Article: Near-Death Experiences and the Physio-Kundalini Syndrome

Near-Death Experiences 
and the 

Physio-Kundalini Syndrome

   
Bruce Greyson, MD

Abstract: Near-death experiences (NDEs), transcendental experiences on the threshold of death with profound implications for both patient care and religious belief, have been hypothesized to be related to a biological process known in the Eastern traditions as kundalini arousal. In a test of this proposed association between kundalini and NDEs, a sample of near-death experiencers acknowledged significantly more symptoms of a physio-kundalini syndrome than did comparison groups, including a sample of hospitalized psychiatric patients.

 Near-Death Experiences

            Near-death experiences (NDEs) are profound spiritual or mystical experiences that many people report as they approach or start to cross the threshold of death.[1] The contents and after-effects of NDEs suggest that they are more than just hallucinations.[2] The contents do not appear to be influenced by past religious beliefs, but do have a profound effect on religious or spiritual beliefs after the experience.[3] Near-death experiencers (NDErs) also report a consistent positive change in attitude toward the transition from life to death.[4]

            There is still no accepted scientific cause for NDEs. As complex a phenomenon as the near-death experience does not lend itself to a simplistic mechanistic explanation. Despite the psychological or physiological interpretations of the NDE proposed by some authors,[5] the experience is almost universally regarded by those who report it as spiritually authentic. This not necessarily paradoxical, as the measure of an experience’s authenticity is not the nature of its trigger, but rather its ability to promote authentic spiritual growth.[6] One of the most consistently documented features of the near-death experience is its profound range of after-effects, including decreased fear of death, decreased competitiveness, decreased interest in personal gain, and increased joy of life, altruism, and interest in spirituality.[7]

            Some investigators in the field of consciousness and near-death studies have suggested that the significance of the near-death experience may be its role as a catalyst for human evolution.[8] They view the reported mental, physical, and spiritual after-effects of NDEs as indications of an accelerated development in near-death experiencers of intuitive functioning on a different order, and as similar to changes traditionally reported by people awakening to a higher-order state of consciousness. But if evolution of consciousness implies the continuing biological evolution of humanity, then personality transformations should be accompanied by signs of biological transformation.

Kundalini

            In Eastern spiritual traditions, the biological mechanism of both individual enlightenment and evolution of the species toward higher consciousness is called kundalini, a potential force that once awakened can produce a variety of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual effects. The ancient yogic texts described a life energy present in all living beings called prana; corollary energies have been identified in many other cultures, such as huo and chi of Tibetan yogis, quaumaneq of Eskimo shamans, incendium amoris and photismos of Christian mystics, Henri Bergson’s élan vital, and the more recent terms “bioenergy,” “bioplasma,” and “orgone energy.” Kundalini was described as a normally dormant mechanism or organizing principle that could be activated or aroused under certain conditions, to strengthen or purify an individual’s prana, transforming its effects upon the individual. Comparable potential forces or organizing principles also have been described in other traditions, for example, as shakti, the Odic force, the Holy Spirit, the Pearl of Great Price, the Serpent Power, the Rod of Aaron, the Sacred Fire, Osiris, and the Sun Behind the Sun.[9]

            Kundalini has been held responsible for life itself, [10] the sexual drive, creativity, genius, longevity, and vigor,[11] and our evolution toward an ultimate, magnificent state of consciousness[12] The dormant kundalini is said to be situated at the base of the spine, and when aroused can travel upwards along the spinal cord to the brain, where it can stimulate a dormant chamber of the brain (the brahma randhra), leading to biological transformation and immensely expanded perception.[13]

Kundalini and Near-Death Experiences

            Eastern traditions have developed elaborate lifelong practices and lifestyles with the intent of awakening kundalini; this is, in fact, the implicit purpose of yoga.[14] However, the same ancient Eastern traditions have also recognized that when the brain is deprived of oxygen, kundalini as the life force in rare circumstances may actually rush to the brain in an effort to sustain life. In fact, one unorthodox yoga sect practices suffocation by tongue-swallowing in the hope that kundalini would rush to their brains and produce enlightenment,[15] a practice that may have a Western counterpart in la petite mort, in which a considerable number of adolescents die each year seeking orgasmic initiation by asphyxiation.[16]

            This theoretical arousal of kundalini by life-threatening crisis has traditionally been regarded by most Eastern philosophers as dangerous.[17] In Eastern traditions, kundalini would ideally be activated at the appropriate time by a guru who can properly guide the development of that energy. If awakened without proper guidance, as Kenneth Ring believes happens in a near-death experience,[18] kundalini can be raw, destructive power loosed on the individual’s body and psyche.

            Though the vocabulary of the kundalini hypothesis is foreign to Westerners, the process bears some resemblance to the Christian concept of the Holy Spirit. The process of kundalini awakening is essentially a spiritual one, outside the domain of science. However, its traditional roles as the vehicle of evolution, if guided, or of psychosomatic havoc, if spontaneous, should be accompanied by observable physical and psychological effects.

The Physio-Kundalini Syndrome

            Because Western medicine does not acknowledge the Eastern concept of kundalini or even the Westernized physio-kundalini model, symptoms of kundalini arousal are often diagnosed as physical and/or psychological problems that fit within the Western allopathic diagnostic categories. For example, the shaking, twisting and vibrating so well known to experiencers could be diagnosed as a neurological disorder. It is also hard to recognize the energy presence because it manifests itself in so many different patterns. Because its symptoms mimic so many disorders of the mind and body, even people familiar with the kundalini concept are unsure whether they are witnessing rising kundalini energy or disorders of the mind and body.  However, taking psychotropic medications to alleviate symptoms, on the assumption that these represent a psychiatric disorder, may disrupt the natural healing mechanism of kundalini activation.[19]

            Three decades ago, biomedical engineer Itzhak Bentov formulated a scientifically verifiable version of the kundalini concept, which he called the physio-kundalini hypothesis; psychiatrist and ophthalmologist Lee Sannella developed the physio-kundalini model further, collecting cases, experimenting with ways to help channel it, and outlining research strategies.[20]  While both scientists acknowledged that the physio-kundalini concept is less comprehensive than the classical kundalini model, they argued that its simplified, mechanistic description made it more accessible to scientific study.

The Study

            Following up on Kenneth Ring’s suggestion that NDEs can arouse kundalini, I measured features of NDEs and features of kundalini arousal in people who had had near-death experiences and in two comparison groups.  The participants in this research included 153 people who had had NDEs, 55 who had come close to death but did not have NDEs, and 133 people who had never come close to death.

