From: tt@wag.caltech.edu
Subject: Becoming conscious of energy movement.
Keywords: Kundalini
Organization: ----
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 20:16:31 GMT

It was written in talk.religion.newage:

Every once in a while I just let go and I feel a wave of
pleasure pass over me.  It is a physical tingling sensation
that leaves me feeling peaceful.  I also have a similar
sensation when I let go and am listening to some classical
music that really moves me.  I know that this cannot be my
imagination because it is such a powerful sensation.

---
I figured I'd talk about it a little here in sre too because understanding
these phenomena are an integral part of some Eastern paths.

Most people are not aware of the movement of energy, although it happens
all the time.

First, I'd like to relate some experiences I've had with these sorts of
feelings BEFORE I started to meditate.

1. Tingling up my spine when something really "moves" me.

--Try to notice how this tingling moves up your system.

With some people, it doesn't go up, but it goes down the legs.
It may also do both.  That's okay, there are paths in all kinds of
places, and the movement through the system depends upon how your
body can handle energy.

In Eastern traditions, this is known as the beginnings of Kundalini.

That is, when something really moves you, you may release some of the
energy that is in the bottom of the spine, and you will shiver, or feel
tingling that moves through the body, often a pleasurable sensation.

In the Kundalini traditions, the goal is to unite the root, the base of
the spine, with the crown, the top of the head.  The root deals with
the animal nature, the Earth, while the crown relates to the cosmic.
Hence in a sense, you unite the Earth with the cosmic as you move the
energy up the being.

When I started to meditate, the tingling went from the base of the
spine to about the bottom of my neck.  

As I continued to meditate, the tingling gradually continued to increase its
movement up my spine.  You may notice such an occurrence.

Normally when I get these sensations, they are close to the physical body,
but you may also notice these tingling sensations some two or three
feet away from the body.  In Eastern religions, this may be described with
respect to chakras or energy centers, which I talk about too much
already :) 

Another useful system that I've seen in the newage circles talks about
the physical body, and the emotional body, and many other bodies.

These bodies form a shell around the being.  As you go from body to body,
the shells around the body increase in distance from the body.

---Energy works through your being not only up and down like through your
   chakras from root to crown, but also outward.  You expand the being up
   and out.  We are truly 3 dimensional beings in that sense.

OOPS, I got off my topic.  The topic was, when do I feel these energies
before I started to meditate.

2.  This may seem silly, but when I go to the bathroom (urinate), 
    I always used to shiver after I finished.  What was happening was
    that by urinating, my body automatically released energy from my
    gonad chakra, causing energy to rush up my spine, and shivering
    occurred.

3.  Strong emotions rushing through my being that I feel from other
    people.

    I claim that emotions too, are forms of energy and are transmitted
    from one person to another.

   -One of my most memorable experiences occurred just around the time
    I started to meditate.  I was driving around with a friend of mine
    who was having problems with her boyfriend.  All of a sudden, I felt
    like my stomach was going to blow up.  Inside I was going WHOAH.
    I said, "You're about to blow up aren't you?"  Looking back on it,
    that might not have been the best thing to say, but considering what
    I was going through it worked.  She said, "Yeah."  However, she
    calmed down, and thankfully my stomach also calmed down.

   -Since then I have learned several techniques to deal with strong
    energies.  One technique that I posted earlier is the safety valve.
    It takes advantage of the legs and throws it down into the ground.
    The other technique, with less intense feelings is to move it
    up the spine.

    The main connections within the energy body:

    Root to Crown (Kundalini, Tantric Buddhism, Hinduism, most important)
 
       --If you feel anger or intensity in the root, you may want to
         concentrate on the top of your head and move it up.

    Solar plexus to heart to brow.  (Chinese mysticism, movement of chi)

       --If you feel intensity in solar plexus/stomach area, move to back
         of the body, push it up to the heart, move it through the front
         and back through again, then push it up to the 
         brow (back of the head) and move it through the forehead.

    Gonads to throat.  (Don't know of any systems, but experience 
                        may show that....)

       --If you feel intensity in the gonads, you can move it to the
         back of the gonads, and push up through the throat.

       When your gonads are opening, you may feel a sore throat,
       coughing, or even pimples on your throat.

       The classic case of pimples is when you are studying for exams
       and really pumping through the brow, I always got pimples on
       my forehead, not really any other times...

       Another thing I just found out is that the root center has a path
       that moves from the bottom of the chin, around the side of the
       face, along the jawbone, then one way goes up the side around the
       back of the ears, where I lose track of it.  The point is, I get 
       these really annoying pimples right along the side of my face 
       at the ridge where my jawbone is, and also right below my 
       sideburns under my ears.

WARNING:  If you try these things, then you will never go back to 
          normal.  You will start to understand your own emotions
          and unfortunately feel other peoples emotions.  You will
          even feel manipulation of your emotions that other people
          put into you.  These feelings alone, only deal with the
          personality.  If you work with the heart, then you will
          begin to act with service and selfless compassion.

          You may be scared to death of these sensations and feelings
          that go through you.

          WHEN YOU DO THESE PRACTICES, IT IS IN YOUR BEST INTERESTS TO:
          (you guessed it), ask for not my will but the highest will
          be done.  Ask for healing and transmutation in the GENTLEST
          way possible.  Put it in your own words.

--I never did these petitions at first.  I don't expect you to.  HOWEVER,
  when you get scared and/or feel very intense, as my teacher says,
  "pray like hell!"  It will help you tremendously when all hell breaks 
  loose.  Also you may want to use the Life Map, which I mentioned
  in earlier posts.

Toshi
tt@wag.caltech.edu