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What is Kundalini Energy?
In order to understand something
of the nature of Kundalini enrgy, it is necessary first to
understand something of the paradigm or world-view which supports
this rather unusual and profound phenomenon. The following
ideas have been taken from both ancient Hindu philosophy and
the writings of Gopi Krishna.
Western scientific thought,
despite the discoveries of physics in the last 100 years,
is rooted in the idea that what we perceive with our senses
is 'real' and external to us and that our consciousness or
subjective experience is simply an epi-phenomenon, or consequence,
of the chemical activity of the brain.
The esoteric systems of India,
on the other hand, view consciousness as the ultimate or paramount
reality. This supreme reality, or Brahman as it is called,
is said to be beyond the capacity of our limited human mind
to perceive directly, as it is infinite, formless, timeless,
and has no physical attributes by which we can comprehend
it directly. Our individual awareness is said to be like a
drop in this infinite ocean and the physical world that we
perceive as external to us is held to be a projection of this
individual drop of awareness.
This constitutes a complete
reversal of the western, scientific, world-view. The reason
that we do not experience reality in this way, at our current
level of perception, is due to the limitations placed on our
consciousness by the brain and nervous system of our body,
through which it functions. The goal of evolution, or at least
the next step to which we are evolving, would be the enhancement
of our perceptive faculties to the point where this new world-picture
is a day-to-day reality.
Since our world view, physical
existence, and mental process are rooted in dualism, i.e.
good/bad; up/down; male/female; hot/cold, positive/negative,
etc., our minds are more comfortable conceptualizing this
ultimate reality in dualistic terms. They have been defined
by Hindu philosophical thought as Supreme Consciousness and
an Infinite Creative Energy, or Shiva and Shakti.
From this Shakti, at one level,
the physical universe, consisting of matter and the four known
forces, is manifested. At another level, it manifests as prana,
or the animating principle which gives life to all sentient
things. This animating principle, referred to at this level
as Kundalini, is most evident in the process of conception,
development of the embryo, and birth where, after this process
is complete and a new individual is born, it is said to go
into a quiescent or dormant state at the base of the spine
where it maintains the basic life processes of the body.
As the microcosm is a reflection
of the macrocosm, so the universal principles of Shiva and
Shakti are present in the human body. Shiva is held to be
the conscious principle centered in the head, while Shakti
(referred to as Kundalini energy) lies in a quiescent state
at the base of the spine.
As a consequence of our lifestyle,
spiritual practices, heredity, and other factors, Kundalini
can become reactivated and the same processes which built
our body in the womb now begin to function again, but in a
different manner. They now work to refashion the brain, organs,
and nervous system so that a more elevated form of consciousness
is possible. The ultimate, although rarely attained, goal
of Kundalini is to permanently transform our being so that
a new perceptive faculty emerges by which we can experience
reality directly as consciousness. In most cases, however,
the individual eventually becomes more creative, psychically
sensitive, aware of who they are, and better adjusted to their
environment, with an enhanced faith in the Divine.
The effects of this activity
are many and varied and can extend to all aspects of our being--physical,
mental, emotional, and spiritual. They can range from being
barely noticeable to totally overwhelming. They can vary widely
in duration and ultimate effect from individual to individual
as a great many factors are involved. To someone who is not
familiar with what is happening and why, these processes can
be quite disturbing and even terrifying. Attempts to obtain
guidance and support from medical and health care professionals
and religious institutions are often found to be frustrating
and even counter-productive, due to the general lack of good
information on this subject.
But it must always be kept
in mind that the process is a natural one, as much a part
of our being as conception and birth, and although it may
sometimes be difficult, it is attempting to bring about change
of a very positive nature in us to advance the level of our
evolution both as individuals and as a species.
| Authors Details: Kundalini Energy -
Institute for Consciousness Research (web site closed) |
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