            I gave all 321 participants the NDE scale to identify the presence of a near-death experience and quantify its depth.  The NDE Scale, with a range of 0 to 32, has high internal consistency and correlation with other measures of NDE, reliably differentiates near-death experiences from other reactions to a brush with death, and produces scores that do not change over decades.²¹   The 153 participants identified as NDErs had a mean score of 16.7 on the NDE scale, whereas the 55 participants classified as not having an NDE had a mean score of 2 on the NDE scale.  The third group of 113 participants had never come close to death.

            I analyzed responses of NDErs and control subjects on a nineteen-item questionnaire that I based on the Bentov-Sannella physio-kundalini model.²²  This questionnaire includes motor “symptoms,” such as spontaneous body movements, strange posturing, breath changes, and the body getting locked in to certain positions; somatosensory symptoms, such as spontaneous tingling or vibrations, orgasmic sensations, progression of physical sensations up the legs and back and over the head, extreme heat or cold, pain that comes and goes abruptly; audiovisual symptoms, such as internal lights or colors that light up the body, internal voices, and internal whistling, hissing, or roaring noises; and psychological symptoms, such as sudden bliss or ecstasy for no reason, and speeding or slowing of thoughts; and expanding beyond the body and watching the body from a distance.

            As a group, near-death experiencers reported experiencing almost twice as many physio-kundalini items as did either people who had had close brushes with death but no NDEs, or people who had never come close to death.  As a check on whether the physio-kundalini questionnaire might be measuring nonspecific unusual experiences, I also analyzed the responses of a group of hospitalized psychiatric patients; they reported the same number of physic-kundalini items as did the non-NDEr comparison groups.

            There were two additional unexpected comparison groups in my studies, as shown below: people who claimed to have had NDEs but described experiences with virtually no typical NDE features; and people who denied having had NDEs but then went on to describe prototypical near-death experiences.  In their responses to the physio-kundalini questionnaire, the group that made unsupported claims of NDEs were comparable to the non-NDEr comparison group, while the group that undeservedly denied having NDEs were comparable to the group of NDErs.  In regard to kundalini arousal, then, having a near-death experience mattered, but thinking you had one didn’t.

Table: Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index

            Here is a breakdown of all the items on the Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index in four categories of motor symptoms, somatosensory symptoms, audiovisual symptoms, and mental symptoms.  Three of the four motor physio-kundalini symptoms were acknowledged significantly more often by NDErs than by the two comparison groups:

Table: Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index: Motor Symptoms

            While some somatosensory physio-kundalini symptoms, such as spontaneous orgasmic sensations, ascending anatomic progression of sensations, and unexplained isolated temperature changes, are more commonly reported by NDErs than by the comparison groups, the differences were not statistically significant, possibly because they are either too infrequent in any group, as with temperature changes so extreme as to burn other people, or too common in all groups, as with spontaneous unexplained pains and tingling or vibratory sensations:

  

Table: Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index: Somatosensory Symptoms

            With the exception of unexplained internal noises, which were reported significantly more often by NDErs than participants in the comparison groups, audiovisual physio-kundalini symptoms were acknowledged either so commonly by all groups, as with internal voices, or so rarely, as with internal lights or colors, that differences between groups were not significant:

Table: Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index: Audiovisual Symptoms

 

         Finally, with regard to psychological physio-kundalini symptoms, sudden unexplained positive emotions, changes in thought processes for no apparent reason, and watching oneself from a distance or “witness consciousness” were reported significantly more often by NDErs than by either comparison group; whereas sudden unexplained negative emotions and the “greater body” experience were not reported with significantly different frequency by the different groups:

Table: Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index: Psychological Symptoms

 Summary

In summary, 10 of the 19 symptoms on the physio-kundalini syndrome index, most notably the motor and mental symptoms, were significantly more common among the NDErs than among the comparison groups: assuming strange positions, becoming locked into position, changes in breathing, spontaneous orgasmic sensations, ascending progression of sensations, unexplained heat or cold moving through the body, internal noises, sudden positive emotions for no reason, watching oneself as if from a distance, and unexplained changes in thought processes. These ten items then may be useful indicators of kundalini arousal.

            Also of note, among the 153 near-death experiencers, there was a significant positive correlation between NDE Scale score and number of physio-kundalini symptoms reported.  That is, those with deeper NDEs reported more physio-kundalini symptoms.

            Social psychologist Kenneth Ring and his student Christopher Rosing reported almost identical results in their Omega Project: near-death experiencers reported experiencing almost twice as many physio-kundalini items as did people who had close brushes with death, but no NDE, and people who had never come close to death.²³

            Here then we have near-death experiencers reporting precisely the kind of physiological changes that are associated in Eastern traditions with the bioenergy that drives evolution.  From verbal reports of such evidence as patterns of physiological functioning and disease history, as well as physio-kundalini manifestations, we can identify which items best differentiate NDErs from comparison groups.

Implications

            The data from this study2² demonstrate that a number of physio-kundalini symptoms derived from classical descriptions of kundalini arousal are reported more often by NDErs than by comparison populations. This finding corroborates the anecdotal evidence of previous investigators that NDEs are associated with kundalini. It must be borne in mind that the physio-kundalini syndrome, this consistent pattern of physiological and psychological symptoms, is connected with the classical kundalini arousal of Eastern spiritual traditions only by theory and circumstantial evidence. A true measure of kundalini awakening, such as an enduring state of higher consciousness, is beyond our current ability to measure.

            Although in theory the physio-kundalini syndrome may imply spiritual evolution, in practice it often denotes a crisis requiring adjustment. While there has been little scientific literature on kundalini, there has been even less from a clinical perspective. What has been written by physicians and therapists suggests that common physio-kundalini symptoms and individuals’ responses to those symptoms are often mistaken for physical and mental illnesses, with tragic results.²⁴  Given that the increasing frequency of near-death experiencers was estimated by a Gallup Poll more than a quarter century ago to be 5% of the adult American population,²⁵ this study suggests that the physio-kundalini syndrome may be far more common in Western society than previously imagined.

            This documentation of the frequency of kundalini and of its association with events such as the near-death experience may foster greater awareness of kundalini among the scientific and medical professions. Studies of kundalini phenomena should be enlarged to encompass other populations at risk, such as combat veterans, heart transplant patients and those with terminal illnesses, and individuals following spiritual paths. Further research and dialogue among scientists and clinicians may help individuals experiencing kundalini arousal to cope with the psychophysiological rises and fulfill the promise of spiritual growth.

