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| In Gopi Krishna's book, Kundalini - Evolutionary Energy In Man, he mentions psychic powers related to the kundalini. Is there any truth in this? More blood flow, better digestion, and so forth I can understand. |
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| Im not familiar with that book, but from what i have read/heard the practice of kunalini can be VERY powerful.
I was speaking with my yoga instructor about kundalin and she said that there was a book written by a guy who practiced it, and ended up going nuts for like 11 years because of the massive amount of energy that was unlocked which he wasnt prepared for...
she quoted to me something like "THink about it like this; your 5 senses become more aware, and then you throw all that energy that becomes unlocked from the kundalini into it, it can be alot to deal with if you arent careful"
I think there is a book called "the serpent awakens" that talks all about someones experiences with kundalini practice, Iyengar mentions it in his book for the definition and explanation of the half lotus pose ( like page 114 i think... ).
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Expert Yogi
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| In India the mental health hospitals have separate areas for "kundalini cases." So I guess a lot of people there try this stuff on their own or with unqualified guidance as well. Asana and pranayama build up and strengthen the nervous and energy systems in the body to be able to withstand this force when it is ready to be awakened. |
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| Interesting.  |
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| >In India the mental health hospitals have separate areas for "kundalini cases."
Where did you learn that? I can’t find any reference on the Internet to that statement ( I didn't dig very deeply). Am curious because I know people who do Kundalini Yoga. If true, I would like to be able to get their take on that.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Eh, Jambo - I read it in a yoga mag. Probably YJ. But I have had that confirmed by people who have been there (to India). Practicing kundalini is absolutely safe if you have good guidance and a strong practice. Messing around on your own is a bit dicier. There is always, ALWAYS a tendency to want to do too much, too soon, whether it is yoga of whatever form, riding a bike or whatever. (You don't wanna hear about the time I discovered my chef-to-be daughter's fancy pasta machine...   ) It is all in the care and attention as well as knowledge and experience. Most days most of us are barely in control of our normal faculties - not remotely ready for magical powers  |
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| here is a good reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundalini
........According to yogic terminology the force of Kundalini is supposed to be raised through meditative exercises and activated within the concept of a subtle body, a body of energy and finer substance. This process has been explained in detail by Motoyama (1981) and by Sharp (2005). Motoyama bases the bulk of the Kundalini raising practices listed in the book on the notable Swami Satyananda Saraswati, as well as on personal experience in helping people in various stages of Kundalini awakening. Sharp provides a kundalini meditation called The Great Invocation along with detailed guidance on controlling and managing the energy flow and subsequent manifestation.
Kundalini-experiences are often understood in terms of the Hindu chakra system, the understanding of psycho-spiritual energy centers along the spine (Scotton, 1996). According to Hindu tradition the Kundalini raises from the root-chakra up through the spinal channel, called sushumna, and it is believed to activate each chakra it goes through. Each chakra is said to contain special characteristics (Scotton, 1996). In raising Kundalini, spiritual powers (siddhis) are also believed to arise, but many spiritual traditions see these phenomena as obstacles on the path, and encourages their students not to get hung up with them (Kason, 2000). Although the opening of higher chakras are believed to mark advanced spiritual unfoldment, it is important not to measure spiritual growth solely by the opening of higher potentials. According to this view chakras might be under- or overdeveloped, and lower chakras are thought to be just as important as higher.
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.......Theorists within the schools of Humanistic psychology, Transpersonal psychology and Near-Death Studies describe a complex pattern of motor, sensory, affective and cognitive/hermeneutic symptoms called The Kundalini Syndrome. This psychosomatic arousal and excitation is believed to occur in connection with prolonged and intensive spiritual or contemplative practice (such as meditation or yoga) or as a result of intense life experiences or a close encounter with death (such as a near-death experience) (Greyson 1993, 2000; Scotton, 1996; Lukoff, Lu & Turner, 1998; Kason, 2000). According to these fields of study the Kundalini-syndrome is of a different nature than a single Kundalini episode, such as a Kundalini-rising. The Kundalini syndrome is a process that might unfold over several months, or even years. If the accompanying symptoms unfold in an intense manner—that de-stabilizes the person—the process is usually interpreted as a Spiritual Emergency (Grof & Grof, 1989; Lukoff, Lu & Turner, 199 .
