What would you think if you suddenly felt so unwell that it seemed you might faint at any moment? Your heart is pounding; you feel tingling and numbness throughout your body; your breathing changes; you experience muscle spasms everywhere—especially in your arms, legs, face, and mouth; your throat and chest tighten; you feel dizzy; your head aches; your stomach contracts; you experience intense itching or burning sensations; you feel as if your body is disappearing; your vision and hearing become unclear; waves of heat or cold wash over you; you sweat profusely…
You would probably think you were having a heart attack. That you were going to die. Many of the people I encounter through my professional work have gone through—or are still going through—exactly such experiences. And because these are bodily experiences of extreme intensity, their first reaction is to seek emergency medical care. There, doctors find that there is nothing physically wrong—tests show that the heart and all other indicators are normal. Then, directly or indirectly, they are told that this is a panic attack and are advised to see a psychiatrist.
As panic attacks, along with other closely related states of intense fear, are becoming increasingly common, it is important to know more about them. Information is the first and most essential means of dealing with them. Although panic attacks provoke some of the strongest fears a person can experience and appear to be states over which one has no control, in reality they are something that can be managed very successfully—if one adopts the appropriate mental attitude toward them. It is not by chance that many therapeutic practitioners believe that cognitive psychotherapy—focused on mental attitudes—has the greatest effect in their treatment.
Panic Attacks: Definition
There is already an abundance of information on panic attacks available online, so I will only outline the essentials.
Panic attacks are a psychological condition involving the experience of extremely intense fear—panic—triggered by the bodily symptoms described above. These symptoms lead the person experiencing them to believe they are having a heart attack, are going to die, or are going insane. Typically, the bodily symptoms arise unexpectedly, intensify, reach a peak around the tenth minute, and then gradually subside.
When such an experience occurs for the first time and the person neither knows what is happening nor why, an additional fear naturally arises—the fear of recurrence, or fear of the fear itself. We speak of panic disorder when panic attacks begin to recur without an apparent cause and the person becomes afraid of their repetition, avoiding the places where a previous attack occurred.
This links panic attacks to so-called agoraphobia, in which a person begins to feel safe only at home, avoiding places where a similar episode might occur—especially where help may not be available or where they might be seen in a state of vulnerability and feel humiliated. Such avoided situations include driving, social gatherings, foods or drinks associated with previous negative experiences, restaurants, shops, and theatres.
Although specialists acknowledge that the exact causes of panic attacks are unclear, they commonly cite various sources of stress, hereditary factors, and physiological factors such as low blood sugar, stimulant use, hyperthyroidism, and others.
From my professional experience, however, I am inclined to believe that the primary cause of panic attacks is the awakening of kundalini energy—more precisely, the initial stage of this awakening. If a stressful event is present, it functions merely as a triggering factor, not a causal one. I also believe that information is crucial for coping with panic attack symptoms. This article is written with that purpose: to share my professional experience and observations of people suffering from panic attacks and to add an additional dimension to their traditional interpretation—the spiritual one.
The Relationship Between Panic Attacks and Awakened Kundalini
I first began to notice the connection between panic attacks and kundalini awakening when I observed the striking similarity between their symptoms. To clarify what I mean, I present them below.