            Finally, based on those findings, it is possible that future work in this area could lead to vital new insights into the evolution of humanity toward a different order of consciousness, echoing a major theme in many books written about the near-death experience: that the importance of the near-death experience is not its association with death, but its implications for life.²⁶

           

Endnotes

[1] Greyson, B. “Near-Death Experiences and Spirituality,” Zygon: Journal of Science and Religion, Vol. 41, No. 2, June 2006, 393-414.

[2] Kelly, E. W., Greyson, B., and Kelly, E. F., “Unusual Experiences Near Death and Related Phenomena,”  in Kelly, E. F., Kelly, E. W., Crabtree, A., Gauld, A., Grosso, M., and Greyson, B., Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21^st Century.  Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2007, 367-421.

[3] Greyson, B., op. cit.

[4] Ring, K., Heading Toward Omega: In Search of the Meaning of the Near-Death Experience. New York: William Morrow, 1984.

[5] Blackmore, S.J., Dying to Live: Near-Death Experiences. Buffalo: Prometheus, 1993; Woerlee, G.M., Mortal Minds: The Biology of Near-Death Experience, Buffalo: Prometheus, 2005.

[6] Helminiak, D., “Neurology, Psychology, and Extraordinary Religious Experiences,” Journal of Religion and Health, 1984, Vol. 23, No. 1, March 1984, 33-46.

[7] Ring, K., op.cit.; Ring, K., and Valarino, E.E., Lessons From the Light: What We Can Learn From the Near-Death Experience. New York: Plenum/Insight, 1998.

[8] Grey, M., Return from Death: An Exploration of the Near-Death Experience. London: Arkana, 1985;  Grosso, M., The Final Choice: Playing the Survival Game. Walpole, N.H.: Stillpoint Press, 1985; Ring, op.cit.

[9] Kason, Y., Bradford, M., Pond, P., and Greenwell, B., “Spiritual Emergence Syndrome and Kundalini Awakening: How Are They Related?” Proceedings of the Academy of Religion and Psychical Research Annual Conference, 1992, 85-118; Kieffer, G., “Murphy’s ‘Impossible Dream’ of a Great Evolutionary Leap,” Ascent, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1992, 1-8; Murphy, M., The Future of the Human Body: Explorations Into the Further Evolution of Human Nature. Los Angeles: Tarcher, 1992; Sannella, L., The Kundalini Experience: Psychosis or Transcendence? Lower Lake, CA: Integral Publishing, 1987.

[10] Krishna, G., The Biological Basis of Religion and Genius. New York: Harper and Row, 1972.

[11] _______, The Awakening of Kundalini, New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975.

[12] _______, What is and What Is Not Higher Consciousness. New York: Julian Press, 1974.

[13] _______, The Biological Basis of Religion and Genius, op.cit.; Krishna, G., The Awakening of Kundalini, op.cit.

[14] _______, The Secret of Yoga. New York: Harper and Row, 1972.

[15] Dippong, J., “Dawn of Perception: A True Rebirth,” Chimo, Vol. 8, No. 4, 1982, 31-37.

[16] Kieffer, G., “Kundalini and the Near-Death Experience,” Journal of Near-Death Studies, Vol. 12, No. 3, Spring 1994, 159-176.

[17] Krishna, The Awakening of Kundalini, op.cit.

[18] Ring, K., Heading Toward Omega, op cit.

[19] Whitfield B.H., Spiritual Awakenings: Insights of the NDE and Other Doorways to our Soul. Deerfield Beach, FL: HCI, 1995.

[20] Bentov, I., Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 1977; Sannella, L., The Kundalini Experience. Lower Lake, CA: Integral Publishing, 1987.

²¹ Greyson, B., “The Near-death Experience Scale: Construction, Reliability, and Validity,” Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Vol. 171, No. 6, June 1983, 369-375; Greyson, B., “Near-Death Encounters With and Without Near-Death Experiences: Comparative NDE Scale Profiles,” Journal of Near-Death Studies, Vol. 8, No. 3, Spring 1990, 151-161; Greyson, B., “Consistency of Near-Death Experience Accounts Over Two Decades: Are Reports Embellished Over Time?”, Resuscitation, Vol. 73, No. 3, June 2007, 407-411; Lange, R., Greyson, B., and Houran, J., “A Rasch Scaling Validation of a ‘Core’ Near-Death Experience,” British Journal of Psychology, Vol. 95, No. 2, May 2004, 161-177.

²² For data analysis, see Greyson, B., “Near-Death Experiences and the Physio-Kundalini Syndrome,” Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 32, No. 4, Winter 1993, 277-290; and Greyson, B., “The Physio-Kundalini Syndrome and Mental Illness,” Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, Vol. 25, No. 1, 1993, 43-58.

²³ Ring, K., and Rosing, C., “The Omega Project: An Empirical Study of the NDE-Prone Personality,” Journal of Near-Death Studies, Vol. 8, No. 4, Summer 1990, 211-239.

²⁴ Greenwell, op. cit.; Grey, op. cit.; Sannella, op. cit.

²⁵Gallup, G,, Jr., with Proctor, W., Adventures in Immortality: A Look Beyond the Threshold of Death. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1982.

²⁶ Whitfield, B., Full Circle: The Near-Death Experience and Beyond. New York: Pocket Books/Simon and Schuster, 1990; Whitfield, B., Spiritual Awakenings: Insights of the NDE and Other Doorways to our Soul, op. cit.;  Whitfield, B., The Natural Soul. Pittsburgh: Sterling House, 2009; Ring, K., Heading Toward Omega, op. cit.; Grosso, M.,  op. cit; Grey, op. cit.  

Bruce Greyson, MD is Professor of Psychiatric Medicine,Carlson Professor of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences, Director, Division of Perceptual Studies Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences at University of Virginia Health System

Address:

University of Virginia Health System

Division of Perceptual Studies 

210 10th Street NE, Suite #100

Charlottesville, VA 22902-5328

Phone: 434-924-2281

Fax: 434-924-1712

Email Address: cbg4d@virginia.edu

 

Article: Humility as a Way of Life

Humility as a Way of Life

We offer this chapter from our 2006 book The Power of Humility: Choosing peace over conflict in relationships because we believe that humility is the most important ingredient for a smooth spiritual awakening. We define humility as having the openness and willingness to learn more about self, others and the God of our understanding.  The opposite of humility is arrogance or what we define as “Spiritual bypass.” In a spiritual bypass we try to bypass our needed psychological and emotional work  and “Hang out with God.” But sooner or later this doesn’t work and we have to “get down” and finish our unfinished business. Here in this chapter we cover the characteristics and traits of humility and by breaking it down it may become easier to grasp. These traits will also help when looking for a teacher or therapist. Truly spiritual people are humble – and by this we do not mean being a doormat. We mean people who demonstrate these traits, especially being “nobody special” and the wonderful spiritual characteristic of “don’t know.” This text is excerpted from Chapter 2.