Interdisciplinary dialogue within the mentioned schools of psychology (see references below) has now established some common criteria in order to describe this condition, of which the most prominent feature is a feeling of energy travelling along the spine, or progressing upwards in the body. Motor symptoms are said to include tremors, shaking, spontaneous or involuntary body-movements and changes in respiratory function. Sensory symptoms are said to include changes in body-temperature (feelings of heat or cold), a feeling of electricity in the body, headache and pressure inside of the head, tingling, vibrations and gastro-intestinal problems. Cognitive and affective symptoms are said to include psychological upheaval, stress, depression, depersonalization or derealization, intense mood-swings, altered states of consciousness (trance-like experiences), hallucinations (inner visions or acoustical phenomena), but also moments of bliss and deep peace (Sannella, 1976; Greyson, 1993 & 2000; Greenwell, 1995; Scotton, 1996; Kason, 2000). Within the mentioned academic traditions this symptomatology is often referred to as the Physio-Kundalini syndrome (Sannella, 1976, Greyson 1993; 2000) or Kundalini-experience/awakening (Scotton, 1996; Lukoff, Lu & Turner, 199. Transpersonal literature emphasizes that this list of symptoms is not meant to be used as a tool for self-diagnosis. Any unusual or marked physical or mental symptom needs to be investigated by a qualified medical doctor (Kason, 2000).
There is alot more, but thats just some excerpts.. |
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| I've also heard it compared to a full strength acid trip that never ends. One of the interesting things about LSD is that it tends to remove some of the "blocks" from our sense. Generally our mind functions as a regulator to make sure that our sense don't overwelm it, and LSD completely removes these barriers, resulting in all sorts of interesting things happening. |
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| ...not to mention that lsd actually never truly leaves your system, it binds to your spine, so if you have ever been a heavy lsd user, and pop your back, it could cause one of those lsd moleculse to be released, then as it reattaches thats how flashbacks can happen....well one way anyhow....
Imagine how unlucking kulandini would effect some (former) acid head?
I suppose peyote and mushrooms mus do about the same thing then...
actually they dont, lsd causes the neurons in your brain to misfire, which is what induces the trip, I think mushrooms and peyote are more of a chemical reaction in the body. |
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| I’ll check out YJ (any idea what month and year?) and ask my Indian friends at work and teachers who have been to India if they know whether that statement is true or so much hooey. That K’ stuff is pretty scary if true. Having trouble squaring the hysteria from the people I see doing it. But who knows, maybe their internal twilight-zone looks perfectly normal from the outside.
That’s a great quote from Wikipedia:
"This psychosomatic arousal and excitation is believed to occur in connection with prolonged and intensive spiritual or contemplative practice (such as meditation or yoga) or as a result of intense life experiences or a close encounter with death (such as a near-death experience)"
Notice it says meditation or yoga. Looks like we all be in danger of Kundalini-rising.
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| to reach to tourists statement about kundalini yoga--sans instructor--being dicey, i have a story.
this is about a student who didn't practice 'kundalini yoga' (as most yoga will awaken kundalini in stages), but began to practice yoga on his own. He enjoyed it greatly--physically, mentally, etc--and he began to develop a great deal of awareness.
one day, he was practicing, and had an out-of-body experience. it scared him intensely. he didn't know how to get 'back into' his body, he didn't know how to make the experience stop, and when it did, he was so shaken, he's never done yoga again, and in his mind, he never will. he was not prepared--intellectually, spiritually--for the experience that he was preparing his body/mind for, and when his body/mind went for it, it scared him because he didn't have a teacher to say 'ok, this is what this is, how it's working, why it's happening, why one would or would not do it, how to do it, and how to stop doing it when you want to.' if he'd had this, it wouldn't have freaked him, he would have worked with it, and then he would have continued in his yoga practice.
but instead, scared him, and so he stopped and won't start again.
so, even 'regular' yoga can be dicy without a good teacher. |
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| Yea I had an OBE before. |
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| ZB- Thanks for the story. I think there are as many catalysts as experiences of people having OBEs. Whether that was a Yoga induced experience or an episodic psychosis that had nothing to do with Yoga would only be proved by examination of the particular person. Who knows what the person was doing the night before, their mental history, current stress levels or any of the other myriad causes for a psychotic break that appears to have been induced from their doing Yoga. It’s the anecdotal stories that make me wary of statements being made.
