The idea to write these reflections arose after participating in a six months-long program at the Diamond Approach School by A.H. Almaas and Karen Johnson, titled “Human Instincts on the Inner Journey”. This seminar was designed to provide an integrated response to those practicing meditations’ need to understand and navigate their instinctual nature, which, often due to religious conditioning, is frequently seen as incompatible with the meditative journey. The Diamond Approach, although it does not include sexual practices, can be considered as a tantric path due to its “inclusive transcendence” principle. This principle involves integrating the drive for mystical self-realization with instinctual impulses, connecting the transcendent realm with everyday life. In the child’s developmental process, there is no real distinction between survival and emotional aspects: our early relationships shape neural patterns in ways that then become extremely difficult to alter later on. These patterns deeply influence all aspects of a practitioner’s life, particularly those who meditate while leading a conventional and worldly life, outside of secluded communities dedicated solely to spiritual practices. The modern world of meditation, while at risk of being medicalized and reduced to the notion that “feeling better means producing and consuming more”, has long embraced both […]
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Let’s start by citing Bonnie Greenwell’s appropriate definition, which describes Kundalini as the energetic aspect of spiritual awakening. Kundalini is a Sanskrit term that refers to the rise of energy and awareness through the spine. This force typically lies dormant at the base of the back and is the source of vital energy. It can spontaneously rise either as a result of meditative or yoga practices, or through direct transmission. Its awakening triggers a wide range of phenomena, such as physical shaking, vibrations, spontaneous movements, visions, and many other experiences, and is generally followed by life changes. It tends to dissolve old perspectives, limitations, behavioral patterns, and the illusions of a separate Self. It is a human potential that, however, may never awaken. In public discourse regarding Kundalini awakening, a great deal of fear is promoted, some of which is justified and some not. While some who have experienced its rise involuntarily report debilitating physical and mental symptoms, there are many others who have had activation experiences that are certainly disruptive but not destructive. In this article, we aim to understand the reasons that might create these different experiences. Energy, according to the map of the human body, has traditionally […]
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