Kashmir Shaivism

Domain XIII · Contemplative & religious disciplines · Somananda, Utpaladeva, Abhinavagupta · 900 · India

What it is

Kashmir Shaivism is the modern umbrella name for the non-dual Shaiva traditions of medieval Kashmir (Trika, Spanda, Pratyabhijñā). It is a living religious and philosophical tradition, not a therapy. Two strands concern this guide:

Format

• There is no clinical protocol for this practice, and no source gives session counts or durations. The framework has two layers.
• Āṇavopāya (the "inferior" or individual means): awareness held in the "elementary" world: breath, mantra recitation, worship (pūjā), visualisation of points in the body. Goal: steady one-pointed attention.

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• The Vijñānabhairava's dhāraṇās. The text is framed as a dialogue in which the goddess Bhairavī asks Bhairava (Śiva) about the nature of ultimate reality, and he answers with 112 "ways" (dhāraṇā or yukti): short contemplative methods using breath, the body's centre, sound, space, the senses, emotion, delight and identity, each said to open onto the state of Bhairava. Swami Lakshmanjoo called the text a purely…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Does it involve fasting, a special diet or 'detox'? Have you discussed this with your doctor?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• compulsive repetition driven by fear of punishment or impurity (Section 5, scrupulosity). Working: comfort, connection and meaning.
• enthusiasm for the tradition leading you to teach; scepticism leading you to pathologise. Working: the client's frame stays central.
• eye pain or pressure, visual phenomena, panic when senses are reduced, derealisation. Working: settled attention, no physical discomfort.
• terror, intrusive images, hallucination-like experiences, sleep disruption. Working (with a teacher): fear transforms rather than lingers.
• derealisation; emotional detachment from real problems (abuse, debt, health) that need action. Working: calmer, clearer decisions, not withdrawal.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.