(This article was published in Wellbeing Magazine in March 1997.
It is reprinted at Elevated Therapy International with kind permission.)
As humanity accelerates towards the
millennium,
more and more people are reporting spiritual experiences and opening
into
awareness that physical reality is only a fraction of all that is.
How
does spiritual emergence begin?
No
one knows for certain just what kick starts
the unfolding of spiritual potential. For some, spiritual emergence is
a gentle and integrated process which develops as a natural consequence
of many years dedicated to service and prayer or meditation under the
guidance
of a teacher or guru. Others may experience a more abrupt awakening,
possible
due to practices which awaken transformative energy before the person
has
done the necessary groundwork.
It is
thought that practices such as yoga,
bioenergetics,
polarity work or breathwork cause the awakening of Kundalini energy
which
heralds the transformation of spiritual potential. Kundalini is the
Hindu
word for the sacred, transformative energy that awakens consciousness.
According to esoteric literature, this energy has been coiled at the
base
of the spine in a latent form since birth, awaiting the stimulus to
unfold
its potential.
As
this energy becomes active, it is usually
sensed as a vibrational or energetic force in the body, together with a
strong sense of spirit. Its movement may be experienced as a rushing,
outpouring,
a steady streaming up the spine, or a slowly coiling spiral motion.
Another
common catalyst seems to be intense
physical
or emotional distress. As people confront the limits of their endurance
and come face to face with death, they will often move into non
ordinary
or transpersonal states of consciousness. Thus experiences with natural
disasters, near death experiences, or life transitions such as
pregnancy,
midlife or separation, may be emotionally tense situations which can
lead
to spiritual awakening. Regardless of the specifics of each
individual’s
experience, the Kundalini awakening heralds a great period of change in
a person’s life.
What is spiritual emergency?
When
spiritual seekers or even those who do not
consider themselves to be on a spiritual path find themselves
experiencing
levels of awareness or energy transformation that they are unable to
handle
or for which they have no reference, then the result can be a state of
emergency. In this state, a person feels highly vulnerable
and
oversensitive
to incoming stimuli. Typically they feel overwhelmed, fragmented,
fearful,
confused and disoriented. With their absorption in inner processes,
they
may not be able to look after even basic self care.
All
these situations can be bewildering and
frightening,
and at these times these people need support and reassurance as they
undergo
their transformations. The spiritual emergency network in the US seeks
to network people and provide information to facilitate a more gentle
emergence
of spiritual potentials. The network is intended to put people in touch
with others who have undergone similar experiences, or with counsellors
who are aware of spiritual dimensions of reality.
(In the UK and Ireland - Elevated Therapy International is an important
resource.)
THE SYMPTOMS OF KUNDALINI AWAKENING
While
the awakening Kundalini may be a dramatic
experience, the resultant shift in consciousness may be accompanied by
years of physical and psychological upheavals. The process of Kundalini
awakening can vary greatly from person to person. Some have intense
physical
symptoms, while others experience mainly emotional or psychological
symptoms.
It is as if the new energy invites a spring cleaning throughout the
entire
system, with unresolved physical or emotional conditions coming up for
resolution and release. The life transforming changes which accompany a
Kundalini awakening cover the entire physiological, emotional, mental
and
spiritual spectrum. Greenwell (1990) has noted seven categories of
symptoms
which have been observed during Kundalini awakening .
1. Pranic movements or kriyas
Prana
is the Hindu word for vital energy. Thus
as intense energy moves through the body and clears out physiological
blocks,
a person may experience intense involuntary, jerking movements of the
body,
including shaking, vibrations, spasm and contraction. As deeply held
armouring
and blockages to the smooth flow of energy are released, the person may
re-access memories and emotions associated with past trauma and injury.
2. Yogic Phenomena
Some
people find themselves performing yogic
postures or hand mudra gestures which they have never learned or could
not do in a normal state of consciousness. Similarly, they may produce
Sanskrit words or sounds, or have an awareness of inner music
or
sound, mantras or tones. Unusual breathing patterns may appear with
either
very rapid or slow, shallow breathing. Some people may not breathe at
all
for extended periods.
3. Physiological Symptoms
A
Kundalini awakening often generates unusual
physiological activity as intense movement of energy releases toxins in
the body. Symptoms include apparent heart problems, pains in head and
spine,
gastrointestinal disturbances and nervous problems. Internal sensations
have been reported as sensations of burning, oversensitivity to sensory
input, hyperactivity or lethargy, great variations in sexual desire and
even spontaneous orgasm. Symptoms can be erratic, coming and going
without
provocation, but are generally unresponsive to medical treatment.
4. Psychological
Upheaval
Spiritual
awakening offers a direct challenge
to the primacy of ego consciousness and the myth of
separation.
It
brings with it a challenge to move beyond the unconscious responses
ruled
by drives and instincts and remove ego consciousness from the centre
stage
of the psyche. It comes as no surprise that such a challenge produces a
period of confusion and unbalance.
