You said, 'So unless you've experienced several years of intense karmic processing, it's unlikely you've passed through Gateway 4'. I experienced pre-awakeningS about 15 years ago and a couple of years later it stuck and life transformed - impossible to go back. I lived the joy of that for about 3 or 4 years while also noticing the shadow that had been created. Eventually a shadow engulfed my life again and that was a complicated one to get out of. It took about another three years to start the getting out - the question that instigated getting out of it was 'live or not live?' I became more present again. I was in the desert, lost, alone, present and happy to be there. I was there for about 2 or 3 years. Then came kundalini awakening, intensely transforming with lots of shadows - after five years of living what was to come after that I confronted myself to do what I was afraid to do. I studied, changed home, started a small business, reconnected with family and intergrated in to society - it all felt quiet ordinary. You can see how I'm identifying with the gateways and I would understand the karmic confrontation as the following five years after the kundalini awakening - but I'm not enlightened. :-)