Kundalini Splendor

The Spiritual Crisis Network lists the following specific resources related to Kundalini as websites and books that some members (who have experienced Kundalini) have found useful. Further information on kundalini can also be found in chapters of some of the general books on Spiritual Emergency, listed on the Spiritual Crisis Network Resources webpage.

The SCN does not specifically recommend any particular website or book listed here as information to members. It is important to recognise that what information one person finds helpful, another may find unhelpful and that what may help to ‘ground’ the energies of Kundalini in one individual, may actually activate Kundalini in another and possibly further increase ‘symptoms’.

It is important to use your own discretion and discernment when viewing any website or reading any book related to Kundalini and to seek professional advice and support where appropriate. The SCN specifically does not recommend any practices aimed at the activation of Kundalini as Kundalini energies can be overwhelming to many who experience it. Please take care of yourselves.

The Spiritual Crisis Network welcomes any suggestions for additional resources that individuals have found particularly helpful regarding Kundalini Awakening and Spiritual Emergency. If you would like to suggest a specific resource to be added to the list, please email us at info (at) spiritualcrisisnetwork.org.uk

Websites

http://adishakti.org/subtle_system/kundalini.htm - A webpage on Kundalini Awakening from the spiritual perspective of Shri Adi Shakti;

http://biologyofkundalini.com - A comprehensive website, detailing some definitions and ‘symptomology’ of Kundalini and giving information on Kundalini from a spectrum of perspectives, including ‘Spiritual Awakening’ and also the Biology/Physiology of Kundalini;

http://www.crystalinks.com/kundalini.html - An interesting website on Kundalini Awakening with information as well as some visual imagery and symbols associated with Kundalini Awakening, including a visual animation of Kundalini-shakti rising through the spine, up to and through the ‘Crown Chakra’;

http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~keutzer/kundalini/kundalini-faq.html - A website on Kundalini Awakening by Kurt Keutzer with answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and detailing ‘Selected References’;

http://www.elcollie.com/st/st.html - A website on Kundalini Awakening from ‘Shared Transformation’, including Chapters 1-15 of El Collie’s book ‘Branded by the Spirit’, on her own experience of Kundalini Awakening, which was unfinished when she died in April 2002;

http://www.icrcanada.org/ - Another interesting website by the Institute for Consciousness Research, inspired by the Work and Experience of Gopi Krishna, with Research, Articles, books and a Newsletter;

http://www.internetguides.com/blackboard/lessons/types/kundalinitype.htm - A useful webpage specifically on ‘Spiritual Emergency Type Kundalini Awakening’;

http://kundalinicare.com/services2.html - A website on Kundalini Awakening from the perspective of The Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care organisation which provides PKYC books, services and Spiritual Guidance;

http://www.kundalini-gateway.org/index.html - The Kundalini-Gateway website includes an email list, for the free-exchange of information, advice and friendship for those experiencing Kundalini Awakening. It includes Member essays, Poetry and Art Work in addition to information on ‘symptoms’ and Member experiences;

http://www.kundaliniguide.com - A website on Kundalini Awakening by Bonnie Greenwell PhD in the USA, including a Kundalini Research Network, a link to her question and answer blog and a ‘Consulting and Email Service’;

http://www.kundaliniresearch.org/index.php - An interesting website of the Kundalini Research Foundation in the USA, which is initiating a large-scale research project into Kundalini Phenomena. The website includes Articles and Publications;

http://kundalini-support.com - A website on ‘Kundalini, Survival & Support’ by Bob Boyd with Forums, a ‘Survival Guide’ and Resources;

http://www.life-enthusiast.com/ormus/orm_kundalini.htm - A short webpage with information on Kundalini Awakening and its ‘symptoms’;

http://lingerinthelight.com/index.html#.html - A biographical account by Didi Laru on Kundalini Awakening which includes reference to certain medical conditions as well as articles, poetry and meditations;

http://www.mudrashram.com/kundalinitalk.html - A website on Kundalini Awakening from the perspective of Mudrashram Institute of Spiritual Studies, detailing a talk given by George Boyd at ‘Babaji’s Parliament of Yoga and World Religions on 19 December 1992;

http://www.oneletterwords.com/weblog/ An interesting webpage (and artist’s image) on ‘phosphenes’- a word for a common experience during Kundalini Awakening of the non-ordinary perception of ‘inner lights’ seen through the inner/third eye (NB, you might have to google ‘phosphenes’ to get this page);

