What is Kundalini?
Kundalini is described as a “coiled serpent” which resides (approximately) at the base of the spine. The latent energy trapped in the kundalini is an intelligent, universal life-force energy that is dormant in all human beings, and awakened under certain circumstances – these being, efforts of the yogin/i, shaktipat, (bestowal of kundalini awakening by a guru), use of psychedelic drugs, or through Divine will without any effort on the part of the subject. In reality, each of these methods is dependent on Divine will as efforts do not guarantee results, not every drug induced experience results in kundalini awakening, and the guru who can bestow such a gift is aligned with the will of God.
We find the first references to kundalini in the archaic yogic text the Rig-Veda which has been dated by some as early as 3000 BCE (Feuerstein, 1997). You will not find the word “kundalini” in the Rig-Veda, but there are several references to the god Agni which can be strongly correlated to more recent descriptions of the activity of kundalini. “Agni, as the gods’ tongue, is the guardian of this ambrosial liquid, the "undeceived keeper of immortality" (6.7.7), and in him is hidden "the thrice seven seats" whereby the gods, of one mind, protect the amrita [immortality] (1.72.6)”, (Miller, 1998).
There are yogic practices designed to “awaken the sleeping serpent” so that it rises up through the sushumna, (a “psychic” channel whose location can be approximated to following the human spinal cord), to the psychic energy center located at the top of the skull, reuniting Shakti (material essence) with her mystic lover Shiva (transcendent essence). The awakening of this dormant energy is said to affect a physical, psychical and spiritual rebirth or transformation to a “higher state of consciousness.” Those who have been blessed with this experience often demonstrate a transcendent level of understanding of religious or other spiritual texts, a tendency to do good works, and a feeling of being connected on a deep level with the universe and a renewed sense of physical energy and purpose. They may also liken the initial physical experience to a freight train rising through their spine!!
The KAE (Kundalini Awakening Experience) is viewed as a cleansing and correcting phenomenon; clearing the channels in the 72,000 nadis or psychic energy channels said to exist in the human spiritual body. The kundalini energy is viewed as intelligent and purposeful. Physical and emotional pain experienced during the KAE is viewed as necessary for purification.
While the Tantric schools of yoga have the awakened kundalini as their overt goal, many schools of Yoga, Buddhism and the Tao are quite reticent about the practices that can lead to a KAE. Experiential evidence over the past 4000-plus years has shown the dangers that can accompany this surge of energy without proper preparation of the body and mind. G.I. Gurdjieff and Da Free John both have reservations about actively trying to rouse kundalini energy as its pursuit may become a block in the path to Divine knowledge. The objection is that instead of chasing the Divine, you are off chasing the “little kundalini,” as Gurdjieff once termed it!
Practicing purification techniques that increase moral and physical strength under the supervision of an experienced teacher is said to be the key to awakening kundalini in the most desirable way. While this powerful energy may wreak havoc even an advanced yogis, pain is more fully encountered as the energy is stopped in its flow by old injuries of the physical body or un-addressed emotional issues. Cultivating sattvic (pure) tendencies by practicing Yoga, eating pure foods and taking the time to resolve unhelpful psychological tendencies may make the experience much more pleasant. (Once a KAE is occurring however, it is best to temporarily avoid Yoga, meditation, and even body-workers and therapists who are unqualified to work with KAE.)
Accompanying phenomenon to a KAE may include auditory and visual hallucinations, spontaneous assumption of yogic poses or hand mudras, and speaking in languages unknown to the subject prior to the KAE. As you can see, these manifestations may be open to many other interpretations by the medical community than kundalini, so it is important to find the right kind of help. To aid in the search for qualified professionals, Transpersonal Psychologists Stan and Christina Grof founded The Spiritual Emergence Network (now the Center for Psychological Health), affiliated with the California Institute for Integral Studies. CPSH serves as an information and referral service for those in need of this specific type of help. Their website is: http://www.cpsh.org/
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References/Recommended Reading:
Feurstein, Georg. (1997). The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga. Boulder: Shambhala Publications.
Greenwell, Bonnie, (1990). Energies of Transformation. A guide to the kundalini process. California: Shakti River Press. An excellent source book for those undergoing a KAE.
Krishna, Gopi, (1971). Kundalini, the evolutionary energy in man. Boulder and London: Shambhala. Krishna’s personal story of his rather painful kundalini awakening serves as the most intimate portrayal of this process.
Miller, Jeanine, (1998). God Agni as Kundalini. Retrieved from http://www.yrec.org/agni.html on 5/8/03.
Shyam Sundar Goswami, (1999). Laya Yoga. The definitive guide to the chakras and kundalini. Vermont: Inner Traditions. This book lives up to its title. It is a thorough and scholarly work with beautiful illustrations of the chakras. Not light reading!