Symptoms of a panic attack
(If at least four of these are present, a panic attack may be diagnosed):
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Shortness of breath and hyperventilation
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Strong and rapid heartbeat
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Chest pain or discomfort
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Trembling or shaking
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Stabbing sensations
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Feelings of unreality and detachment from surroundings
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Sweating
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Nausea or stomach distress
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Dizziness, lightheadedness, weakness
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Numbness or tingling sensations
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Hot or cold flashes
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Fear of dying, losing control, or going insane
Symptoms of kundalini awakening in the human body:
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Muscle spasms, pain, convulsions
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Energetic tremors or sensations of electricity circulating through the body
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Itching, tingling, numbness, crawling sensations, pinching or burning
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Intense heat (extreme burning sensations) or cold
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Uncontrollable bodily movements: tics, tremors, shaking, felt as an inner force inducing unusual postures or movements
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Headaches, pressure inside the skull
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Irregular heartbeat, chest pain
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Digestive problems
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Numbness or pain in the joints (especially the left leg and foot)
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Pain and blockages in various areas, often in the back and neck
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Mental confusion, difficulty concentrating
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others…
(Source, abridged: Kundalini Signs and Symptoms, by El Collie)
In his book Meditation for the Inner Guide, Edwin Steinbrecher describes his experience of kundalini awakening, which may occur during the practice of the “Inner Guide Meditation” he developed:
“The most common physical experience of kundalini is a trembling, pulsation, or sensation of heat, cold, or electrical current at the base of the spine or in the feet, head, or hands. Sometimes, with sudden awakening, the toenail of the left big toe turns black and falls off. Sensations of hot flashes or extreme cold may occur. Spontaneous bodily movements such as convulsions or uncontrollable shaking may arise. Night sweats are common. A physical ailment may suddenly intensify, or specific subjective states may be experienced, such as weightlessness or the sensation of limb movement when it is actually still. Dreams may suddenly increase, or lights may be seen or sounds heard without physical cause. Pain or numbness may be felt in the back, head, or limbs.”
(Edwin Steinbrecher, Meditation for the Inner Guide, pp. 119–120)
He then adds:
“When these symptoms appear, the individual usually has no idea what is happening and becomes frightened, seeking medical help. Because most doctors, psychiatrists, and psychologists are ignorant of kundalini and its symptoms, the condition is diagnosed as an ‘anxiety attack,’ ‘psychotic episode,’ or something similar, or the person is told that ‘everything is fine.’ If the symptoms are treated with medication, they are simply ‘frozen’ until the treatment is discontinued.”
(p. 120)
Panic Attacks and the Encounter with Death
The physical symptoms listed above represent only part of the full spectrum of kundalini awakening symptoms—specifically those overlapping with panic attacks. Kundalini awakening is a highly complex phenomenon, and I am inclined to believe that panic attacks represent only its initial phase. After they pass, other types of kundalini experiences follow (which I will address in a subsequent article).
At the beginning, however, are these intensely frightening bodily experiences, where the primary psychological issue is fear of death, loss of control, or insanity.
Yet these very elements—encountering death and realizing that our zone of control over life is far smaller than we believed—lie at the heart of every spiritual awakening. Our small earthly personality—the ego with which we habitually identify and which convinces us that life is under our control—suddenly confronts experiences that cannot be controlled and are too irrational to explain. In such moments, one may fear madness, and death seems terrifyingly close.
I believe that the psychological core of panic attacks is a classic example of how spiritual transformation begins. The word that describes this beginning is simple: encounter with death. For spirituality is precisely this—the death of everything transient with which we have identified, and the emergence of the question of whether there is something that does not die, and if so, what it is.
I found it particularly interesting that research into the so-called Kundalini Syndrome in psychology draws not only on transpersonal psychology but also on near-death experience research. The so-called Kundalini Scale, developed by Ring & Rosing, consists of nine items describing the psychophysical changes of kundalini activation during near-death states:
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Sensations of energy in the hands
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Feelings of deep ecstasy
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Sharp, migraine-type headaches
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Awareness of energy release or currents moving through the body
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Tingling, itching, or numb sensations on or beneath the skin
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Awareness of inner light or colors
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Hot hands
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Sensations of extreme heat or cold moving through the body
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The body shakes, vibrates, or trembles
Awakened Kundalini as an Awakened Impulse Toward Individuation
By examining the shared symptoms of these seemingly very different phenomena—panic attacks, kundalini awakening, and near-death experiences—we may arrive at the conclusion that they are, in fact, expressions of the same underlying process. For me, this process is called spiritual awakening—an awakening to the dimension of that which does not die, to our immortal soul. Another term for it is spiritual transformation, which is intrinsically connected with processes of death and with the long and difficult process of individuation in Jungian analysis.
