Spirituality Studies 10-2 Fall 2024 59 Monique Rebelle selves. According to my insights, it is the material world in all its forms that is a dimension in itself, while length, width and depth are simply sub-dimensions of the material one. Having that postulate established, we can distinctly identify ourselves as a material form with a complex structure, animated by energy that is created on the material level by biochemical and biophysical processes. While we normally do not consider the sacrum area a center of our consciousness, most probably we see it as a rather sensitive and vulnerable area, at the bottom of the spine, in the pelvic region. Kuṇḍalinī, which normally rests in the sacrum area, carries within it intrinsic survival, sexual and creative instinct (Rebelle 2023) and it affects the first chakra on a survival level. We are naturally motivated to take care of our bodies and work on preserving them. We innately know what to do to keep alive, at least on a basic survival level, including nutrition and self-care. It is through the first chakra that we experience the material dimension that includes our bodies and all other forms known or even not yet known to exist. Physical pain and pleasure and all other corporal sensations take place in the material dimension. Further, I provide an example from my own experience, the knowledge acquired from my students, and other sources about physical manifestations of Kuṇḍalinī rising. The above-mentioned objective will contain a comprehensive discussion about the nature of the first dimension of perception and first stages of Kuṇḍalinī rising. 2.1 Kundalinī Manifestation in Material Dimension Before my spontaneous experience happened, I never thought of Kuṇḍalinī or tried to identify it in me or my body. My strong need for athletic exercise and dance was within the norm for a young person. I was healthy, ate nutritious food, did not smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or take drugs. Throughout my early life I had experienced some unusual states I did not understand and knew that there were mysteries I could not explain. This is probably why I was not too surprised when I began assuming yoga postures without ever studying hathayoga before. My body itself spontaneously created āsanas and mudras and it all felt entirely natural to me, that it was exactly what I needed. The next thing that I engaged in instinctively was a fasting program. At that time, I had been depressed for a few months and something was telling me I needed some kind of a radical change. The fast I quickly came up with consisted of eating and drinking normally only once in three days, and during the following two days consuming only liquids. I continued this program for seven weeks, and while, because of depression I had been sluggish, heavy and barely able to move for months, as a result of the fast my body now felt light and agile. Manifestation of Kuṇḍalinī awakening on the material plane does not need be regarded as extraordinary. All of the spontaneous actions and observations that eventually led to a rare transformation of consciousness did not seem strange to me at that point, even if they were unusual. This seems to prove that Kuṇḍalinī awakening is a natural experience, and Kuṇḍalinī can proceed with its uncoiling in a normal physical state as well. Kuṇḍalinī symptoms during the awakening stages can vary. In my case, the experience of Kuṇḍalinī awakening was not painful or physically difficult; initially, I did not even know it was happening. Physical sensations were not disturbing my daily life, it was emotional and mental stress that was a problem. However, when discussing the experience with my students, quite a few of them were suffering various physical symptoms that were only explainable as a Kuṇḍalinī activity, not a medical condition. I noted that there are several kinds of abnormal sensations that accompany awakening of Kuṇḍalinī energy in the first chakra and alter the experience of the first dimension in the body, namely: • Heat in the body, often in the lower spine area, but can also be all along the spine; the burning sensation can come and go or can persist. • Pain in the lower back area or any part of the body. • Stiffening of some body parts or the whole body for a short or longer period of time. • Extremes and high frequency of sexual urges, spontaneous orgasms, or, conversely, lack of any sexual needs for a long period of time. • Jerking of body parts. • Trembling of the whole body or parts. • Tingling of the whole body or parts. • Involuntary patterns of movements including kriyas, āsanas, and mudras. • Unexplained fatigue and sluggishness alternated with hyperactivity. • Headaches or digestive issues. • Various strange, impossible-to-diagnose physical symptoms anywhere in the body. The contemporary account of physical extremes connected with a Kuṇḍalinī awakening is described, for instance, by Gopi Krishna (1970, 21) and supports the view of variety
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