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Empiricspirit
Poland
5 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 18 2013 : 11:19:52 AM
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What do you guys think about the hypothesis proposed in a scientific journal I read that kundalini awakening might be related to the temporal lobes, and specifically to temporal lobe epilepsy
People who experience temporal lobe epilepsy very often become depersonalized (their ego vanished) blissful and pretty much have all the symptoms that have been attributed to kundalini awakening
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIiIsDIkDtg
Additionally quite a few study indicate that long term meditation might actually induce this kind of epilepsy:
http://www.researchgate.net/publica...ll_hung_jury
So could this be the underlying biology behind kundalini awakening? What are your thoughts on that?
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SwamiX
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - Dec 18 2013 : 12:19:39 PM
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It (temporal lobe) certainly seems to play a role in spiritual and ecstatic states. Tolstoy had temporal lobe epilepsy, and talked about how, just prior to the seizures, he would experience tremendous states of wonder and transcendence. Others with temporal lobe epilepsy have also reported similar states and experiences. I first became aware of this connection from reading the story, The Pugilist at Rest -
http://www.amazon.com/The-Pugilist-...p/0316473049
How neurological states play a role in spiritual experiences is, no doubt, a complicated empirical issue, and will have to be resolved by science as we move forward. I don’t recall any of the temporal lobe cases talking about anything we would relate to as kundalini – sensations in the spine, sensation of warmth and heat, etc. So, if kundalini plays a role, it would be pretty subtle.
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Empiricspirit
Poland
5 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2013 : 12:59:05 PM
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Actually sensations in the spine, sensations of warmth and heat and hallucinations of chakras could be explained by parietal lobe epilepsy
http://epilepsy.med.nyu.edu/epileps...obe-epilepsy
Epilepsy generally 'spreads' meaning that an epilepsy in one part of the brain could cause epilepsy in another, so it would be probable that an epilepsy in the partietal lobe caused temporal lobe epilepsy, which lead to mystical experiences.
And actually the experience of 'energies' is one of the most common symptoms of partietal lobe epilepsy.
Of course it could be possible that epilepsy simply triggers the same parts that are stimulated by yoga. Both are at this point in time just as probable
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Mykal K
Germany
266 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2013 : 1:29:47 PM
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If epilepsy opened your physical eyes so you could see, would that mean to you that having your physical eyes open (seeing) is a result of epilepsy?
If you are asking if all of this is real, good, seek and ye shall find.
Edit: that is what they say anyway  . |
Edited by - Mykal K on Dec 19 2013 1:33:53 PM |
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SwamiX
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - Dec 19 2013 : 6:05:18 PM
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The relationship still strikes me as pretty tenuous. As noted in the following overview (http://professionals.epilepsy.com/p...lepsies.html), parietal lobe epilepsy involves the following set of symptoms:
Clinical manifestations:
Simple focal seizures predominate. Subjective symptoms are somatosensory, disturbances of body image (somatic illusions), vertiginous, visual illusions, or complex formed visual hallucinations.
Somatosensory seizures (2/3): Paresthetic, dysesthetic, and painful sensations (numbness, thermal, pricking, tight, electric). Pain is sometimes exacerbating. Face, hand, and arm (per the sensory homunculus) are mainly involved. Symptoms may be static or march in Jacksonian manner.
Somatic illusions (second most common): Distorted posture, limb position, or of movement, an extremity or a body part being alien or absent.
Although kundalini presents in somewhat different ways, and some of the symptoms noted above may be present, the list given above e.g., distorted sense of posture, pain and other sensory symptoms in the face, arms, and hands, etc., are not what we would normally associate with kundalini awakening. If these patients experienced a sensation of energy starting at the base of the spine and moving upward, the idea of a similar origin or process would be a lot more striking. I like to think that as more people experience kundalini, there will be efforts to explain the neurobiological underpinnings, and it may turn out that the kundalini plays a role in the temporal lobe experiences we commented on earlier.
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nhtom
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2015 : 3:34:16 PM
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I used to practice what was called "Siddha Yoga" with Swami Muktananda. I got zapped with "shaktipat" several times.
Some 30 years ago, one morning while meditating I was able to let go of the next moment and was immediately thrown into a blissful state. I was ecstatic.