“so, even 'regular' yoga can be dicy without a good teacher.” Kind of made me laugh because I’m thinking that every Yoga DVD and book might now require a warning sticker on the front, “Don’t try this at home. Known to cause all kinds of weird sh!it if practiced without a teacher!” Can you imagine a student telling a typical teacher at a typical studio that they are having an OBE and can’t get back? If you think sexual issues freak out a teacher (see some current threads) just try laying that on a teacher.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Jambo - I am glad this post got bumped. I don't really remember what year the YJ was but it was at least 2 years ago and in a multi - issue series on India and yoga today. Hope that helps. |
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| Jambo - 2006-03-20 7:16 PM
Kind of made me laugh because I’m thinking that every Yoga DVD and book might now require a warning sticker on the front, “Don’t try this at home. Known to cause all kinds of weird sh!it if practiced without a teacher!”
Actually I'd like to see that sort of sticker applied to most forms of liberation. Strange sh!t happens. You can either freak out, or enjoy the show. The nice thing about the teacher is that they've already seen the elephant, and can calm down the student.
Can you imagine a student telling a typical teacher at a typical studio that they are having an OBE and can’t get back? If you think sexual issues freak out a teacher (see some current threads) just try laying that on a teacher.
You might be surprised. I think if you get a sincere teacher who's been at this for a while they might not blink. If you get somebody who just got out of teacher training, and has been at this for a year or two, they might call for the men with the white coats. |
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| >GJ - Actually I'd like to see that sort of sticker applied to most forms of liberation.
Hey, don’t be giving the regulators any ideas, though they did seem to do a good job with the one they put on the gates of hell in Dante’s Devine Comedy, “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here”.
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| Jambo - 2006-03-21 7:26 AM
>GJ - Actually I'd like to see that sort of sticker applied to most forms of liberation.
Hey, don’t be giving the regulators any ideas, though they did seem to do a good job with the one they put on the gates of hell in Dante’s Devine Comedy, “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here”.
I'm sure it's already occured to somebody, probably many somebodies. For that matter there seems to be a lot of stigma in the media towards anybody trying to get somewhere. Usually they're shown to be flakes, or hypocrits, or mad men.
Actually, I'd like to write that over the door of a yoga ashram, hope's problematic at best. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| I would like to think I would handle a student's OBE and keep them safe, but I don't see it happening in an Iyengar class, quite frankly. We're pretty grounded... |
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hope's problematic at best.
To follow up with a billy bob thornton quite:
"Hope in one hand and crap in the other, see which one fills up first!" |
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| Hope is also the last thing out of pandora's box.... I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader to determine if it's a good or bad thing. |
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| tourist - 2006-03-21 8:24 AM
I would like to think I would handle a student's OBE and keep them safe, but I don't see it happening in an Iyengar class...
In Iyengar, you have the advantage of using props when you first begin to practice OBEs. First wrap the loop of the strap firmly around your soul, then hold the other end of the strap with your left hand ... |
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| Thanks T for the comment “I would like to think I would handle a student's OBE and keep them safe”.
Wonder how you would distinguish between OBEs, Religious Enlightenment, Rapture or Transcendence, Schizophrenia or Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Laura - LOL!!!
Jambo - my head is reeling with the possibilities! |
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Location: Upstate NY | GreenJello - 2006-03-18 8:22 PM
I've also heard it compared to a full strength acid trip that never ends. One of the interesting things about LSD is that it tends to remove some of the "blocks" from our sense. Generally our mind functions as a regulator to make sure that our sense don't overwelm it, and LSD completely removes these barriers, resulting in all sorts of interesting things happening. I've read that the one can achieve the same awareness through LSD as with meditation the difference is that one is able to establish a solid understanding of identity through a consistant meditation practice, where this can also be achieved through LSD but one is not ready or mentally prepared for this.Resulting in a "bad trip" I think it was Ram Das..
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| Yeah, I've heard it's the difference between gaining understanding on step at a time, and flying by the top of the mountain on a jet. You get there quick, stay for a moment or two, and then fly back down. |
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Weary of this
