emergence On Insult

[Guest guest]

> >

> > Thanks for replying, Phil,

> >

> > But, that energy thingy is out of my reach, not to mention that

> > Kundalini stuff.

> >

> > I personally feel more attracted to psychology and neuroscience

> > than

> > to all that spiritual stuff which depends on tricky imaginative

> > self-hypnosis.

 

The Spiritual Emergence Network (SEN)

 

http://www.ciis.edu/comserv/

 

 

Dr. Greenwell ( " Energies of Transformation " -1990) has noted seven

categories of symptoms which have been observed during Spontaneous

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 fromfeelings 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 nperson 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)

 

The Spiritual Emergence Network (SEN)

 

http://www.ciis.edu/comserv/