Wishing you the best on your Spiritual Journey,

Charles and Barbara Whitfield

Jyoti and Russell Park

 

Humility

Taken from its origin humus, meaning “earthly”, the general dictionary definition of humble is two fold: 1) not proud or arrogant; modest, and 2) meek; submissive; low in rank or conditions (Random House 1980, Oxford 1971). It is in part on this first definition that we have focused and expanded.

Characteristics

            We believe there are at least 12 key characteristics of humility. These include 1) openness, 2) an attitude of “don’t know,” 3) curiosity, 4) innocence, 5) a child-like nature, 6) spontaneity, 7) spirituality, 8) tolerance, 9) patience, 10) integrity, 11) detachment, and 12) letting go – all of which lead to inner peace. Like the hours on a clock, each of these is an important part of the power of humility (see figure 1)

Figure 1. 12 Characteristics of Humility

Openness

            Early in this book we began to define humility as being open to learning more about our self, others, and God. This openness is perhaps its most basic and key characteristic. Without being open to what is I may miss countless chances to learn, experience and grow. When we have humility there is no such thing as failure. Each act or experience has something to teach us even if it doesn’t turn out the way we planned.

“Don’t Know”

            The Third Chinese Patriarchof Zen, Seng Ts’an, wrote: “The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent, everything becomes clear and undisguised. Make the smallest distinction, however, and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart. If you wish to see the truth, then hold no opinions for or against anything.” [1]

            Having an attitude of not knowing the answer to every question or conflict I encounter gives me the chance to let go of always needing to come up with an answer or even be right, which may block my ability to experience inner peace and serenity. This “don’t know” stance is a basic and effective tenet of Buddhist philosophy and practice. By not knowing, I expand my possibilities. I don’t limit myself. And I thereby have a greater chance to avoid conflict in or outside of triangles.

A Course inMiracles says: “Let us be still an instant, and forget all things we ever learned, all thoughts we had and every preconception that we hold of what things mean and what their purpose is. Let us remember not our own ideas of what the world is for. We do not know. Let every image held of everyone be loosened from our minds and swept away.” It continues, “Be innocent of judgment, unaware of any thoughts of evil or of good that ever crossed your mind of anything.” (648t, 12)

Curiosity

            Have you ever thought you already knew the truth about someone or something and found out later that you were wrong? Having humility, including openness to learning more, an attitude of “don’t know,” and being curious about people, places and things, can help us to work through conflicts, including when we find ourself caught in the pain of a Level 1 triangle (see Figure 2, below). Curiosity drives us to see the authenticity of other people. Instead of the old habit from Level 1 of projecting on to others our conflicts and other unfinished business, our curiosity opens us to acceptance instead of prejudice and rejection.

Figure 2. Triangles

 

Innocence

As we look at newborn infants we are reminded that we are innocent at our core. If God made us, and we are each a part of God, how can we also be sinners (as some religions claim)? A Course in Miracles suggests that we are not. Rather than being born in “original sin”, the Course says that we are born innocent. We are already and eternally innocent.

 

While the Course describes various aspects of innocence, it defines it as being the same as having Christ’s vision, which it also calls true perception and right-mindedness.  Innocence means that we never see what does not exist (i.e., the ego and its world), and always see what does (God and God’s real world). At the core of our being what we are innocent about or unaware of is our ego and its world of pain.

After reading parts of the Course, we (BW & CW) realized that upon entering the dream of the ego’s world, we unknowingly caused our own pain. We were and are innocent, and were simply in a dream. The lion and the lamb lying down together symbolize that strength and innocence are not in conflict, but naturally live in peace. A pure mind knows that innocence is strength. We enter into our innocence each time that we co-create peace with another with whom we may be in conflict.

Child-like    

The romantic poets, especially William Blake, spoke often of our innocence. In his long poem “Songs of Innocence and Experience”, Blake said that we are innocent and that we can contact our innocence through the child within us (Blake 1794).  In Workbook lesson 182 the Course says “… there is a Child in you who seeks his Father’s house…. This childhood is eternal, with an innocence that will endure forever.” (339w, 4:3-4) To us, this is one of the most moving of the Course’s 365 workbook lessons.

            The Course says that whenever we are in conflict we are in our ego, projecting sin, guilt and shame onto the person(s) with whom we are in conflict. If we see sin and badness in another we lose the peace of our innocence. If we see any error in them and attack them for it, we hurt ourselves. (41t, 7:1) It says that “You cannot know your brother when you attack him. …You are making him a stranger by mis-perceiving him, and so you cannot know him.” (41t, 7:4)  

Spontaneity

Being spontaneous means living as our real self in this moment of now. Our real self only exists in the eternal now. As soon as we honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with more ease and joy. Every time we let our selves go into the past (usually from guilt or shame) or project into the future (usually from fear), we are energizing our ego, which usually causes us conflict and pain. We know we are in our ego when we are not at peace. In our True Self we not only experience stillness and peace, but also joy and intense aliveness. (Tolle E1999)

Spirituality

            Spirituality is about our relationship with self, others and the God of our understanding. And, it is much more. Whereas religion takes us by the hand and we follow the usually preordained path of those who have gone before us – spirituality is about our own personal path. We do it our own way and in our own time. We form an experiential bond with self, others and God that we may or may not find in religion. 

            By breaking new ground our journey becomes our goal. This is what the Course calls, “The Journey without Distance.” It says: “The Journey to God is merely the reawakening of the Knowledge of where you are always, and what you are forever. It is a journey without distance to a goal that has never changed.” (ACIM)

Our goal in living our journey is to surrender, including surrendering to the moment we are in. Surrender is not weakness. It is strong. A  person who has surrendered has spiritual power. In this surrender, there are no longer problems. There are only situations. And, if we don’t like the situation we can choose again. (ACIM; Tolle 1999)  As part of humility, spirituality leads to detaching from or letting go of our numerous attachments, resulting in inner peace.

