Kundalini Problems
Rebecca Bragg has been a writer since 1979. From 1988 to 2000, she was a reporter for Canada's largest newspaper, the "Toronto Star," writing news and feature stories related to health. She holds a Master of Arts in English literature and creative writing from the University of Windsor.
Overview
Kundalini, an intense form of meditation, is meant to hasten yoga's ultimate goal: the attainment of perfect bliss, called enlightenment. The central symbol, a snake coiled at the base of the spine, represents the power latent within all humans to achieve this state. When kundalini meditation "awakens" this power, it is said to travel through energy centers called chakras, shattering illusions along the way. If the process occurs before the practitioner is physically, psychologically and emotionally prepared, a common side-effect, "kundalini psychosis," may result.
Symptoms of Kundalini Psychosis
According to kundalini expert Kurt Kreutzer, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, "awakening" is a sensation so powerful that it is often compared to a "freight train" or an "erupting volcano." Symptoms, usually temporary but sometimes long-term, may include blissful or terrifying visions, trembling, shaking, assuming unfamiliar yoga postures, singing, reciting mantras, speaking in tongues and making animal sounds. These reactions are caused when the contents of the unconscious mind "spill over into consciousness," he says, and constitute a "spiritual emergency."
Physiological Effects of Intense Meditation
Harvard Medical School has conducted several studies on the effects of meditation on the brain and body. One study involving meditating kundalini yoga practitioners, published in the May 15, 2000, journal "NeuroReport," noted a significant decrease in blood flow to the brain but simultaneously increased activity to areas controlling attention, autonomic and metabolic functions. Earlier Harvard studies facilitated by the Dalai Lama documented the ability of Tibetan monks to lower their metabolic rate by as much as 64 percent and generate enough body heat to dry wet sheets on their bare skin while sitting outdoors in cold temperatures. A 2006 study described in the "Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute Letter" presented evidence suggesting that regular meditation actually changed brain structure, thickening areas associated with "bodily sensations and emotions."
Psychotherapy and Meditation
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung incorporated much Eastern philosophy and symbolism into his theories of the mind and believed that kundalini provided a framework for the understanding of the development of higher consciousness. He also cautioned Westerners against dabbling in this meditation technique because it was so powerful that without proper preparation and guidance, people put themselves at risk of psychotic breakdowns.
In "Meditation and Psychotherapy," published in the 1991 edition of the "American Journal of Psychotherapy," author Greg Bogart concluded that careful prior assessment of individual patients was vital before meditation was used in psychotherapy. Many fragile people turned to meditation in hopes of finding solutions to existing personality disorders, Bogart wrote, and others who lacked psychological maturity and confidence could be unbalanced by intense meditation.
The Dalai Lama's Views
In Tibetan Buddhism, kundalini is called "candali" or "tummo" meditation, and the Dalai Lama, in his writings and teachings, has repeatedly warned Westerners against trying to reach an advanced level before they have done the necessary groundwork. "Meditation on the Completion (advanced) Stage ... can be extremely dangerous," he said in a 1982 interview, "perhaps bringing many types of sickness and even death to the unqualified practitioner."
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/351098-kundalini-problems/#ixzz1Dw5Hq8lt
Related:
KUNDALINI WARNING by Andrew Strom
KUNDALINI WARNING II
Rebecca Bragg has been a writer since 1979. From 1988 to 2000, she was a reporter for Canada's largest newspaper, the "Toronto Star," writing news and feature stories related to health. She holds a Master of Arts in English literature and creative writing from the University of Windsor.
Kundalini, an intense form of meditation, is meant to hasten yoga's ultimate goal: the attainment of perfect bliss, called enlightenment. The central symbol, a snake coiled at the base of the spine, represents the power latent within all humans to achieve this state. When kundalini meditation "awakens" this power, it is said to travel through energy centers called chakras, shattering illusions along the way. If the process occurs before the practitioner is physically, psychologically and emotionally prepared, a common side-effect, "kundalini psychosis," may result.
Symptoms of Kundalini Psychosis
According to kundalini expert Kurt Kreutzer, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, "awakening" is a sensation so powerful that it is often compared to a "freight train" or an "erupting volcano." Symptoms, usually temporary but sometimes long-term, may include blissful or terrifying visions, trembling, shaking, assuming unfamiliar yoga postures, singing, reciting mantras, speaking in tongues and making animal sounds. These reactions are caused when the contents of the unconscious mind "spill over into consciousness," he says, and constitute a "spiritual emergency."
Physiological Effects of Intense Meditation
Harvard Medical School has conducted several studies on the effects of meditation on the brain and body. One study involving meditating kundalini yoga practitioners, published in the May 15, 2000, journal "NeuroReport," noted a significant decrease in blood flow to the brain but simultaneously increased activity to areas controlling attention, autonomic and metabolic functions. Earlier Harvard studies facilitated by the Dalai Lama documented the ability of Tibetan monks to lower their metabolic rate by as much as 64 percent and generate enough body heat to dry wet sheets on their bare skin while sitting outdoors in cold temperatures. A 2006 study described in the "Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute Letter" presented evidence suggesting that regular meditation actually changed brain structure, thickening areas associated with "bodily sensations and emotions."
Psychotherapy and Meditation
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung incorporated much Eastern philosophy and symbolism into his theories of the mind and believed that kundalini provided a framework for the understanding of the development of higher consciousness. He also cautioned Westerners against dabbling in this meditation technique because it was so powerful that without proper preparation and guidance, people put themselves at risk of psychotic breakdowns.
In "Meditation and Psychotherapy," published in the 1991 edition of the "American Journal of Psychotherapy," author Greg Bogart concluded that careful prior assessment of individual patients was vital before meditation was used in psychotherapy. Many fragile people turned to meditation in hopes of finding solutions to existing personality disorders, Bogart wrote, and others who lacked psychological maturity and confidence could be unbalanced by intense meditation.
The Dalai Lama's Views
In Tibetan Buddhism, kundalini is called "candali" or "tummo" meditation, and the Dalai Lama, in his writings and teachings, has repeatedly warned Westerners against trying to reach an advanced level before they have done the necessary groundwork. "Meditation on the Completion (advanced) Stage ... can be extremely dangerous," he said in a 1982 interview, "perhaps bringing many types of sickness and even death to the unqualified practitioner."
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/351098-kundalini-problems/#ixzz1Dw5Hq8lt
Related:
KUNDALINI WARNING by Andrew Strom
KUNDALINI WARNING II
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