psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, kriyas and piti/kundalini

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Linda ”Polly Ester” Ö, modified 4 Years ago at 11/23/19 4:58 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 11/23/19 4:54 AM

psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, kriyas and piti/kundalini

Posts: 7134 Join Date: 12/8/18 Recent Posts
I have been thinking for a while that someone should look into the connection between psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) and forceful kriyas and strong piti/kundalini. PNES are seizures that look like epileptic seizures but lack any organic cause. They consist of involuntary shakings of the body together with a felt lack of agency and a disconnection with one's sense of self. Here is a good paper about the phenomenology of these seizures:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1059131116302229

I have met this researcher, Markus Reuber, a couple of times several years ago, as we were part of the same research network for a short while, although I doubt that he remembers me. If he does, it is probably because I told him that I had these seizures, which I suspect was a bit unexpected. We talked about it over a lunch. I hadn't been diagnosed, and his presentation was the first time I ever heard about the diagnosis, but it was very clear to me that it was the same phenomenon. Since these seizures aren't harmful, I never bothered to get a diagnosis. It may sound strange, but I had no desire to get rid of them, and I already had therapy. (I also didn't want it to be in my medical records because doctors tend to think that a patient who somatizes is uncapable of also having organically caused diseases, and when I get cancer or something, I want them to take me seriously. It is bad enough to have autism and depressions in my records.) Then once I started a daily meditation practice, I suddenly stopped having these seizures. That makes a lot of sense, because I was finally dealing with my avoidance issues which seem to be at least part of the cause for these seizures. 

The thing is, I only started having the seizures after a sudden and brutal kundalini awakening*, which in turn was caused by burnout and severe anxiety. They were mainly triggered by strong emotions, but at one time they were triggered by sounds, experimental music at very low frequencies vibrating through my body. At that particular occasion I also saw a pshycodelic light show all over the place. That wasn't unpleasant. Although it kind of freaked me out, it was also a really cool experience. I could see a bright aura around my partner R who was with me. I have had seizures when emotionally distressed, like during the selection when people around me didn't see any problem with nazis being voted for. At these instances, the experiences leading up to the seizures were horrible, but the seizures per se were more like a reboot of the system, purifying me and helping me to let go of the overwhelming identification with the strong feeling. I have also had plenty of seizures caused by strong positive emotions, and in those cases, the seizures were a mix of extacy and bliss. They felt transcendental. There was a lack of center point, and yet a strong presence. I loved those seizures. I think they still involved resistance, though, parts that clinged to the identification. I suspect that is what causes the strong convulsions. There are two strong forces operating simultaneously, one that wants to let go completely and one that holds on tight. 

During my latest A&P I finally had some shakings resembling the seizures again. I didn't engage in the resistance, though, so they never turned into fullblown seizures. I see the dukkha in that clinging now and I don't need that kind of shock treatment to get a reboot. Meditation offers better ways. 

As far as I know, PNES are still seen as something of a mystery in medicine, so if piti/kundalini is to be put in the DSM, as Daniel wishes, it could make a significant difference in this area. 


*) I won't go into the details of that A&P here, as I have already done it in many other threads. 
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svmonk, modified 4 Years ago at 11/24/19 7:07 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 11/24/19 7:07 PM

RE: psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, kriyas and piti/kundalini

Posts: 400 Join Date: 8/23/14 Recent Posts
Hi Linda,

I don't know about PNES, but during the time I was working with strong kundalini/piti in the late '90's, I talked with a woman who had a kundalini awakening during childbirth. She was pretty confused about it, and the doctors basically couldn't help her (same with me btw). I think the strong pain of childbirth may trigger it in certain women. I googled around to see if there is anything on line, and found a couple pages (including one by a woman who also claimed to have had it occur) so I think it might be more common than most people realize, but also not extremely common.
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Linda ”Polly Ester” Ö, modified 4 Years ago at 11/25/19 12:01 AM
Created 4 Years ago at 11/25/19 12:01 AM

RE: psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, kriyas and piti/kundalini

Posts: 7134 Join Date: 12/8/18 Recent Posts
Hi! I have a friend to whom that happened to, although she doesn't use the term kundalini and it wasn't the brutal version, just a typical A&P miracle sort of thing.
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ivory, modified 4 Years ago at 11/25/19 3:46 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 11/25/19 3:46 PM

RE: psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, kriyas and piti/kundalini

Posts: 199 Join Date: 9/11/14 Recent Posts
I think this also happened to me when I first started meditating. It started with involuntary movements and twitching, especially when I was falling asleep, but then one night I had a full blown seizure. At the time I also had strange energy movements throughout the forehead area and ringing in the ears. I think I still have this from time to time but it's no longer a bother. It is strange how something so common and healthy as meditation can cause these things to happen.
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Linda ”Polly Ester” Ö, modified 4 Years ago at 11/25/19 4:17 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 11/25/19 4:17 PM

RE: psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, kriyas and piti/kundalini

Posts: 7134 Join Date: 12/8/18 Recent Posts
I totally agree with what you are saying. I think it may be the other way around, too, though. My kundalini awakening had nothing to do with meditation. It just happened on its own, and it took several years before I even heard about kundalini afterwards. I had a psychogenic issue that turned out to be a spiritual thing. Meditation was what stopped it, because it took away the resistance. I think there are many people who have never meditated who have spiritual experiences that are framed as pathological due to lack of knowledge. 
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ivory, modified 4 Years ago at 11/25/19 11:03 PM
Created 4 Years ago at 11/25/19 11:03 PM

RE: psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, kriyas and piti/kundalini

Posts: 199 Join Date: 9/11/14 Recent Posts
Linda ”Polly Ester” Ö:
I think there are many people who have never meditated who have spiritual experiences that are framed as pathological due to lack of knowledge. 

I could definitely see that

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