Power Generation Methods

After almost 30 years of looking, I’ve seen that most yogic/meditative phenomena are powered by one of four discrete methods:

1. Kundalini awakening – this is the connection of the latent energy of the genitals to the brain, the safer systems do this in a kind of loop.

2. Heart centric awakening – this uses the point in the center of the chest between the nipples and is the foundation of esoteric Mahayana Buddhism, Christianity, some schools of Hermetic practice, Judaism, and some Sufi schools.

3. Void awakening – this focuses on the throat and is the most uncommon of the four. Primarily seen in some Taoist schools and as a subset of Vajrayana Buddhist practice. Originated from a series of cave meditations.

4. Out of body projection – schools too numerous to name, although it is the center piece of Theraveda Buddhism and most of the more academic systems.

The more physical systems (i.e. martial arts) tend to rely upon the first system and the systems that appeal to existence beyond the physical body tend to stress the last two. Overlap exists between all systems and few schools teach exclusively from one method.

In practice, most people will only go through the developmental level of one of these systems. The stress and time involved usually preclude completing more of these in a non-monastic setting.

On a practical basis most people lose their drive to do more after going through this process once.