Tolerance

            Tolerance involves the capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs, preferences or practices of our self, others and God. The Buddhist teacher Cheri Huber says, “Suffering is resisting what is.”  If a situation is intolerable and we suffer from it, we have three options 1) remove ourselves from the situation, 2) change it or 3) accept it as it is (Tolle 1999).

            We can be pushed by our pain and suffering or pulled by our spiritual vision.

Patience

            Patience may be one of our hardest lessons to attain. When we are in our ego, we want it right now. Our ego has no patience and as such may lead us to believe we are being mistreated, empty, bored or otherwise in pain.  It’s almost humorous to realize the spectrum of emotions we experience when we find our selves stuck in our ego. All we need do is slide over to patience and if we struggle with patience – practice tolerance in our struggle.

An effective way out of pain from being in conflict with a person, place or thing is to use prayer. When we are not at peace, we can remember that we are in our ego. In our prayer we simply ask for help and then surrender to the God of our understanding. On a humorous note, we can consider the prayer for patience: “Lord give me patience, and give it to me Now!”

 Integrity

Humility breeds integrity and vise versa. They support and feed one another in a positive way. Integrity means wholeness. Integrity is one of the most important and oft-cited of virtue terms. It is also puzzling. For example, while it is sometimes used instead of ‘moral,’ we also at times distinguish acting morally from acting with integrity. We believe that humility leads to integrity. And, people with true integrity have humility at their base and actions.

            What a conflicted world may need now is integrity – in ourselves, in our relationships and in our private and political systems. The more we incorporate humility in our interaction and intra-actions (i.e., our inner life), the more we move up the Four Levels that we describe in this book, and the more integrity becomes an active part of our being. Why? Because integrity means we are whole, we are working from our authentic self, who God made us to be, and at the same time we are wholely taking in the people and the world around us.

Detachment

            Detachment involves withdrawing our emotional attachment to a person, place, thing or outcome of any situation -- including  our conflicts. It involves releasing our attachment or connection. Detachment is sometimes mistakenly interpreted to mean “not care about,” but the word actually means “to separate from.” It requires a willingness to let go and allow others to take responsibility for their own lives. This is especially difficult for the “rescuer” in a Level 1 triangle, (explained in Chapter 4) who feels driven to jump in and help or “fix” the “victim’s” plight. If the rescuer does not learn to detach, they often become the victim.         

            Detachment is a keystone skill in recovery for members of the Twelve Step fellowship of Al-Anon. Many of the principles of Buddhism and related paths illustrate similarities with Al-Anon’s view of detachment. The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism include: 1) Life involves suffering; 2) Attachment, desire, selfish craving or clinging of our ego causes our suffering; 3) Detachment is the cure for suffering; 4) Detachment can follow an Eightfold Path (Smith 1957). This Eight Fold Path includes Right Association (i.e., with people who have positive attitudes and clarity). It also involves several key principles and spiritual practices that embrace integrity and meditation.[2]

 

* Modified from Naranjo 1983; 1994

In summary, expanding upon the work of Naranjo, we see at least six principle features of detachment. From a lower self-perspective, these include non-resistance, non-attachment and mindfulness. From a Higher Self perspective, these include God-Mindedness and Remembering, Loving, and Letting Go. (See Figure 2.1, above.)

Letting go 

            Letting go is both a process and an event. When we can remember, it is also often a series of continuous events. We work in our recovery process to let go of our accumulated baggage from our past traumas, including how our ego has beaten us up. Letting go is in large part about letting go of our ego. When we let go of our ego, being humble becomes easier. 

            When we are whole, when we are living as our True Selves, we can help the people we love by being present with them, and loving them unconditionally. But we can’t fix anyone. We surrender our ego’s need to control this reality we share with our loved ones and move into the larger Reality, where our inner life and the Light of unconditional love work together. As we move into balance, our relationships move into balance.

            As we give everyone around us the space to be who they are, which also involves unconditional love, we give ourselves the same space. One of the rules of the Universe becomes so obvious: We treat others as we want to be treated and then everything we give out comes back.

Being Humble

            Having summarized these twelve characteristics above, we will now describe some further principles of humility in recovery and in life.

           Gaining humility is a major milestone in recovery. It usually signifies a life transformation, in that the person flows more with life, functions better, and tends to be at a lower risk of falling back into Level 1 functioning and pain. For all concerned the term “humble” is thus positive and is a great strength, and is not generally viewed as a weakness.

Gratitude

            As we let go and watch our relationships transform, transcend or dissolve – we not only recognize all the characteristics above playing out in us and our loved ones – gratitude moves in and possibly even takes over as an underlying continual attitude or mood.

When the stressful pressure of conflicted and painful relationships is released --something needs to take its place. (The Universe seems to fill in a vacuum) And, that something that takes it’s place is peace and gratitude. We feel better. Our ego isn’t running our inner life anymore. Our inner life is now more of our Sacred Person (See the Map of the Self, below)

Being “Nobody Special”

“The story of life, of humanity, of the universe, is vast in terms of what we know, or what we can ever understand. Death comes, like birth, and there is nothing we can do about it. Strutting and fretting our brief hour upon the stage of life is really quite meaningless. In stepping back and seeing the play from the perspective of one's true nature, compassion arises for all. Humility becomes one's natural clothing. There is no one, no person, no doer, no diver, yet all is blissful when the mind with all its knowledge, memory and emotional residues stands back and lets go its hold on life.” (Whenary R 2005)

            In the process of humility we work through a cycle early in our life from becoming ego-attached or “somebody special,” to then becoming ego-detached or “nobody special.” Ram Dass and Levine (1976) said “We are in training to be nobody special. It is in that nobody – special-ness that we can be anybody. The fatigue, the neurosis, the anxiety, the fear, all come from identifying with the somebody-ness. But you have to start somewhere. It does seem that you have to be somebody before you can be nobody. If you started out being nobody at the beginning of this incarnation, you probably wouldn’t have made it this far… It’s that force of somebody-ness that develops the social and physical survival mechanisms. It’s only now, having evolved to this point that we learn to put that somebody-ness, that whole survival kit, which we called the ego, into perspective.

