Resources – Adverse Reactions
MEDITATION ISSUES
Cheetah House is the only organization in the world dedicated specifically to supporting meditators who are experiencing unexpected or adverse reactions to contemplative practice. Founded by Dr. Willoughby Britton, a clinical psychologist and professor at Brown University’s medical school, the organization grew out of her landmark research study “Varieties of Contemplative Experience,” which identified 59 categories of meditation-related challenges across seven domains of human functioning.
Their website offers a detailed symptoms guide, research resources, and direct support for anyone feeling confused or distressed by unusual experiences arising from body-awareness or meditation practice. While the vast majority of meditators find that turning attention inward is quietly settling, a small number may find that it surfaces unexpected psychological material. Cheetah House exists as a resource for such occurrences. To date, they have served over 20,000 people worldwide.
PREMATURE KUNDALINI ACTIVATION
Kundalini Guide is maintained by Dr. Bonnie Greenwell, a therapist, scholar, and spiritual teacher with thirty years of research into kundalini awakening. Kundalini Guide is the most grounded and academically credible resource available for anyone who believes they may have had an unexpected kundalini experience. Dr. Greenwell’s work is based on in-depth interviews with over 3,000 individuals undergoing the awakening process, making her perspective unusually broad and well-informed.
The site explains what kundalini is, why it can activate spontaneously through breathwork or somatic practices, especially those that focus on raising energy through the spine. Deep Embodyment™ is specifically designed to work in front of the spine, not through it. Thus, this technique is unlikely to trigger a kundalini response. However, this website is offered out of an abundance of caution for the rare practitioner who may notice unusual energetic phenomena during or after practice.