Kundalini Emergency

Referenced in 1 episode

Definition

A crisis said to occur when Kundalini energy, believed to be a dormant spiritual force at the base of the spine, awakens too abruptly, causing psychological or physical turmoil that can resemble psychosis. Psychiatrist Stanislav Grof and his wife Christina popularized the related idea of 'spiritual emergency.'

Related episodes

Destiny: Helen Lavretsky, M.D., Living from the Soul

Earth AncientsJul 22, 2026

UCLA geriatric psychiatrist Dr. Helen Lavretsky discusses her book 'Living from the Soul: The Neuroscience of Spiritual Awakening,' which opens with her own unexpected spiritual awakening. She describes a guided 'soul listening' meditation in which most participants report feeling a physical 'hug' from their soul, and a brain-scan study comparing this experience to viewing nature and art. The conversation also covers Kundalini-induced psychosis, past-life lessons, a death-preparation meditation in which she felt her soul begin to leave her body, ketamine visions, and the rise of death doulas.

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