            “At first you really ‘think’ you’ve lost something. It’s a while before you can appreciate the peace that comes from the simplicity of no-mind, of just emptiness, of not having to be somebody all the time. … You spent the first half of your life becoming somebody. Now you can work on becoming nobody, which is really somebody. For when you become nobody there is no tension, no pretense, no one trying to be anyone or anything, and the natural state of the mind shines through unobstructed – the natural state of the mind is pure love, … pure awareness. Can you imagine when you become that place you’ve only touched through your meditations? … You’ve cleared away all of the mind trips that kept you being who you thought you were. … You experience the exquisiteness of being in love with everybody and not having to do anything about it. Because you’ve developed compassion. The compassion is to let people be as they need to be without coming on to them. The only time you come on to people is when they’re actions are limiting the opportunities for other human beings to be free.” (Ram Dass & Levine, 1976)

           In a society where everybody has to be somebody special, what a joy it can be to walk along and be nobody special. It is freeing, peaceful and serene. We learn to listen and hear. And where we are when we are nobody special is in the heart of our True Self. Twelve Step fellowships also suggest being nobody special by their principle of anonymity. Their Twelfth Tradition says, “Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.”

          At the beginning of this chapter we noted 12 key characteristics of humility. These include 1) openness, 2) an attitude of “don’t know,” 3) curiosity, 4) innocence, 5) a child-like nature, 6) spontaneity, 7) Spirituality, 8) tolerance, 9) patience, 10) integrity, 11) detachment, and 12) letting go – all of which lead to inner peace. Most of these are important components in the process of becoming and being nobody special, which is also a hallmark of humility.

© 2006 Whitfield C, Whitfield B, Jyoti, Russell Park

Charles Whitfield and his wife, Barbara Harris Whitfield, Jyoti and her husband Russell Park are board members of the Kundalini Research Network. 

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[1] Translation by Richard B. Clarke of the HSIN HSIN MING

[2] The Eightfold Path of Buddhism includes: 1) right knowledge (learning the truths and the path), 2) right aspiration, 3) right speech (language, honesty, clarity & positivity), 4) right behavior, 5) right livelihood, 6) right effort, 7) right mindfulness, 8) meditation.

Article: Spiritual Energy: Perspectives from a Map of the Psyche

Spiritual Energy: Perspectives from a Map of the Psyche

and The Kundalini/Recovery Process

Charles L. Whitfield, MD

Have you had a spiritual awakening? Or do you wonder if you might leave had one? A spiritual awakening is an experiential opening to a power greater than ourselves. As a result, we become more aware of and open to our self, others and the Universe.

Based on informal surveys that I have done on people attending my workshops over the years, I estimate that at least one in three people have had a spiritual awakening of some sort. Perhaps 25 % of those spiritual awakenings were triggered by near-death experiences. The remaining 75 % are triggered by numerous other experiences, from meditation, to childbirth to ''hitting bottom'' in a critical or desperate life situation. Some of these events have opened some people to experiencing the painful yet often freeing Kundalini process.

     Who or what is it that actually does the awakening? Is there a part of us that begins to become more aware and opens to our self, others and the God of our understanding? My sense is that it is a spiritual energy that starts  to awaken us to our Real or True Self, and helps us learn about our ego or false self.

Who Am 1? A Map of the Mind

     Throughout the struggle of the human condition, many people have asked some important questions: Who am 1? What am l doing here? Where am l going? How can I get any peace? While the answers to these questions remain a Divine Mystery, I have found it useful to construct a map of the mind or psyche.

                                       

Higher Power Higher Self True Self Ego

(God, Goddess, All-That-Is, Universe) (Atman, Guardian angel, Cosmic Consciousness,                                                                                               Holy Spirit, Ruach ha Kadosh)   (Soul, Child Within, Heart) (false self, Shadow,  Toxic wounding ) sorting and handling internal and  external reality

…and while the map is not the territory, maps can be useful.

     

Other names for or dimensions of the True Self, who I really am, include the real or existential self, the human heart, the soul, chakras 4 and 5, and the Child Within. They are all the same because they are our True Identity. I also have within me a Divine Nature, sometimes called a guardian angel, Atman, Buddha Nature, Christ Consciousness, chakras 6 and 7,  Higher Self, or simply Self. And both of these, my True Self and my Higher Self are intimately connected to my Higher Power, God/Goddess/All-That-is, a part of which is also within me.

         I see this relationship---True Self, Higher Self and Higher Power as being such an important relationship that I can also view it as being one person, which I call the Sacred Person. In a loving, supporting and teaching way, pervading  throughout  the Sacred Person  is the Holy Spirit ( Kundalini, Chi, Ki, Ruach ha Kadosh and Divine Energy).

       As a part of the Mystery, my True Self makes or constructs a curious assistant to help me in limited ways as I live out this human experience. We can call this assistant, this sidekick, the ego –also known as the false self or co-dependent self. When this ego is helpful to us, such as in screening, sorting and handling many aspects of our internal and external reality, we can call it positive ego. But when it tries to take over and run our life, it becomes negative ego.

       This map of the psyche is more evolved than the maps of Freud, Jung and their colleagues of up to 100 years ago, when they used the term “ego” to mean both True Self and false self. Since the 1930s the self psychologists and the object relations psychologists have begun to make this more precise differentiation between True Self and false self and today we use ''ego'' synonymously with false self. (This understanding is in contrast with many writers who still lump the True Self and false self together and call it the “ego.”)

       A contemporary holy book called  A Course in Miracles says in its introduction:

What is real cannot be threatened.

What is unreal does not exist.

Herein lies the peace of God.[1]

     What is real is God and God's world, that of the Sacred Person. The ego and its world is not real, and therefore in the grand scheme of the Mystery, does not exist. Herein, when we make this differentiation, lies our peace and serenity.

     But growing up in a dysfunctional family and dysfunctional society of origin, we may have become wounded. That wounding made our Child Within, or True Self, go into hiding, and the only one left to run the show of our life was our ego (false self). And since it is not able or competent to run our life successfully, we often end up feeling confused and hurt.

     The way out is to begin to differentiate between identifying with my True Self and my false self, and to heal my wounds around all of the past traumas that hurt and confused me. That is what I have described in my books.[2] While all of this information is useful to know on a cognitive level, it is healing only on an experiential level. To heal, I have to experience working through my pain, as well as living and enjoying my life. If we can identify with having a Kundalini arousal, the gift is the co-operation of  a spiritual energy that can assist us as we heal.