Getting back into that state was elusive. But then I was thrown into that state randomly - even when I wasn't trying.
It became troubling because it would happen when I was in a conversation and I could no longer follow the meaning. This has also affected my short term memory to the point where it made it very hard to learn anything new. This made employment troublesome and I was laid off from Digital.
My brother DRAGGED me to see a neurologist and the diagnosis is temporal lobe epilepsy.
A month ago I started medication and my memory is SLOWLY returning.
That's my story.
Tom |
Edited by - nhtom on Apr 28 2015 3:45:20 PM |
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LittleTurtle
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2015 : 11:24:07 PM
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| Do not confuse neuro-pathology with kundalini or any other spiritual experience. A lot of folks used to get thrown in the 'loony bin' because of spiritual states. Although episodes of certain 'brain activity' may produce ecstatic states, we are far more than simply our brain and body. As evidenced by anyone who has clinically died and lived to tell about it. |
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jusmail
India
491 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2015 : 12:28:34 AM
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| Welcome to the forum. |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2015 : 06:54:14 AM
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Hello Tom
Thank you for sharing.
To me, your story highlights the dangers practitioners exposed themselves to by playing recklessly with powerful energies they are not prepared to handle - a cautionary tale.
Shaktipat never appealed to me much (we all have energy and there is a wisdom that gauges the intensity to the level that is right for each of us). Getting zapped with someone else's, as you say, seems to carry a risk.
I hope you are doing OK. Hopefully the temporal lobe epilepsy will subside in time as the system gets back to stability. |
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nhtom
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2015 : 3:00:33 PM
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Thank-you for your kind words and welcome.
I'm better than before but have a long way to go.
My current thinking on this is that intense self-consciousness (in my case being thoroughly aware of myself during meditation) brought on the first seizure. Subsequent seizures became, um, easier as the mind became more accustomed to going there.
The whole shaktipat thing was sold as wonderful and with no downsides (for maybe $150 or so). To awaken and progress towards enlightenment. Or, self-realization - or self consciousness.
I still have more questions than answers, but my hope here is to provide a cautionary tale on how meditation doesn't always work out. Perhaps someone here has some insight.
Even with medication I'm still tempted to go there. It feels great, but it's ultimately bad for me.
Sorry for rattling on so long. |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2015 : 3:17:07 PM
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I've not heard many cases of meditation leading to problems (in fact yours would be the first example I've come across). I got used to associating energy practices (pranayama and the other advanced methods) with undesirable effects. Even those are temporary - sooner or later they settle down. Of course there may be vulnerabilities to start with.
May I ask what sort of meditation you were doing? |
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nhtom
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2015 : 4:06:15 PM
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It was deemed "Siddha Meditation." As I alluded, it was headed up by a "siddha," Swami Muktananda.
You sit there and silently repeat a mantra in your mind, once on the in breath and once with the out breath.
Mantra: Om Namah Shivia or Hum'sa.
I'm pretty sure I was doing the latter when I had my "ecstatic" experience.
In the space in between the in breath and the out breath I let go and was thrown into this state that lasted a few seconds. I tried to hold onto it. It was the most fabulous feeling I'd ever experienced! I felt like I was one with everything. The borders of my body disappeared.
I had no idea it would bring on such misery.
Perhaps it's some higher consciousness telling me I need to move completely into a spiritual life.
Maybe I should quit this life and become a sanyasi. :-) |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Apr 30 2015 : 08:11:15 AM
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Funny you mention that Hum'sa meditation. I tried it briefly about two years ago (before I moved to AYP) and I found it to be more like an extremely powerful pranayama than a meditation in its effects. Just to give a comparison - at the time I was able to do 20 minutes of mantra meditation twice a day without any issues, but 3 Hum'sa breaths would make me break into a sweat. Then I'd feel exhilarated for a few hours, then crash and feel overloaded for two days. I though it was just me (maybe I got very deeply into that breath? It felt like it was projecting way outside my physical body).
This is where I wish there were studies and objective measurements on how various techniques affect people. In the meantime the Hum'sa will remain a bit of a mystery to me. It surely felt like it was giving me a very deep, thorough cleaning, very fast – wouldn't even think of trying it again, not for some years at least. Far too powerful... |
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Kundalini And Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
