Embodied insight and ontological peace: A mixed-methods study of kensho spiritual awakenings
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Jeffrey Overall
The Professor Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada
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.
Copyright (c) 2026 Jeffrey Overall
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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