Ones entire being and life prior to an awakening goes into the making and riding of the wave. We undergo the kundalini process to afford some growth and change to the brain after full myelination has taken place. One doesn't have to be special or be a rocket scientist to go thru kundalini. Those with sensitive nervous systems, high energy, trauma damaged nervous systems, highly stressed, and high psychic sensitivity are often susceptible.

Some kundalini activity is no doubt apparent in childhood and related to growth in general. Children do experience all kinds of psychic phenomena and strange-body sense stuff. But for a full on awakening the nervous system must be fully myelinated to avoid serious damage, also that degree of charge will not carry in an un-myelinated system cause the nerves are not insulated for "speed." Full myelination occurs in the early twenties and a lot of people have their first awakening at 27-29 years.

Approximately 7 years after full myelination at 27-29 years is breaking away from the family meme time. This is an enormously difficult period when one is trying to workout who one is and what is reality is beyond the dicates of the family collective mind. This is an organic process that arises of its own accord and is not necessary a process of "thinking" but of alchemical upheaval and restructuring of the brain. The tensions involved in having codependencies, enmeshments and family dynamics made conscious is enormous and often sparks a kundalini awakening or schizophrenic breakdown at this time. There can be an exaggeration of or rebellion from family patterns and beliefs as the matrix of the family psyche becomes more available to conscious introspection, or childhood patterns reach their zenith. Personally I don't think adulthood starts until after this crisis. If the crisis doesn't occur the individual remains predominantly a socially conditioned being with little self-will or Self realization.

This individuation crisis occurs around 7 years after full myelination of the brain. Myelination of course is related to socio-emotional and functional use of the brain, laid down mostly in response to the family environment. So that when this next 7-year-cycle of neuron pruning arises there is a physiological evaluation of the brains neural networks to assess their validity and value. This is why "everything" seems to arise out of the woodwork at this time, repression mechanisms are lifted and the contents of our neurology seem to impress themselves on our minds.

Since neural pruning after full myelination involves a more extreme method of axon death, a kundalini awakening might occur in order to create the massive oxidation, apoptosis and self-digestion necessary for a brain overhaul. This is especially so if the individual experienced chronic deprivation, rejection, abuse or developmental deficiency of some sort during their first 27 years.

The kundalini cycle probably follows the 7 year neuron growth cycles that Joseph Chilton Pearce pointed out. Further research will probably find that we all go through 7 year neurodetoxification cycles that might show up in changes in mood state, mania, depression or the 7 year itch. A 7 year full-on kundalini cycle being a very obvious version of a developmental process that is usually more subterranean. Depending on the set point the symptoms may be observable or not. This also might be keyed into the 7 year solar cycle.

Although it appears that kundalini awakenings begin after the mature nervous system is established there is always exceptions to the rule. For example Ramana's first awakening was at 17 years, and Meher Baba at 12 years, so both were obviously not fully myelinated. It might be that those who are going to be great teachers and gurus have early awakenings. Ramana couldn't help the neglect of his body during the height of the awakening because he was so "gone." Also his awakening happened when he was so young his physiology didn't have the preparation of years of spiritual practice.

The nervous system will try and reset itself at whatever age it can, in some ways the earlier the better, it is just that our society has a negative illness-focus and so the child can be persecuted for his kundalini symptoms rather than nourished and assisted. We are not yet aware that awakening is healthy, natural and inevitable in a culture that is mostly asleep and so we are afraid of it.

(See Toxic Mind Theory and the Relationship sections for the necessity to break with old patterns.)

back to Cosmic Influences

Continue to Phases of Kundalini