Paranormal and mystical experience: The role of panic attacks and Kundalini

Known to almost every culture, society, and tradition for thousands of year s is the concept of the life energy, the vital force, the life force. Our o wn culture is an exception. This energy is said to be the basis of a psycho physiological transformation that includes the experience of paranormal phe nomena and mystical experience. In fact, the energy is recognized as being the basis of these phenomena. Complex, secret practices have evolved over m illenia to "arouse" this energy. In Indian culture within the yoga and tant ric practices this energy is known as kundalini. The core hypotheses of the present study were (a) that some persons experiencing what appear to be pa nic attacks might actually be undergoing a difficult kundalini experience, and (b) that reports of panic attacks and kundalini would be associated wit h reports of paranormal and mystical experience. Participants were 62 peopl e who experience panic attacks and (as controls) 53 support-givers. Based o n the literature, clinical observation, and personal experience, a 32-item true-false self-report questionnaire scale was constructed to measure the e xtent to which a person had or was currently experiencing symptoms said to be associated with kundalini. Results showed that panic attacks were highly associated with elevated scores on this Kundalini Scale. A large number of other psychological variables were correlated with the Kundalini Scale. As predicted, both panic attacks and kundalini were associated with reports o f paranormal and mystical phenomena. The activation of kundalini energy als o appears to be a core correlate of the variable known as transliminality.