" with the Divine and with all that is. It is our destiny. It is why we came. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Contact Dorothy at: <a href="mailto:dorothywalters72@yahoo.com">dorothywalters72@yahoo.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kundalinisplendor.blogspot.com/">www.kundalinisplendor.blogspot.com </a></div>KRNwebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537302827845421643noreply@blogger.com6