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

Known to almost every culture, society, and tradition for thousands of years is the concept of the life energy, the vital force, the life force. Our own culture is an exception. This energy is said to be the basis of a psychophysiological transformation that includes the experience of paranormal phenomena and mystical experience. In fact, the energy is recognized as being the basis of these phenomena. Complex, secret practices have evolved over millenia to "arouse" this energy. In Indian culture within the yoga and tantric practices this energy is known as kundalini. The core hypotheses of the present study were (a) that some persons experiencing what appear to be panic attacks might actually be undergoing a difficult kundalini experience, and (b) that reports of panic attacks and kundalini would be associated with reports of paranormal and mystical experience. Participants were 62 people who experience panic attacks and (as controls) 53 support-givers. Based on the literature, clinical observation, and personal experience, a 32-item true-false self-report questionnaire scale was constructed to measure the extent 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 of paranormal and mystical phenomena. The activation of kundalini energy also appears to be a core correlate of the variable known as transliminality.