Shaktipat

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Shaktipat or Shaktinipata is a Sanskrit word that refers to the act of a guru or spiritual teacher conferring a form of spiritual "power" or awakening on a disciple/student. "Shakti" translates as energy and "pat" as touch. Shaktipat can be carried out by the spiritually enlightened master either by transmission of sacred word or mantra, a look, a thought or by touch. The touch is usually given to the ajna chakra or third eye of the disciple.

The schools of yoga whose gurus perform shaktipat include:

Siddha Yoga. In this type of yoga, a teacher transmits his/her spiritual energy to a seeker by any of the methods mentioned above.

Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion.

Maha Yoga, a school using shaktipat as its main tool for spiritual liberation. In some traditions, Maha Yoga initiation typically consists of 3 full days of receiving shaktipat, followed by further meditation with the guru. Gurus of other lineages perform Shatipat during a ceremeony that lasts only a few hours.

Author Barbara Brennan in the book Hands of Light describes 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.

Comparative Literature professor Paul Zweig wrote of his experience in receiving Shaktipat from Swami Muktananda, published in the anthology Kundalini, Evolution, and Enlightenment by John White, editor, (ISBN 1-55778-303-9).

Current gurus that purportedly have shaktipat powers include Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu, Mata Amritanandamayi, Sai Baba, Adi Da, and Shri Anandi Ma.^{[citation needed]}

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This article has been tagged since November 2006.