Let’s start by citing Bonnie Greenwell’s appropriate definition, which describes Kundalini as the energetic aspect of spiritual awakening. Kundalini is a Sanskrit term that refers to the rise of energy and awareness through the spine. This force typically lies dormant at the base of the back and is the source of vital energy. It can spontaneously rise either as a result of meditative or yoga practices, or through direct transmission. Its awakening triggers a wide range of phenomena, such as physical shaking, vibrations, spontaneous movements, visions, and many other experiences, and is generally followed by life changes. It tends to dissolve old perspectives, limitations, behavioral patterns, and the illusions of a separate Self. It is a human potential that, however, may never awaken.
In public discourse regarding Kundalini awakening, a great deal of fear is promoted, some of which is justified and some not. While some who have experienced its rise involuntarily report debilitating physical and mental symptoms, there are many others who have had activation experiences that are certainly disruptive but not destructive. In this article, we aim to understand the reasons that might create these different experiences.
Energy, according to the map of the human body, has traditionally been divided into higher and lower, celestial or demonic, depending on whether it vibrates more in our upper or lower chakras. This division stems from the old prejudice that the lower part of the body, being associated with survival and sex, was considered impure and to be avoided by spiritual seekers. Therefore, “vibrating higher,” as often encouraged in the new age movement, would mean focusing one’s awareness only from the heart upwards, on the points of the energy system associated with the divine or love, while avoiding so-called “negative emotions” such as anger, fear, and sadness, instead of confronting and transforming them. Recently, the term “spiritual bypassing” has effectively described this phenomenon.
However, if we think about our spine and how it connects the head to the base of the body, we realize that this fragmentation into good or bad parts is illusory, akin to trying to play a flute without the note C because we demonize it. Besides being a questionable choice, excluding the lower part of our bodies from our spiritual experience has created much suffering, body hatred, disdain for the feminine in fact seen as the bearer of the material principle, and by extension, contempt and exploitation of the animal world and the earth itself. The perception of existence as divided into high and low, sinful or celestial, and the theorization of matter as an emanation of spirit corrupted through its descent into dense reality, has extended to the entire planet “beneath our feet” the idea of a hellish valley, a temporary abode completely devoid of divine light. It is no surprise, then, that we have treated the entire planet like a garbage dump, just as we do with our bodies and our sexuality. Although in the West we consider ourselves to be extremely progressive in ideas and customs, one would be surprised to know how many superstitions or ideas connected to old religions are still alive and well into the new age thinking and contemporary spirituality.
The first issue I would like to address regarding the rise of Kundalini is that, being coiled at the base of the spine, it rarely awakens without stimulating physical sensations that can be sexual and certainly activate the lower part of the body. Here, it is important to make a crucial point that will be understood later. Many spiritual practices still avoid physical and emotional sensations connected to sex as if they were a plague. From my perspective, this avoidance is directly responsible for an epidemic of charlatans engaged in opposing systems that, under the name of “Tantra,” offer questionable and dangerous group or individual paths, due to the lack of scruples or genuine growth intentions from both teachers and participants.
Under the name of Tantra, we actually find a very ancient and complex body of knowledge that originated in India, which has now been extremely simplified in the West, linking it to forms of “alternative sexual activity” sold within false spiritual paths. These charlatans, whose business revolves around money and exploitation, attract followers by providing false answers ( although at least pretending to address) to human needs related to sexual desire, rather than the desire to find partners with similar interests. The puritanism of old schools does not seem to offer concrete answers beyond abstinence.
It is truly unfortunate because, if one is fortunate enough to encounter true masters in serious paths such as kashmiri shiv tantra, the opportunities for personal and spiritual growth are unparalleled. There is no way to avoid one’s sexual energy and remain physically and psychologically healthy unless one knows how to direct it upwards. However, this still requires having felt, embraced, loved, and initially used it as a spiritual tool. The first mentions of Kundalini can indeed be found in ancient tantric texts.
Kundalini is thus understood as a transpersonal power that lies dormant in most of humanity, coiled at the base of the spine. It is described like a serpent because, once activated, it is perceived as a rising wave of energy, generally starting from the genital or sacral area, moving in an undulating motion back and forth, much like a cobra before a snake charmer. I say generally because those who have specifically excluded the lower part of their body from their perception might feel it moving only upward, from the chest up. During this undulation, what we might perceive as the head of the serpent causes very intense physical shakes and strikes from within in the areas normally associated with the chakras. This “knocking” from within on the chakras, typical from the rising of Kundalini, is not painful but tends to focus particularly on the areas of our psychophysical and spiritual system that require conscious work the most. In doing so, besides causing uncontrolled movements, it can trigger emotional releases or images, provoking the emission of emotional or sexual sounds (sometimes resulting in an intensely orgasmic experience of the whole being, much stronger than what we know in ordinary terms and wonderfully self-sufficient).
We know that there is much fear surrounding the awakening of Kundalini energy due to the significant problems experienced by practitioners for whom it awakened “too early” or who experienced ego inflation following its activation, mistakenly believing they had attained enlightenment or entering clear states of hallucination and psychosis. What is often not mentioned is that this is likely to happen if the practitioner:
- Lacks familiarity with the unconscious material repressed in their lower chakras: sexuality, pain, anger, fear, traumas. When Kundalini begins to rise, so does the unconscious material.
- Judges their negative emotions, is terrified of their sexual energy, fears energy surges in the lower parts of the body, does not recognize the energy as their own, and fixates on being possessed, whether by malevolent or divine forces. This can occur especially when Kundalini manifests with autonomous body movements, powerful arching of the back, and even assuming yoga poses previously unknown. Many of these spontaneous movements resemble those of sexual intercourse and powerful “orgasms” may occur that are not solely localized to the genitals.
