Embodied insight and ontological peace: A mixed-methods study of kensho spiritual awakenings

Spiritual awakening, specifically kensho, is not just a cognitive shift but an embodied and relational reconfiguration of experience. Analysis of in-depth interviews with 13 participants who had kensho experiences in retreat settings revealed three categories: inner peace, big release, and heightened senses, each with affective, cognitive, and somatic dimensions. A second analysis using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis identified that inner peace arises from a combination of karmic processing, heightened sensory awareness, and inner guidance, while trusting in the unknown involves sensory awareness, inner guidance, and physical sensation. The findings highlight the overlooked roles of simplicity, sensory awareness, and karmic activation in transformation.

Study at a glance

Abstract

To advance the empirical study of spiritual transformation, this article offers a two-part investigation into the lived experience of kensho spiritual awakenings. The first study applies grounded theory to in-depth interviews with 13 participants who underwent kensho experiences during facilitated retreat settings. The analysis identified three inductively derived categories—(1) inner peace, (2) big release, and (3) heightened senses—each encompassing affective, cognitive, and somatic dimensions of awakening. The second study employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA) to examine the causal configurations associated with two central outcomes: inner peace and trusting in the unknown. The inner peace configuration included karmic processing, heightened sensory awareness, and inner guidance, while the trust configuration involved sensory awareness, inner guidance, and physical sensation. These findings indicate that spiritual awakening is not solely a cognitive realization but an embodied and relational reconfiguration of experience, emerging through the interaction of somatic intensity, attentional processes, and intuitive orientation. Importantly, the results highlight overlooked dynamics in the awakening process, including the role of simplicity as a core experiential feature, the epistemic significance of sensory awareness, and the function of karmic activation in facilitating transformation. By integrating grounded theory and QCA, this study offers a methodologically innovative and conceptually nuanced contribution to transpersonal psychology and contemplative science.