According to Osho, the three stages influence the whole organism: they shake loose physical tension in the body, melt emotional knots in the heart, discharge stress from the nervous system, and quieten and brighten the brain for lucid awareness. The arc moves from activation to catharsis to silence, leaving you relaxed, integrated, and alert—grounded in the body, open in feeling, and clear in mind.
They first stir everything up, let stress and emotions out, and then settle you into a calm, clear state.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Just now you talked about the three stages. Can you explain what effects they have on the states of one's body, heart, brain and mind?
Effects will be many. (A VOICE) WILL THEY CAUSE HEART-FAILURE? It would be fine if the heart fails. Nothing like it. That is what is wanting. Let the heart fail. Howsoever you try to save it, it is going to fail some day. So why save it? Let it go. At least you will have the satisfaction that it failed while it was on its way to God. That is enough. The friend wants to know what effects the three stages will have on us. They will have many effects. The practice of meditation, the meditation that I teach, will have any number of physiological results. Many physical diseases can disappear, longevity can increase and many chemical changes can take place in the body. Numerous glands of the body that are at the moment as good as dead, can be activated. We have no idea what the psychologists now say,…
And third, you have heard the word kundalini; as soon as energy starts running through the body, intense vibrations will begin along the spine. It will feel as if something is rising along the spine, as if something from below has set out on a journey upward. These three results occur in the first experiment—if you do it. If you don’t, they don’t happen; if you do, they do. Breathe as intensely as you can; put your whole energy into the first ten minutes. Only if the first stage is right will the second be possible; otherwise not. The second stage is catharsis. As soon as energy awakens and the blows begin to fall on the kundalini, as the sense of the body disappears and the sense of prana remains, as the whole body becomes a flowing current of vibrating electricity, many happenings will begin inside.
About sixty percent people will suddenly find a lot happening within themselves. To most of the people it will happen on its own, no problem for them; but the friends who feel that nothing is happening to them on its own, it is only because they are so strong in their suppressions that the layer in between is not allowing them to reach inside. I will say to them not to bother about it. It is not happening to them, even then whatever they can do, they should do for the ten minutes. If they can manage to dance, they should keep dancing. It is not a question of any method, rhythm or technique. If they can shout, they should remain shouting. Tomorrow itself, they will find that there is a breakthrough and from there has started to come out all bitterness spontaneously.
SECOND STAGE Now we have to enter the second stage. Continue deep breathing, and let go of the body. Leave the body to do what it wishes to do. Let go of it. Let it take whatever asanas or postures it wants to take; let it form whatever mudras or gestures it likes. Leave it free to move and shake and whirl as it likes. If it wants to weep let it. Let go of the body completely. Continue deep breathing and let go of the body. Let the body fall down if it wants to fall down. And let it rise again if it wants to rise. And if it wants to dance allow it wholly. Let go of the body absolutely. Let it do whatever it wants to do. Leave it free. Don't impede it even in the least. Cooperate with the body. If it spins, let it.
A third thing to understand about the first stage: when your energy is struck awake within, many kinds of experiences will begin in the body. I must tell you this so that you are not troubled, because there will be no way to ask in between. Many kinds of bodily experiences may occur—different for different people. Someone may feel the body has become very big—fear may arise. Someone may feel the body has become heavy like a rock—fear may arise. Someone may feel the body has become very small—he may want to open his eyes and see what is happening, have I disappeared! But do not open the eyes. You are where you are; nothing has been lost. All these perceptions begin to happen because new energy has awakened in the body.