- Is surrounded by individuals who fear, pathologize, or are completely ignorant of the existence of pure life energy. Seeking help from doctors uninformed about Kundalini awakening can lead to unnecessary psychiatric treatment! Even psychologists familiar with the realms of alternative energy or devotees of Eastern religions that theoretically recognize the Kundalini phenomenon may not be of any assistance. Generally, anyone who has not known and accepted this energy within their own system and who, despite their perhaps extensive work in psychotherapy, still fears the expression of energies in a frank and powerfully physical manner, is not helpful. Powerful undulations and pelvic movements can stir up sexual repressions and fears in everyone, even in those from whom we would not expect it.
- Views meditative practice as a means to detach from the body, perceived as dirty, sinful, and demonic, and therefore uses experiences in the upper chakras as a means to further dissociate, which almost invariably leads to forms of psychopathology and spiritual delusions…
- Does not understand that any divine experience, whether hallucinatory or not, that occurs when this energy is unleashed is not “theirs.” It does not signify enlightenment or arrival, nor does it confer special status or spiritual guidance. They simply have activated a function that for mysterious (but certainly wise) reasons our ancestors decided to keep hidden and reserve for the initiated.
As the tantric master Ma Ananda Sarita puts it, emotional fluidity is a prerequisite for the awakening of Kundalini energy. We can visualize the body as a river of frozen emotions, unexpressed movements that have solidified like a rock in the muscles. This kind of armor also prevents even the subtlest energies from moving through our system.
If we believe we can activate Kundalini voluntarily without also dealing with what is repressed and denied within ourselves—meaning if we only seek ecstatic experiences or the sensation of being special—it is better not to embark on the path of its awakening, unless, of course, we find ourselves facing a spontaneous rise that does not involve a conscious choice.
A safe way to proceed preparatorily is to persist for a long time (for years) with cathartic work, emotional awareness, breathing exercises, particularly within bioenergetic therapy, and intense meditation before considering the practice for the awakening of Kundalini or its activation through direct transmission or Shaktipat. To simplify the explanation of what transmission is : imagine holding a candle and going to someone who, simply by bringing their lit candle close to yours, ignites the wick with their already burning flame. The process of direct activation from one person to another works in the same way.
In general, the rule for finding a good facilitator in all fields is that they have done a lot of work on themselves and present themselves humbly, without exaggerated pretensions.
On the other hand, in case of spontaneous awakening, it is advisable to seek help from someone who has TRULY experienced this phenomenon, is not bigoted or fearful, and perhaps can teach us to remain firmly grounded, present in our bodies, and humble. In the event of spontaneous awakening following spiritual or physical shocks, I recommend seeking out an experienced practitioner (even in subtle energies) of Somatic Experiencing.
So what is the purpose of awakening this powerful individual energy? Certainly not just to enjoy the psychedelic phenomena it produces, but to open our entire internal energy channel. Reaching the top of the head, Kundalini generally generates feelings of devotion and intense union with the divine, thereby opening us to another flow, this time descending and commonly referred to as Grace.
This Grace, which in the East is also attained through Shaktipat transmission by an activated teacher, is a palpable ecstatic energy that we feel as a deep blessing, love, and light descending upon us and can be experienced at any moment, even amidst nature. The effect is harmonizing, as if realigning us to our place in the universe. The possibility of receiving this flow, which is actually perpetually released into existence from an inexhaustible source of life, is directly proportional to the openness of our system, although paradoxically, it is not our conscious efforts that bring it down. However, without the hard work of opening our system, the descent of Grace becomes a rare or limited possibility.
Another “issue” with the awakening of this force is a heightened perception of what is false in one’s life or in the external world. After my first Kundalini awakening experience, I went through two very difficult days where it seemed I could only see my false personality and that of those around me, even random passersby. This can be a frightening vision, as we might dramatically question our lives or our entire sense of reality. I recommend not making any drastic decisions or, better yet, not making any decisions at all until the experience integrates and becomes less overwhelming. Events will likely unfold that lead to working through unresolved situations, thus deeper understandings of one’s reality will emerge.
Once Kundalini is awakened, it can simply become a part of our life and activate when we are relaxed, receiving a treatment like a massage, when we are with a loved one, or if we actively desire it. Merely thinking about it can initiate its rise. The initial dramatic nature of its awakening eventually fades, and this energy becomes a simply awakened and integrated faculty without any extraordinary “powers” following. At that point, the experience of its ascent is that of being traversed by pure life energy. When Kundalini moves through the lower chakras, it is possible to feel a profound physical and delightfully animalistic connection to all life on this planet. As it rises, it opens up experiences of clarity, intuition, and intense devotion. In general, as with all transpersonal energies, if we understand that we do not possess them and they are not about being extraordinary or saintly (here I diverge from traditional literature on the subject) and learn to use them, they integrate wonderfully into our daily lives and lose their mythical character. We realize we are much more vast and complex than when we were solely identified with ordinary mental experiences.
The awakening of Kundalini is a process that can take years, and it is important to understand that when it rises, we do not automatically become enlightened. In order to remain healthy it is crucial to continue being honest about who we are and where we are, even if we experience things that are unknown to the “masses” or openly denied by those who have never experienced them and are immersed in a very worldly or “scientific” mainstream view.
Similarly, it is important to know that it is not necessary to be vegan, vegetarian, sexually inactive, or celibate for this energy to rise. All these ideas are false. What is truly necessary is being on the path of awareness, which may or may not include these habits. Indeed, one can be vegetarian and completely unaware, or celibate and entirely blocked. As always, the authenticity of intentions matters much more than external behaviors.
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