Shaktipat

Shaktipat is a term from Sanskrit and Hindi that refers to the act of a guru or spiritual teacher conferring a form of spiritual 'power' or awakening on a disciple/student. This power has been referred to by various terms, such as Shakti, Kundalini, Chi, Holy Spirit. Shaktipat can be carried out by either touch or presence, intentionally or accidentally.

The most famous recent yogi in the west to do shaktipat was Baba Muktananda. Brought to the US by his students, Muktananda would perform group shaktipat in public Q&A ("satsang") sessions. On one documented occasion, it was performed in a television interview. Comparative Literature professor Paul Zweig wrote of his experience in receiving Shaktipat from Muktananda, published in the anthology Kundalini, Evolution, and Enlightenment by John White, editor, (ISBN 1557783039).

Current gurus notable for their shaktipat powers are Mata Amritanandamayi (the "Hugging Mother") and Sai Baba. In India there seems to be quite a few, however, as well as one New York-based Maha Yoga guru. Others who claim this power include Yogi Amrit Desai, Da Free John, and Shoko Asahara. The last two examples illustrate the potential for abuse of this practice, where psychologically needy 'disciples' are encouraged to become dependent on the guru for periodic 'fixes' of energy treatment, that are doled out in exchange for financial donations or sexual abuse. It is one of the main factors in cult abuse, and explains the difficulty in deprogramming cult victims, as they are literally undergoing a form of withdrawal as if from a drug addiction.

The schools of yoga whose gurus perform shaktipat are as follows:

Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion.

Maha Yoga, a school using shaktipat as its main tool for spiritual liberation. Maha Yoga initiation typically consists of 3 full days of receiving shaktipat, followed by further meditation with the guru.

Some feel that shaktipat is related to the "laying-on of hands" form of faith healing. Author Barbara Brennan in the book Hands of Lightdescribes shaktipat as the actual projection of the guru's "aura" on the disciple, whereby the disciple acquires the same mental state of the guru, hence the importance of the high spiritual level of the guru. The physiological phenomena of a rising kundalini then naturally manifests.

Imperfect shaktipat can be conferred unknowingly at times by un-enlightened massage therapists and even yoga teachers, some believe. Or, a shaktipat experience can be a result of the subject's conferring power upon a person via the phenomenon of psychological projection. Conversely, an experience of shaktipat can be prevented from occurring from an otherwise qualified teacher by lack of faith of the subject, analogous to the experience of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Mark chapter 6:

"Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house." He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them. He marveled because of their unbelief."

Accidental and involuntary experiences of shaktipat have been recorded as well. For example, when a disciple accidentally brushed against the guru Meher Baba as he exited a door.

Shaktipat

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