Proof of Existence of the Kundalini Energy

The energy system is subtle in a number of ways. First of all, the components of the subtle energy system are not visible, tangible structures. This subtle energy cannot be seen or measured at the anatomical or physiological level the way we can, for example, measure blood pressure with a sphygmomanometer, or view brain structures with a device such as MRI or fMRI. So far, we don’t have the ability to see the energy centers and energy channels via technology such as X-ray, MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) or positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

But this energy can definitely be experienced. It can be felt. And its impact on human physiology can be — and has been — verified through experience.

Thus far, science and spirituality have remained largely disconnected and viewed as parallel systems by both Easterners and Westerners alike. The discovery and research of Sahaja meditation’s practitioners, however, suggests a bridge between the two, and in fact, may provide evidence that there’s no true conflict between the two. Rather, science and spirituality may, in fact, aid and complement each other in our daily existence, as well as in the longer-term process of human evolution.

While this website endeavors to keep you abreast of the latest scientific research on the health benefits of meditation and the possible physiological mechanisms through which meditation may act, it is left, by design, to individual practitioners to verify the concepts through their own experience.

Many Western scientists have been reluctant to study spiritual forms of meditation, acknowledging that spiritual benefits are generally not scientifically quantifiable, but perhaps overlooking the other self-improvement and personal development benefits of Sahaja that are more easily measured, and in fact, have been the subject of countless other psychophysiological studies and clinical trials.

After all, we cannot see it, just as we cannot “see” electricity in the environment around us. But we can see the effects of electricity. We can verify that electricity exists through the functioning of appliances that harness its energy. We do not feel neurotransmitters and neurohormones coursing through our body, nor can we observe through technology the flow of a specific neurochemical as it travels throughout the body (although this technology is probably just around the corner). Yet, we certainly feel the positive or negative effects associated with balances or imbalances of neurochemicals; for example, the effect of serotonin on mood; epinephrine (adrenaline) on energy; norepinephrine (noradrenaline) on anxiety and fear; dopamine on attention, learning and motor skills. Through serum and urine analysis, we can measure the residual volumes of these chemicals, but we must take it on faith that they travel throughout the brain or body (depending on the chemical) because we know how we feel when they’re balanced, imbalanced or wildly fluctuating.

We actually can measure the specific “electrical” effects of Sahaja meditation on our brains. For example, several EEG studies conducted by Aftanas and Golosheykin (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005) on Sahaja meditators documented and analyzed the electrical effects of Sahaja meditation on the brain and the resulting positive influence on emotional reactivity to stressors, emotional intelligence, and resilience in processing negative events. These studies also documented EEG patterns in cortical activity that were unique to Sahaja (as compared to other meditative practices); in particular, increased theta band activity during Sahaja’s state of thoughtless awareness. Several other studies have measured the effects of Sahaja meditation on physiological attributes such as blood pressure and heart rate (e.g., Chung, 2012) and beta endorphins (Mishra et al, 1993). And of course, other studies have measured the effects of Sahaja on various diseases and disorders, as we’ve discussed in the Science, Health & Sahaja section.

So, even if you cannot study chakras under a microscope, you can be aware of the presence of this subtle energy beyond what science can currently document through the sensory experience of it’s influence on the central nervous system. You’ll certainly be able to verify its existence and functioning as you experience the sensation of energy flowing through the energy channels and chakras, and by the ultimate impact of this energy flow on each chakra’s corresponding nerve plexus and associated organs. Once the energy has been awakened and you develop some degree of sensitivity, you can literally feel the energy flowing through each individual chakra and even detect specific blockages along the path of the energy flow.

This vital energy force can be experienced and understood in a secular manner, without the need for faith or beliefs in any entity that is religious, philosophical or esoteric in nature. Nature installed the subtle energy system within us, just as our bodies contain other vital systems such as the circulatory or endocrine systems, and this subtle energy force is the connecting link between science (such as physiology) and spirituality.

Hopefully, someday, there may exist the technology and the will to scientifically verify the existence of the subtle energy system components. Until then, we have the verifiable experiences of thousands of Sahaja practitioners.