“Like a Vibration Cascading through the Body”: Energy-Like Somatic Experiences Reported by Western Buddhist Meditators
David J. Cooper, Jared R. Lindahl, Roman Palitsky, Willoughby B. Britton
Religions November 24, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/rel12121042 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Western Buddhist meditators reporting meditation-related challenges |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Narrative Scope computer science Energy signal processing Aesthetics Qualitative research Psychotherapist Social science Literature |
| Citations | 20 |
| Key findings | Energy-like somatic experiences in meditation are interpreted and managed through frameworks drawn from within or beyond the meditator's specific Buddhist lineage, and their trajectories are influenced by multiple factors. |
Abstract
There are numerous historical and textual references to energy-like somatic experiences (ELSEs) from religious traditions, and even a few psychological studies that have documented related phenomena. However, ELSEs remain an understudied effect of meditation in contemporary research. Based upon narratives from a large qualitative sample of Buddhist meditators in the West reporting meditation-related challenges, this paper offers a unique glimpse into how ELSEs play out in the lives of contemporary meditation practitioners and meditation experts. Departing from studies presuming a “kundalini awakening” framework, this paper presents a broader scope for understanding ELSEs by describing the metaphors practitioners used when speaking about them; the trajectories and impacts of ELSEs, including the factors that were reported as influencing their nature or trajectory; the various ways in which they were interpreted and appraised by practitioners, teachers, and specialists, such as doctors and therapists; and how practitioners responded to them or managed them with particular remedies. Deciding how to interpret and manage ELSEs entailed recruiting frameworks from within and/or beyond the meditator’s specific Buddhist lineage.