In this sense, it is particularly interesting to note another parallel—between the concept of kundalini energy and the concept of the mana aspect in Jungian analytical psychology. Both refer to a primary form of energy whose source is transpersonal, that is, supra-human.
The following is my synthesized understanding of kundalini, based on what I have read on the subject:
“Kundalini is the spiritual energy dwelling within the human body, which can be awakened in order to cleanse the subtle system of the individual and ultimately bestow upon the spiritual seeker the experience of divine union. It is the supreme Spiritual Power in the human body, coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine. When awakened, it rises upward through the chakra system along the spinal column until it finally erupts in the seventh chakra and gives rise to the experience known as Enlightenment.”
And this is the concept of mana in Jungian analysis:
“Mana implies the existence of some all-pervading vital force, a primary source of growth or magical healing, which may be likened to the primitive concept of psychic energy. Mana can attract or repel, destroy or heal, confronting the ego with extraordinary power… It is a quasi-divine force attributed to the magician, medium, priest, doctor, fakir, saint, or holy fool—anyone sufficiently connected with the spiritual world to serve as its conduit or to radiate its energy…”
Critical Dictionary of Jungian Analytical Psychology, p. 95
As becomes evident, in both cases we are dealing with an energy to which—because of its transpersonal origin—the human being cannot resist, but can only serve as a conduit. The experience of this energy flowing through the body resembles the passage of fire or electrical current.
The fiery nature of kundalini energy is also reflected in one of the meanings of the word itself—“the serpent fire.” In Edwin Steinbrecher’s book Meditation for the Inner Guide, it is noted that in the Mayan epic Popol Vuh, kundalini is called hurakan or lightning, while the African Zulu tribe refers to it as “the fire of the gods.” The husband of a close acquaintance of mine—who periodically experiences kundalini phenomena (initially appearing as panic attacks, and later, after the fear subsided, felt as a powerful current of energy)—jokingly tells her that she has been “caught again by the three-phase electric current.”
Activated electricity in the body also has a physiological explanation, but our aim here is to uncover its spiritual meaning as well. This is not difficult, since fire holds a very special place in Christianity as the image of the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel of Luke 12:49, Jesus says: “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!”
The Jungian analyst Marie-Louise von Franz interprets the Holy Spirit as an archetypal image of “a kind of energy, something like fire or electricity, which has an effect on matter.” According to her:
“It is mana—the divine force that many ethnologists compare to a mystical form of electricity. It is something like divine energy that penetrates certain objects and strikes certain people. The king has mana, the priest has it, as does the menstruating or birthing woman, and also the tree struck by lightning. Mana must be treated with reverence, either by keeping it at a distance through taboo or by approaching it according to certain rules…
This is an archetypal idea. Psychologically, we can say that it represents the effects of the Self or of psychic energy which, at this level, is not experienced as a personified image of God but rather as an impersonal aspect of divine power… The mana aspect—the aspect of the divine essence as an unpersonified force—appears suddenly in Christianity in the form of the Holy Spirit, who is water, wind, and fire; the wind rushes into the house, flames appear above the apostles’ heads at Pentecost, and in baptism it appears as water. Here the archetypal idea of the Holy Spirit once again manifests as an impersonal force with a semi-material aspect.”
Marie-Louise von Franz, Alchemy: An Introduction to the Symbolism and the Psychology, pp. 280–283
Destruction as an Expression of Spiritual Transformation
It is not difficult to see that we are dealing with the same phenomenon, albeit under different names—the bodily symptoms of panic attacks, kundalini awakening, the experience of the mana aspect, and the awakened impulse toward individuation. This is a spiritual, transpersonal force governed by laws different from those of the material world, capable of suddenly entering a person’s life, bringing either blessing or destruction.
This is important to understand: this type of energy carries blessing—its awakening leads to the supreme experience of enlightenment—but it can also destroy. It is the true essence of the archetype of the Destroyer.
This apparent contradiction is only superficial. Destruction is the means by which this force clears the ground for the ultimate experience. It is often said that as kundalini rises, it cleanses, consumes, and removes all that is superfluous—ideas, desires, emotions—that divert us from the spiritual path, not by absorbing negativity but by burning it away with the power of fire.