Spiritual Awakenings and the Recovery Movement

     Over the decades of the 1980s and the l990s, and into the 21^st century, an increasing number of people have begun to awaken to many of their traumatic experiences and are beginning to heal themselves. This phenomenon, called the recovery movement, with its free and effective Twelve Step Fellowships, is part of a new paradigm, a new and expanded understanding and belief about the human condition and how to heal it. This approach is so effective and has developed so much momentum for two reasons: it is grass roots - its energy comes from the recovering people themselves, and it employs the most accurate and healing of all the accumulated knowledge about the human condition. But what is different about this knowledge is that it is now simplified and demystified, as shown elsewhere.[3]

Traps in Spiritual Awakenings

    There are some traps in spiritual awakenings. After having had our particular spiritual experience and possible Kundalini arousal, one trap is 1) being misled by other people who may try to steer us off of our personal spiritual path. These others may be therapists, counselors, clergy, gurus, family or friends who themselves may not understand and may even have distorted boundaries. And so they may label our awakening and subsequent  signs and symptoms as being psychotic, the “work of the devil”, hallucinations, flaky, or try to invalidate our experience in some other way. They may try to put us on or even force us to take 2) toxic drugs--from sedatives to antidepressants to major tranquilizers, to “mood stabilizers”. Or lock us up, or shame and guilt us in other ways. But the fact remains that we have had a spiritual awakening and something has been aroused in us, and we are looking for validation and support on what actually happened, including on the rest of our journey.

        When we allow our Kundalini process to evolve naturally, the result is usually psychological and spiritual growth over time. A problem is that many of the symptoms and experiences mimic what psychiatry and psychology calls “mental disorders.” Today most psychiatrists and some psychologists, social workers and counselors aren’t able to recognize Kundalini and instead prescribe or recommend one or more psychiatric drugs in an attempt to lessen the patients symptoms. In Kundalini awakenings we become progressively more connected with self, others and God. These psychiatric drugs are toxic to the brain and body and tend to shut down or aggravate the normal flow of the Kundalini process. The drugs slam the door shut to our psycho-spiritual growth.

     Psychiatrist Peter Breggin, MD said, “It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine accurately the psychological condition of a person who is taking psychiatric drugs. There are too many complicating factors, including the drug’s brain-disabling effect, the brain’s compensatory reactions and the patient’s psychological responses to taking the drug. I have evaluated many cases in which patients have deteriorated under the onslaught of multiple psychiatric drugs without the prescribing physicians attributing the patient’s decline to drug toxicity. Instead, physicians typically attribute their patients’ worsening condition to ‘mental illness’ when in reality the patient is suffering from adverse drug reactions.”

     Breggins’s work has reflected the sometimes-missing conscience of  psychiatry. For anyone who accepts help in the form of psychiatric drugs, realize that you are entering into an area that you may regret or may not be able to stop. Each drug has toxic effects that turn out to be as bad as or worse than the original complaint and often leads to more drugs to counter these toxic effects, which include drug withdrawal. Breggin spells this out in his comprehensive textbook.[4]

      In his groundbreaking book Kundalini, Psychosis or Transcendence? Lee Sannella MD said, “There are many undergoing this process who at times feel quite insane. When they behave well and keep silent they may avoid being called schizophrenic, or being hospitalized, or sedated. Nevertheless their isolation and sense of separation from others may cause them such suffering. We must reach such people, their families, and society, with information to help them recognize their condition as a blessing, not a curse. Certainly we must no longer subject people, who might be in the midst of this rebirth process, to drugs or shock therapies, approaches which are at opposite poles to creative self-development."[5]

      Another trap is 3) the frustration that usually comes with trying to do what is called a spiritual bypass. A spiritual bypass happens  when we try to avoid working through the pain of our prior traumas, so that we may try to jump from an earlier stage of healing directly into the most advanced stage. Because this concept is crucial to making sense of and handling spiritual awakenings and the movement of spiritual energy (also called Kundalini, Ki, Chi, and the like), I will describe briefly the generic stages of the healing or recovery process.

  

Stages of Recovery

      A spiritual awakening and movement of spiritual energy may happen during any of the following stages of recovery.

 Stage Zero

     Stage Zero is manifested by the presence of an active Illness or disorder such as an addiction, compulsion or another disorder, including any physical illness. This active illness may be acute, recurring or chronic. Without recovery, it may continue indefinitely. At Stage Zero, recovery has not yet started. It may be at this stage that the spiritual awakening happens either from a near-death experience, or bottoming out from the illness, or the like. The actual trigger for the awakening could cause  what we call “retraumatization.” First we carry traumas from our past, possibly our childhood, that may not have been “metabolized,” and now we are traumatized by the trigger for the spiritual awakening. This retraumatization brings back the past traumas that may have been suppressed. If this is validated immediately then we can avoid a more painful acute stress disorder. If it is not validated, we eventually may experience acute and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD.) This trauma and its effects commonly underly the Stage 0 through 3 wounding and work.

__________________________________________________________

Table.      Recovery and Duration According to Stages,

                 with Ease of Understanding and Using Spiritual Energy

__________________________________________________________

              

Recovery     Condition            Focus of             Approximate      Understanding &

Stage                                       Recovery             Duration            Using Spiritual Energy

     3        Human/Spiritual      Spirituality             Ongoing              Easier

     2        Past trauma            Trauma-specific      3-5+ years           Some difficulty

                                              recovery program

     1        Stage 0 disorder      Basic-illness full     1/2 to 3 years       Difficult

                                               recovery program

     0        Active illness           Usually none           Indefinite            Most difficult

________________________________________________________

Stage One

          At Stage One, recovery begins. It involves participating in a full recovery program to assist in healing the stage Zero condition or conditions. If a person  has a spiritual awakening while in Stage Zero they may try to bypass doing Stage One recovery work.

         During Stages Zero and One clinicians who don’t understand or are not educated regarding Kundalini arousal may want to prescribe psychoactive drugs (antidepressants and antipsychotics). This will likely have a detrimental affect that could abort the transformational process. These drugs may give some relief for a short time but will soon numb the person out and “dumb them down,” like a chemical straight jacket.[6] Even worse, these drugs can cause psychotic symptoms for those in a delicate phase of their process.

        We can reframe depression as unresolved grief. The label of depression creates a frozen diagnosis. There is no movement. When we allow our grief from past traumas to surface in Stage One or Stage Two, we may experience a bittersweet release emotionally and even the sensing of energy movement.

          Once the Stage Zero condition is resolved, in a Stage One program, Stage Two therapy groups are a safe productive place to identify and release grief coming from our past.