http://shalomplace.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=4 - An interesting website from the perspective of Kundalini and Christianity with an online audio series on A Christian Understanding of the Chakra System. The author also runs a discussion forum, including a quite lively debate on kundalini and spiritual emergency;

http://www.tantra-kundalini.com/# - A website on Kundalini Awakening from the perspective of the ancient teachings of Tantra and Kundalini yoga, including an interesting ‘Sri Yantra’, illustrating the Ascent of Kundalini;

http://www.thesoulsjourney.com/indexb.html - A website by Lawrence Edwards PhD, author of ‘The Soul’s Journey – Guidance from the Divine Within’ (listed under ‘Books’ below) and the founder of the non-profit organisation, ‘Anam Cara’, (http://www.anamcara-ny.org/). Lawrence wrote his doctoral thesis on ‘the extraordinary effects of Kundalini’ and established a Kundalini Support webpage (http://www.kundalinisupport.org) with answers to commonly asked questions and additional resources. Lawrence runs courses and workshops and is available for telephone consultations from people the UK. An email-newsletter is also available.

Books

The following books are listed as specific books on Kundalini. In addition, some of the general books on Spiritual Emergency listed in the general Resources page of this website [click here to return to the Spiritual Emergency Resources page] also have useful chapters on Kundalini.

Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe), The Serpent Power – The Secrets of Tantric and Shakti Yoga, Dover, 1974; A comprehensive book on both the philosophical and mythological nature of Kundalini, the yoga and esoteric anatomy associated with it, the chakras or psychic centres in the human body and their progressive awakening.

Sri Aurobindo, The Integral Yoga, Lotus Press, 2005; A collection of letters from Sri Aurobindo, one of the foremost Indian philosophers and mystics of the twentieth century, on spiritual matters including Kundalini and an evolution of Consciousness which is spiritual and supramental.

Lawrence Edwards, Ph.D., The Soul’s Journey: Guidance from the Divine Within, Writer’s Showcase, 2000; Part biographical, Lawrence Edwards Ph.D. describes his own initiation into the mysteries of the Goddess Kundalini, whose vision he saw in meditation. Lawrence writes a number of spiritual stories as revealed to him by the Goddess Kundalini with a depth-psychological commentary after each story. In particular, Ascent to Union is a beautiful spiritual analogy of the inner journey of Kundalini through the Chakras to Union with the Divine.

Bonnie Greenwell Ph.D, Energies of Transformation: A Guide to the Kundalini Process, Shakti River Press, 1995; An accessible and well respected guide, based on Bonnie Greenwell’s own experience as well as the accounts of others. She explores the mythology and various concepts around Kundalini energy, including the subtle body and Chakra system. In particular, Bonnie helpfully categorises the different types of experiences that can arise and their relationship with western physiology.

Gopi Krishna, Kundalini – The Evolutionary Energy in Man (with psychological commentary by James Hillman), Shambhala, 1997; A classic first-person account of Kundalini Awakening by the Indian-householder-turned-spiritual-teacher, Gopi Krishna with psychological commentary by James Hillman which lends an additional western depth-psychological perspective to Gopi Krishna’s process. It is very honestly written, revealing Gopi Krishna’s transformational struggle to find balance amidst a variety of inner experiences and powerful psychological side effects including mood swings, eating disorders and agonizing sensations of heat.

Gopi Krishna, Living with Kundalini, Shambhala, 1993; Gopi Krishna’s complete autobiography, with additional material to that contained inKundalini – The Evolutionary Energy in Man.

Gopi Krishna, Ancient Secrets of Kundalini, UBS Publishers’ Distributors Ltd., 2002; A clearly written description of the process of Kundalini Awakening and its associated non-ordinary states of consciousness, with commentary on the specific yoga sutra on Kundalini, thePanchastavi, as well as links to modern science.

Gopi Krishna, Kundalini – Path to Higher Consciousness, Orient Paperbacks, 2005; Another autobiographical account by Gopi Krishna.

Gopi Krishna, The Awakening of Kundalini, Institute for Consciousness Research and Kundalini Research Foundation Ltd., 2001;Another recommended book by Gopi Krishna, based on his research into Kundalini. Gopi Krishna questions whether meditation is always beneficial.

Genevieve Lewis Paulson, Kundalini and the Chakras – Evolution in this Lifetime – A Practical Guide, Llewellyn, 2006; An interesting and practical book on Kundalini and the Chakra system, including some colourful illustrations of the rise of Kundalini through the Chakras and the descent of Kundalini into the subtle aura.

