Exploring adverse effects of spiritual and meditative practices: the contemporary phenomena of 'kundalini syndrome.'

A study of the phenomenon known as 'kundalini syndrome' and its relationship to contemporary narratives around adverse effects of religious/spiritual practices.

Although the positive benefits of contemporary spiritual practices such as meditation have been well researched, adverse effects are generally under-researched. More specifically, in recent decades emerging data suggests that various types of spiritual practices can in fact cause harm. Much of this data focusses

on Buddhist-related meditation practices, however, there are also descriptions of conditions and phenomena caused by practices associated with broader religious concepts. My research will explore one phenomenon in particular known as 'kundalini syndrome', which describes a condition caused by various

types of systematic spiritual practices and is associated with the religious concept 'kundalini'. In the field of transpersonal psychology, this condition has been researched and recorded in relation to thousands of practitioner experiences, however, it has lacked any research within the context of contemporary religious

studies. By focussing on this particular phenomenon, this research will contribute to the overall picture of health problems associated with contemporary spiritual practices. This is particularly significant due to the increasing popularity of, and accessibility to, various forms of contemplative spiritual practices, and

the misguided common perception that they are side-effect-free. My research question is: What does 'kundalini syndrome' tell us about the landscape of contemporary spiritual maladies