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- I am having a Kundalini experience, can I volunteer to be studied by the ICR?
- I am having very distressing symptoms which I believe are caused by a Kundalini awakening. What should I do?
- I have read with great interest a few of Gopi Krishna’s books on Kundalini; I find the subject fascinating and would very much like to dedicate some time to carry out further research into the subject and to meditate. Would it be possible to do so at the ICR or at the Central Institute for Kundalini Research in Kashmir, India or anywhere else you can recommend?
- Someone suggested that I may be experiencing a Kundalini process. I am having various uncomfortable and distressing symptoms, and would like to know how long this will last.
- I would be interested in knowing what research is being done at the present time?
- How can I best stimulate the process of spiritual transformation?
- Do you have a questionnaire that I could fill out for collecting data about personal experiences that might help others?
- If I go to a medical doctor and tell them I have had a Kundalini experience and need advice will they understand what I am referring to?
- Is there any place on this website where I can get dependable information about Kundalini and how I can manage my on-going process?
Q: I am having a Kundalini experience, can I volunteer to be studied by the ICR?
A: Not at this time. The ICR’s efforts are focused around raising awareness about Kundalini in preparation for the type of study outlined in our Memorandum for Kundalini Research. You can submit your information to us, but we are not actively contacting or studying individuals underegoing a Kundalini experience. There are, however, other ways to help out ICR (see our Support Us section of the website).
A: Because no two Kundalini experiences are identical, it is extremely difficult to prescribe something that would be beneficial for everyone. However, a general outline of lifestyle considerations is provided in our Personal Experience section in the ICR Learning Center. If you feel your symptoms are life-threatening, please contact a doctor.
A: Thank you for your interest in ICR and the work of Gopi Krishna, and your feedback about our website. Unfortunately, the Central Institute for Kundalini Research in India is no longer active, and we at ICR do not currently have any active research projects of this type. We would recommend that you check our website periodically and sign up for the ICR newsletter (if you have not already done so) as we will post news of any such projects as and when they happen.
A: There is no typical time frame for the duration of a Kundalini process. In some cases it lasts for days, in others weeks or months, and in less common cases, years. This is a consequence of the fact that the length of time a process takes, and the ease or difficulty with which it proceeds, is dependent on numerous hereditary, physiological, health, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
It is important to keep in mind that the ultimate goal of Kundalini is the development of a new, more refined faculty of perception in our brains – higher consciousness. It attempts to bring about this transformation by making changes in our physiological and psychological makeup.
One aspect of these changes to our brain and nervous system is increased sensitivity. This can lead to enhanced creativity and perceptive faculties, but it also can make us more prone to instability. This is the reason why genius is often attended by eccentricity and/or mental imbalances.
The duration of a process, and the ease or difficulty with which it proceeds is to some degree dependent on how much we cooperate with it. Although we have no control over the hereditary makeup we are born with, we do have the ability to make changes in our lifestyle, and our environmental circumstances.
Some aspects of lifestyle and environment that can impede a Kundalini process include poor diet, use of recreational drugs or alcohol, toxicity in our environment, lack of exercise, excessive stress, overwork, or too much focused concentration. If any of these factors can be reduced or eliminated, it will help the process to proceed more smoothly, and will enhance the final result.
For more information on this topic, see The Personal Experience of Kundalini in the Leaning Center of this website.
Q: I would be interested in knowing what research is being done at the present time?
A: There are three different methods of research currently being undertaken or proposed:
1) Literary research into the lives of saints, mystics, and geniuses. This involves the examination of the lives of historical figures to document the common elements of their experiences, heredity, and spiritual practices. If you are interested in participating in this type of research, please contact ICR via the Contact ICR section of this website.
Another avenue for participating in literary research is via the Honorarium Fund article submission process. If you wish to write about Kundalini research, and would like more information, please visit the Honorarium page in the Research section.
2) Kundalini Database Project. The Emerging Sciences Foundation (E.S.F.) has recently launched an online survey of Kundalini experiences that may be completed by anyone interested. If you would like to participate in this survey, please visit this link.
3) The proposal for an experimental project to encourage and study the awakening of Kundalini in a preselected group of volunteer subjects. This project would be undertaken in a controlled environment, under the guidance and supervision of medical practitioners and researchers from various fields. For more information, visit the Memorandum for Kundalini Research.
Q: How can I best stimulate the process of spiritual transformation?
A: There are many different practices available for stimulating the Kundalini mechanism, including various types of Yoga &mdash Hatha Yoga (physical practices), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), Mantra Yoga (recitation of mantras), Karma Yoga (selfless service), Jnana Yoga (discernment & discrimination), Raja (royal) Yoga and Kundalini Yoga. If a practice is being undertaken, it is best to do it in a balanced way. The eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga provide an excellent basis for such a practice, as they include directions for lifestyle, physical, and mental aspects of the discipline.
If more intensive methods are undertaken, such as long periods of meditation or focused concentration, or pranayama (breathing exercises), then it is strongly advised that they be done under the supervision of a competent teacher. If Kundalini becomes active in a body that is not properly prepared for it, adverse results may occur.
The safest form of practice is of a more gentle sort, with lifestyle changes along the lines of those given in the first two limbs of Ashtanga Yoga &mdash the yamas and niyamas. , (or tenets of your own faith, such as the Ten Commandments, Eightfold Path of Buddha, etc.), coupled with mild prayer or meditation.
A: The Emerging Sciences Foundation is currently collecting data from people who have had Kundalini experiences. There is an online questionnaire called The Kundalini Database Project that you can fill out. The questionnaire is anonymous, and can be completed in more than one session.
A: How to deal with a Kundalini process is not part of the medical training curriculum at present. Some medical doctors and psychiatrists have done their own investigation of the subject, but the vast majority have not. Some doctors may have heard about Kundalini, but do not know enough about the subject to be effective.
The website of the Spiritual Emergence Services provides a resource list of therapists who may be familiar with the Kundalini process.
A: Check out the I.C.R. Learning Center.