Some more kundalini research

Therapy & Mental Health Issues

One common characteristic of a Kundalini process is heightened sensitivity of the brain and nervous system. This type of change can lead to great benefits, such as inspired creativity. But it can also have the effect of magnifying various quirks or imperfections in our psychological makeup so that they become more problematic. This is the reason why many great geniuses were also highly eccentric.

In some cases various neuroses or even psychoses may manifest. But if efforts are made to facilitate the process (as outlined in the Lifestyle section), these difficulties could eventually abate.

Although ‘spiritual process’ has now been formally recognized in the psychiatric Diagnostic Services Manual edition 4 (DSM 4), many therapists in both the psychological and psychiatric communities remain unaware of this, and have little or no understanding of how this type of process works.

It is to be hoped that knowledge and awareness of Kundalini as a natural process will become more common in the mental health community, so that individuals who are experiencing difficulties can be more effectively helped through facilitation of the process.

Lifestyle Considerations

The importance of lifestyle in managing a Kundalini process cannot be overstated.  Usually the enhancements that Kundalini is trying to bring about cannot happen without substantial changes in lifestyle.

Changes of this type can be quite challenging, especially if one has obligations and responsibilities, such as a dependent spouse or children.  But failure to make the necessary changes will usually make the process more difficult, prolong its duration, and affect its outcome.

During the time a process is very active it is imperative that the body be able to provide the quantity and quality of vital energy that the brain requires. This ability is impacted by numerous factors, of which the following are primary.

Diet:

A healthy diet is essential for a successful process.  But diet is individual in nature, and what is good for one person to eat may not be good for another.  It is therefore very important to be aware of how one's body reacts to different foods, and to consume those that enhance the process.

In general, one should eat as natural and healthy a diet as possible, emphasizing organically grown fruits and vegetables, and avoiding heavily processed, artificial or ‘junk’ food.

Meat, particularly red meat, tends to temporarily inhibit a Kundalini process.  This may be useful if one needs to be more ‘grounded’ for a period of time.  If consumed, it should be organically raised, from animals that are fed on natural and appropriate feed.

Sleep

Kundalini is often highly active during sleep, and an adequate amount of sleep is essential for a healthy process.

Physical Fitness

The ability of our body to provide the necessary quantity and quality of vital energy is closely connected to our level of physical fitness.  Emphasis should be on moderate forms of exercise, done in nature, such as walking or gardening.

Stress

The effect of stress is to produce toxins in the body that detract from the quality of vital energy going to the brain.  As much as possible, stressful activities should be avoided.  If that is not possible, then stress-reducing activities, such as spending time in nature, should be done.

Alcohol, Smoking and Recreational Drugs

These also tend to seriously degrade the quality of vital energy or prana in the body, and should be avoided.

Concentration

If mental difficulties arise during a Kundalini process, it is strongly advised that intense forms of concentration be reduced or stopped.  These may bework related, or part of a spiritual practice, such as meditation.  If one injures a muscle from over-exercise, doing further exercise with that muscle does not facilitate the healing process.

Sexual Activity

New activity in the brain must be fuelled by increased energy from the body.  At first such energy is supplied by the sex organs, in the form of prana.  In time the nervous system becomes adjusted to extracting the energy from other organs and tissues in the body.  Until this happens, it is essential that sexual activity be kept at a level that leaves enough vital energy for the brain.  This may mean a reduction in activity, or total abstinence.  If feelings of mental distress arise after sexual activity, then it is too frequent.

Another problem may arise when the sex organs are stimulated to hyper-activity but the quality of the energy produced is poor.  This may be due to an impure or toxic state of the body. In this case the energy would actually be harmful for the brain.  So in order to protect the brain from harm, the transformation and transmission of the sexual energy is blocked, forcing this heightened activity to be expressed outwardly.  This may result in an intensed sexual appetite that cannot be satisfied.

If this happens it is strongly advised that every effort be made to purify the body (as outlined above) so that the process may continue in a more healthy way.

Relationships

As Kundalini can have the effect of transforming a person’s personality, and often requires them to make major lifestyle changes, it can also be very stressful for a spouse or other family members.  Therefore it is essential that these people be educated about what Kundalini is and what it is trying to accomplish.  

Kundalini is a natural process with a desirable goal, similar to pregnancy and childbirth. When family members realize this they may be more understanding and willing to make the adjustments in their lifestyle necessary to facilitate the process. In the end, most people undergoing a Kundalini process have no choice but to make such adjustments.

More About Lifestyle

Having read about some of the aspects of lifestyle considerations and how they might impact the process of Kundalini we also thought that it would be important to provide an in-depth article looking at The Deeper Significance of Health.

Read excerpts below and the complete article .

More than the absence of disease, health can be understood as the body's ability to function effectively within a given environment. Because our environment is constantly changing, our health is a process of continuous adaptation to the stresses and challenges we confront internally and externally.

A quiet, patient attitude enables us to listen to our body and facilitate its healing process. In fact, this attitude is the original meaning of the word "patient": a person who is prepared to reflect on his or her condition and do what is required so that the body can perform its functions as completely and as efficiently as possible.

A greater degree of harmony within ourselves and our environment can be created by becoming aware of and living according to nature's rhythms, which govern all living organisms and much of the physical world as well.

Once we acknowledge the inherent healing capacity of the body, we can easily adopt a more holistic approach to our health, in terms of our daily activities, an approach based on the simple principles of living. We are then more likely to discover and include appropriate nutrition and exercise into our day, and to learn how to relax and interact with the external world as it is.

KUNDALINI AWARENESS: A CALL FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

In this section we provide a brief overview of ICR's approach to the study of Kundalini and consciousness as well as a summary of the literary researchthat has taken place to this point. We have also included information about ICR’s Research Honorarium Fund and complete articles about Kundalini and our mystics & geniuses research.

Mankind seems to be voyaging into a new world of perception and does not yet have reliable tools to cope with this apparently new environment. Just as most of the key ideas upon which our presently accepted science is based were known to the Greeks and lay fallow for almost 2,000 years, before development, most of the key ideas upon which this new science will be based seem to have been known to the Eastern cultures for even longer. Now seems to be the time for transforming these ideas into an accepted science.

—Prof. William A. Tiller

…we can develop a science that embraces the religions of the world, working in concert with them to understand the wholehuman condition. The centerpiece of this new paradigm is the recognition that modern science validates an ancient idea, the idea that consciousness, not matter, is the ground of all being.

—Amit Goswami, Ph.D.

Source : http://www.icrcanada.org/