It is precisely this destructive aspect of awakening kundalini that generates such intense fear during panic attacks. And although this fear is sometimes understandable (for kundalini awakening does involve risks—a subject I will address in the next article), in the case of panic attacks it is this fear itself that becomes the primary obstacle to healing.
It is therefore crucial to know that what is being destroyed is the old identity—the small, earthly self accustomed to controlling everything in life. The encounter with death is primarily symbolic rather than literal: it comes to create space for new understanding and an expansion of consciousness.
“A false conscious attitude leads to a counter-reaction from the unconscious, and then panic ensues… Panic attacks are always a symptom of a weak ego-consciousness that cannot cope with the unconscious and is overwhelmed by fear.”
Marie-Louise von Franz, Animus and Anima in Fairy Tales, p. 34
Non-resistance, conscious breathing, alert presence, and the relinquishing of control are the appropriate mental attitudes not only for dealing with panic attacks but for every fear evoked by an encounter with the unconscious.
A close acquaintance of mine, who healed herself from panic attacks, did exactly this. One day, utterly exhausted and powerless to stop the terrifying experiences, she said to herself: “If I must die, then let me die. I cannot bear this tension anymore.” And she let go—surrendered—when the next wave of trembling and suffocation arrived. The experience came, and it passed. She remained alive.
She responded in the same way the next time—again surrendering to the will of God. The experience came and went, and she lived. Over time, it grew easier and easier, until the fear dissolved completely, and the experience of the energy moving through her began to change.
What helps most in such cases is maintaining an awake, centered presence that remains stable while the “destruction at the periphery” unfolds. Together with an expanded understanding of the nature and meaning of what is happening, this strengthens ego-consciousness so that it can cope with the influx of unconscious contents.
It is no coincidence that Carl Jung showed deep interest in kundalini yoga, recognizing in it a symbolic framework for describing the encounter with the unconscious:
“According to Jung, the symbolism of kundalini yoga suggests that the strange symptomatology sometimes presented by patients is in fact due to the awakening of kundalini. He maintained that knowledge of this symbolism helps us understand phenomena that might otherwise be regarded as mere by-products of pathological processes, rather than as meaningful symbolic processes explaining the peculiar localization of certain symptoms.”
The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga, Notes from Jung’s 1932 seminar, p. 37
In Brief
If I were to summarize everything said above about panic attacks, it would be this:
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Inform yourself. Read and familiarize yourself with various scientific theories explaining the nature of panic attacks and ways of coping with them. Knowledge helps—it reduces fear of fear and provides practical tools such as breathing techniques, relaxation, or visualization.
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Inform yourself about kundalini awakening and the different perspectives on understanding and integrating it. Knowledge helps—it removes mental blockages and supports trust in the Source from which this energy arises in order to clear the old.
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Do not add another fear to the existing one—the fear of fear itself. This only intensifies the experience and traps you in a vicious cycle. Instead, choose to remain present without resistance while the energetic wave passes through you. Over time, you will find yourself capable of holding increasingly larger intensities of this energy with less fear, until only the experience remains—and no fear at all.
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Panic attacks are more than they appear. And that “more” is that you yourself are more than you have been conditioned to believe. We are not only material beings—we are spiritual beings. Panic attacks force us, through inner compulsion, to recognize this truth. What begins as fear can later become our greatest blessing.
In one of the groups I facilitated, it turned out that half of the participants had experienced or were still experiencing panic attacks. When I expressed surprise at this, one participant said: “Why are you surprised, Kami? The world is awakening to love.”
I looked at him with gratitude. I knew him well—he was one of those who had endured severe panic attacks and had completely freed himself from them. The awakening that followed the earthquake-like period he had gone through brought about a profound and irreversible transformation of consciousness.
He had become Larger and Expanded.
He now knew that the opposite of fear is love.
Kameliya Hadzhiyska
Note: The quotations are translated from Bulgarian and are not presented as verbatim citations.