People
find themselves beset by inexplicable
emotional states as they move to clear out unresolved issues. The
emotional
roller coaster may swing from feelings of anxiety, guilt and
depression,
through to compassion, love and joy, with accompanying bouts of
uncontrollable
weeping.
5. Extra
Sensory Experiences
As
perception expands outside of consensus
reality,
people experience atypical visual phenomena, including visions of
lights,
symbols, entities, or review of past life experiences. Auditory input
may
include hearing voices, music, inner sounds or mantras. Even the
olfactory
system may be stimulated with perception of scents of sandalwood, rose
or incense. There may also be disruption of the proprioceptive system,
with losing a sense of self as a body, or feeling bigger than the body,
or out of the body, with the resulting confusion and disorientation.
6. Psychic
Phenomena
With
the opening up of psychic abilities, a
person
may experience precognition, telepathy, psychokinesis, awareness of
auras
and healing abilities.
7. Mystical
States of Consciousness
A
person may shift into altered states of
consciousness
where they directly perceive the unity underlying the world of
separation
and experience a deep peace and serenity with a profound knowing of
wisdom.
In
some cases, the state of emergency due to
psychological upheaval is so acute that it resembles a psychotic
episode.
Many clinicians still regard phenomena associated with spiritual
emergence
as indicative of pathology because the signs are so easily confused
with
the indicators of psychosis, mania, depression, schizophrenia
or
borderline personality disorder. Many people undergoing spiritual
emergency
are misdiagnosed and treated with suppressive medication which further
complicates their process.
What can be done to support a
Kundalini
awakening?
When
Kundalini awakening happens to people who
are not on a spiritual path or who have no context or framework to
understand
the bewildering upheaval of mind, body and spirit, the experience can
leave
them fragile and fragmented. As the Kundalini process involves a
redefinition
and reintegration of self, it adds extra pressure when health
professionals
or significant others wish to suppress the transformation and insist
that
the person conforms to old ways of being in the world.
Of
greatest benefit is a supportive framework
which can allow people to make sense of the intricate connection
between
spirit and the movement of physical energy in the body, rather than
fearing
they are going insane. It is more empowering to understand that
Kundalini
awakening is a process which taps into the blueprint for higher
consciousness
which is latent within every human. While the enormous changes
associated
with a spiritual awakening may demand psychological and
social
adjustments,
they are not in themselves necessarily indicative of illness.
Communication
and connection with others who can provide support and a meaningful
context
for understanding the process reduces the isolation and overwhelm and
can
help to minimise the disturbance.
Someone
who has the personal qualities of
creative
adaptation to change and a flexible mental framework is more likely to
weather the changes with grace and style than someone who is rigid in
their
beliefs and world view.
Humanity’s Wake Up Call
Usually
the awakening of Kundalini was a process
which only occurred after years of spiritual practice and meditation.
Yet
increasingly, the Kundalini experience is being reported among people
who
are not undertaking spiritual practices. Since 1993, when Shared
Transformation,
an American journal for connecting spiritual awakeners first began, it
has been contacted by over 700 people in the throes of spontaneous
Kundalini
arousal (Collie & Kress,1995).
These
increased reports of spontaneous Kundalini
awakening at this time of planetary upheaval may be indicative of a
larger
purpose at work, the beginning of a planetary wake up call. Anyone who
is on a spiritual path, or engaging in practices which change body
energies,
such as meditation, yogic practices, breathwork, rebirthing or polarity
balancing, may find they begin to resonate with the changing energies
at
this time and that they begin their own Kundalini awakening process.
Is Kundalini awakening the same as
enlightenment?
It is
important not to confuse Kundalini
awakening
with enlightenment. Enlightenment rarely results from a single
encounter
with the numinous. It is more as if the energetic awakening initiates
an
expansion in consciousness which sets the scene for a progression of
many
experiences with transpersonal states of consciousness. The intensity
and
duration of each of glimpse varies with our readiness to contain and
integrate
them.
Thus
the Kundalini awakening is not an end point
in itself, but the beginning of a transformation of consciousness which
expands our capacity to KNOW the infinite. Spiritual emergence often
includes
expanded perceptual abilities, increased energy, creative expression
and
a dedication to being of service for the greater good.
In
her book, The Energies of Transformation,
Bonnie Greenwell (1990) gives us an indication of what this
transformation
may bring in practical terms.
“Most
of those who awaken this connection
with
the ecstatic inner Self will return to being who they were, perhaps
doing
their lives with more contentment or a gentler perspective, perhaps
more
involved and committed in service to others, perhaps more energised and
expressive, perhaps writing poetry, teaching, loving
unconditionally.”(p302)
References
Bragdon,
Emma (1993). A Sourcebook for Helping
People with Spiritual Problems, Lightening Up Press, California.
Collie,
El & Cress, C. (1995). Shared
Transformation
at Internet address ckress@aol.com
Greenwell,
Bonnie (1990). Energies of
Transformation,
a Guide to the Kundalini Process, Delta Lithograph, Valencia,
California.
Karin Hannigan is a transpersonal
psychologist
currently practising in Brisbane, Australia.
©
Karin Hannigan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
