Kundalini and transpersonal development: Development of a Kundalini Awakening Scale and a comparison between groups

Abstract

Development of a pilot psychometric instrument, the ‘Kundalini Awakening Scale’ (KAS) is described. The KAS was administered to groups of 24 Yoga teachers, 37 Yoga students, 22 people following other spiritual traditions, and 28 people from a general population. Results indicated that kundalini experience was highest in the group of people from other spiritual traditions. Second highest were the Yoga teachers, followed by Yoga students and, finally, the general population. There was also evidence that kundalini experience increases with years of Yoga practice (not age), and with a regular regime of meditation. The group following other spiritual traditions showed greater evi.d-ence of more disruptive and negative kundalini experiences. It is suggested that this may result from their following a relatively unstructured path of development, in contrast with the Yoga groups which follow a safer, structured approach to kundalini arousal.