Stage Two

     Stage Two is one that many people also may try to bypass. It involves healing the effects of past traumas, sometimes called adult child or co-dependence issues. Once a person has a stable and solid Stage One recovery--one that has lasted for at least a year or longer--it may be time to consider looking into these issue. An adult child is a term that has been used to refer to anyone who grew up in an unhealthy, troubled or dysfunctional family. Many adult children may still be in a similar unhealthy environment, whether at home, in one or more relationships, or at work. Because a Kundalini arousal brings up our unconscious material, working a Stage Two recovery will likely help us heal, and authentic humility assists us here and in our spiritual growth. Being humble is facilitated by having the courage to make the choice, moment by moment, to let go of ego-centered thinking and behaving.[7]

     Spiritual practices and awakenings can revive and exacerbate unresolved conflicts. This is not necessarily bad, since the process can bring to the surface issues and difficulties requiring attention, and it can result in considerable healing and personality integration.[8] If a treating therapist can respect these spiritual awakenings  as a possible Kundalini arousal, they will be able to support a trusting relationship where the patient feels cared for and safe. This will create a positive attitude in which the patient expects that the process will prove valuable and healing. Thus, opening to and talking about the experience can be helpful and can be facilitated by psychotherapy.[9]

Stage Three

     Stage Three recovery is the one into which we may be compelled prematurely by having a spiritual awakening. It includes the experience of spirituality and its incorporation into our daily life. This is an ongoing process. In this stage we make meaning out of our past. We are now aware of being free of old beliefs and can use this stage to get comfortable with a fresh outlook while creating stability in our life while practicing gratitude and humility. [10]

Conclusion

       If we try to go around or bypass the darkness to get to the Light, i.e., if we try to ignore the lower to get to the higher levels of our consciousness, something-- we can call it our shadow (Jung) or repetition compulsion (Freud) -- will pull us back until we work through our particular unfinished business. Trying to avoid this work of Stages One and Two recovery can also be called premature transcendence or high- level denial. This is seen in any number of situations, from being prematurely born again, to having a spiritual awakening and focusing only on the Light, to becoming attached to one way that is the “only” way. Its consequences are often active co-dependence: denial of the richness of our inner life; trying to control one self or others; all-or-none thinking and behaving; feelings of fear, shame and confusion; high tolerance of  inappropriate behavior; frustration, addiction, compulsion, relapse, and unnecessary pain and suffering.

     The way out of this trap is to develop humility (i.e., openness to learning more about self, others and God)[11] and work through the pain of wherever we may be, or just enjoy the joyous feelings. Those who are actively addicted or disordered can work through a Stage One full recovery program. Those who are adult children of troubled or dysfunctional families can work through Stage Two recovery.  We need to stay mindful of these necessities: we cannot let go of something if we do not know experientially what it is that we are letting go. We cannot transcend the unhealed; and we cannot connect experientially to the God of our understanding until we know our True Self, our human Heart. People who have progressed in their Kundalini Process join a Stage Two or Three therapy groups to help support themselves in their new experience of co-creating their life with a Higher Power. Their new expansive and creative abilities may not fit in to their original life/relationships and being in a weekly group gives them a place to talk about their feelings and check themselves out with fellow aspirants.

               

    If we can expand our beliefs and bring our higher nature into our everyday life—we can experience true humility. Kundalini Energy invites us to stretch beyond the limits of who we thought we were and become all that we are. This process allows us to experience a healing unity with ourselves, others and our Higher Power.

                                                                                           © Charles L. Whitfield 2008

 for The Kundalini Research Network

Charles L. Whitfield, MD, is a pioneer in trauma recovery, including the way we remember childhood and other trauma and abuse. A physician and front-line therapist who assists trauma survivors and spiritual seekers in their healing, he is the author of fifty published articles, and ten best-selling books on trauma psychology and recovery including Healing the Child Within and Alcoholism and Spirituality. He lives and practices addiction medicine, trauma psychology, and holistic psychiatry in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Whitfield is one of the authors in the compilation, Kundalini Rising, published by Sounds True. For more information go to www.Barbara-Whitfield.Blogspot.com 

Endnotes

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[1] Anonymous, (1976). A Course in Miracles. Course in Miracles Society, Omaha, NE

[2] Whitfield, C.L.: Choosing God: A Bird’s-Eye-View of  A Course in Miracles. in pre-print draft, 1998.

Whitfield CL: Healing the Child Within: Discovery & Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families.

Health Communications, Deerfield Beach, FL, 1987; Whitfield CL: Boundaries and Relationships: Knowing, Protecting and Enjoying the Self. Health Communications,Deerfield Beach, FL. 1993; Whitfield, CL, The Truth about Depression: Choices for healing. Health Communications, Deerfield Beach, FL. 2003; Whitfield, CL, The Truth about Mental Illness: Choices for healing. Health Communications,  Deerfield Beach, FL. 2004; Whitfield, CL, My Recovery: A personal plan for healing. Health Communications,Deerfield Beach, FL. 2004;

Whitfield, CL, Whitfield, BH, Jyoti, Park, R, The Power of Humility: Choosing Peace over Conflict in Relationships. Health Communications, Inc. Deerfield Beach, FL, 2006; Whitfield, CL You May NOT be Mentally Ill (in process.)

[3] Whitfield, C.,  Healing the Child Within, op. cit.; Whitfield, C., Boundaries and Relationships, op. cit.; Whitfield, C., My Recovery, op. cit.; Whitfield, C., The Truth about Depression, op. cit.; Whitfield, C., The Truth about Mental Illness, op. cit.

[4] Breggin, PR, (2008). Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry: Drugs, electroshock, and the psychopharmacutical complex. 2^nd edition Springer Publishing, NY.

[5] Sannella, L. Kundalini, Psychosis or Transcendence?   p.60      

[6] Breggin, PR, Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry, op. cit.

[7] Whitfield, Cl. Et al, The Power of Humility, op. cit.; Whitfield, B. Spiritual Awakenings: Insights of The Near-Death Experience and Other Doorways To Our Soul. Deerfield Beach, Florida. Health Communications 1995.

Whitfield, B. The Natural Soul. SterlingHouse Books, Pittsburgh, PA 2009

[8] Greyson B and Harris (Whitfield) B: “Clinical Approaches to the NDEr.” Journal of Near-Death Studies 6, no. (fall 87) 41-50.

[9] Grof, S & Grof, C (Eds), (1989). Spiritual emergency, When personal transformation becomes a crisis. Los Angeles: J. Tarcher.

[10] Whitfield, B.H., Spiritual Awakenings, op. cit.; The Natural Soul, op. cit.

[11] Whitfield, C.L. et al, The Power of Humility, op. cit.