Mary Lutyens, Krishnamurti – The Years of Awakening, John Murrey, 1975; An interesting biographical account of what the famous Indian spiritual teacher, Krishnamurti, called his ‘years of Awakening’.

Lee Sannella, M.D., Kundalini – Psychosis or Transcendence?, H. S. Dakin Company, 1977; A groundbreaking work by the psychiatrist Lee Sanella M.D. who records fifteen medical case studies of patients undergoing Kundalini Awakening. Sanella argues the case that Kundalini Awakening is not a ‘psychotic episode’ but a psychophysiological transformation process.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Kundalini Tantra, Bihar School of Yoga, Bhargava Bhushan Press, 1996; A comprehensive book on Kundalini Tantra and the Chakras from the perspective of Swami Satyananda Saraswati and the Bihar School of Yoga. The book contains colour illustrations of (and a chapter on) each Chakra.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Taming the Kundalini, Yoga Publications Trust, 2002; This book is a collection of letters from Swami Satyananda Saraswati to a Disciple on spiritual matters including Kundalini and explained in a personal way.

Sri Jaideva Singh, Siva Sutras – The Yoga of Supreme Identity, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Limited, 2006; Siva Sutras are considered to be a revealed book of the yoga – the supreme identity of the individual self with the Divine through Kundalini. It is an esoteric book from the yoga tradition of India with an interesting glossary of Indian Sanskrit terms. (I recommend this book most highly for anyone seeking to explore and connect with the ancient teachings of this tradition--and I feel they ring true today.)

Sri Jaideva Singh, Spanda-Karikas – The Divine Creative Pulsation, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Limited, 2005; A commentary on theSiva Sutras which may be of interest to those who enjoy esoteric discussion of yogic texts on Kundalini. (One of my favorite books--get the edition from NYU Press with intro by Paul Muller-Ortega. Should be available from Amazon.)

Swami Sivananda, Kundalini Yoga, The Divine Life Society, 2005; An interesting and classic book by Swami Sivananda (who founded the well-known Sivananda Yoga Centres world-wide) on the Essence of Kundalini Yoga, with illustrations of the various Chakras and an interesting pull-out chart on the Chakras and their corresponding shapes, colours, locations and other qualities and functions.

Philip St. Romain, Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality (2^nd Ed), Contemplative Ministries Inc, 2004; An interesting book on Kundalini from a Christian perspective with comparisions from Hindu theology and the Chakra system. Philip St. Romain considers the ‘Bright Night of Kundalini’ to the ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ in Christian mysticism and the ‘transforming power of Grace’.

Robert E. Svoboda, Kundalini, Brotherhood of Life Inc., 2006; Explores the process of Kundalini Awakening from the mystical yoga tantra traditions, including the chakras, nadis, mantras and illustrated yantras.

Dorothy Walters, Unmasking the Rose – A Record of a Kundalini Initiation (with Foreward by Andrew Harvey), Hampton Roads, 2002;An autobiography by Dorothy Walters who describes her own Kundalini Awakening which began in her fifties and which took ten years to fully assimilate. Of particular interest is the variety of psychic experiences that Dorothy has had and her reliance on her inner guide, ‘the solitary voice within’ throughout the extremes of her process of Awakening. (Actually, this process continues even into the present, as described on the blog. Kundalini bliss was a major feature of her experience, although she struggled with negative symptoms as well. Her major realization was that we (as ego form) do not exist but are contained in the supreme Whole.)

White Eagle, On Divine Mother – The Feminine, & The Mysteries, White Eagle Publishing Trust, 2004; An interesting book on Kundalini in the context of the creative power of the Divine Mother with specific reference to the Egyptian Mysteries as well as a Gnostic Christian perspective on Kundalini from White Eagle’s teachings of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Holy Ghost.

Spiritual Crisis Network (SCN) provides information to those affected by spiritual crisis, their carers and support professionals. Information is provided in good faith, but does not constitute a recommendation as to suitability – you must make your own assessment of its appropriateness, and seek conventional medical advice as necessary. We like to respond to emails within 7 days but sometimes it takes longer than this. SCN is a charity exempt from registration with the UK Charity Commission. SCN is a company limited by guarantee (company no 41067556; registered in England & Wales; registered office: 2-6 Cannon St, London, EC4M 6YH, UK). Please post any correspondence to PO Box 303, Stroud, GL6 1BF, UK.8

(Image found on Google)