PART I (Previous Page)
Introduction, History, The Preachers and Revivals of Yesteryear, The Warnings of Yesteryear, More Recent History,
Is There A Biblical Basis For Being "Slain In The Spirit?, "Shaking", Being "Drunk In The Spirit"?, "Holy Laughter"?, Summary
PART II (This Page)
Kundalini and The Ancient Hindu custom of Shaktipat or Divine Touch
Introduction
Chakras
Kundalini
How Kundalini is Awakened... Shakti Pat or Divine Touch Kundalini Awakening Through Yoga Kundalini Is Contagious The Requirements for a Receiver The Results of An “Awakened” Kundalini
Physical Manifestations Laughter as a "Spiritual" Experience
In Other Traditions
In Other Religions Is Kundalini Dangerous? Kundalini, The Christian and Fr. Thomas Keating The Conclusion... A New Thing? You Have To Be Kidding! Can You Tell The Difference?.. A Comparison Video Comparison Chart
Introduction
As shown on the previous page, it is patently obvious that the practice of being slain in the spirit, with all it's accompanying manifestations, does not find it's origins in the Bible. So where then does the practice originate?
Unfortunately being "slain in the spirit" and "holy laughter" are only two more examples of doctrine that has been directly derived from occult sources... best illustrated by comparing the experiences and behavior of the people at Toronto, Brownsville, Lakeland and countless other Charismatic a churches with disciples of Hindu gurus, who have had a spiritual "power" or Kundalini awakening conferred on them. What is truly alarming is that the requirements for receiving are the same, the methods of transmissions are the same and the physical manifestations are the same.
Kundalini and The Ancient Hindu custom of Shaktipat or Divine Touch
In order to understand what this spiritual power is and how it is conferred, it is necessary to have a basic grasp of three inseparable concepts... Chakras. Kundalini and Shaktipat.
Chakras
Chakra is the Sanskrit word for wheel. Bodily Chakras are often depicted as circles, spaced at intervals along the spine. Ancient Indian tradition holds that there are seven Chakras, or energy centers. According to the ancient yoga system of India, Chakras play a very important part of the human energy system.
“Chakras are part of the ancient belief system associated with yoga. These traditions were handed down orally for thousands of years before being codified by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, several centuries before Christ”. [Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine by Peter Gregutt]
Anne Lewis is an international author, a nutritional counselor and one of Australia's most distinguished and well-respected Yoga teachers who runs Tibetan Rites workshops in Sydney. In an article on the an-Ahata School of Universal Yoga site, she says .. A chakra is a spinning vortex of energy created within the body. The word chakra comes from the Sanskrit word for ‘wheel’ or ‘disk’ and originated within the philosophy of the ancient Yoga system of India and Tibet… …Centuries ago, the Yoga masters realised that the human being consisted of more than just the physical body; they believed that the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual were inter-related. The masters also believe that the spinning vortexes of energy overlap and correspond to various physical organs and glands and that these chakras can be regulated and harmonised, resulting in the unleashing of an individual’s full potential of health, happiness and spiritual awareness. There are seven major chakras arranged vertically along the spine, starting at the base of the spine and ending at the crown of the head. While the chakras do exist within the physical body, exhibiting a strong influence on such aspects as body shape or health, they are not made of any physical components themselves. For instance, a physician could not operate on a chakra any more than on an emotion, yet both can, and do affect us physically. The chakras correspond to major areas of your life, such as survival, sex, power, love, communication, perception and understanding. To use a practical analogy, the chakras can be seen as your internal ‘floppy disk’ that stores your programming about how to function in life. The base chakra, for instance, contains your survival program, such as what and when you eat, and when you need to sleep, exercise and protect yourself…. …Chakras are often referred to as lotuses, for they open and close like a flower and, in Tantric Yoga, they are shown with a varying number of petals. The petals range from four at the base chakra to one thousand or more at the crown. When a chakra is closed, the life force energy or prana cannot travel through that part of the body. If this is the case, you may feel a lack in your life in its related area: for example, the throat chakra relates to communication. Therefore if it’s blocked or closed, communication is difficult and, on the physical side of health, a blocked chakra may manifest itself as a sore throat or tight neck…. [15]
It is possible that Chakras have some base in fact... “Contemporary spiritual literature often notes that the chakras, as described in the esoteric kundalini documents, bear a strong similarity in location and number to the major endocrine glands, as well as nerve bundles called ganglions” [16].
Kundalini:
In Hindu tradition the goddess Shakti, the energy giving power behind all creation takes many forms, including being the consort of the god Shiva.. the destroyer. Kundalini has been described as a concentrated form of prana or life force (associated with the goddess Shakti), lying dormant in our bodies, conceptualized as a coiled up serpent awaiting unfoldment (In Sanskrit kundalini is literally that which is coiled). This force, or Shakti, lies coiled at or in the sacrum, a large, triangular bone at the base of the spine.
The goddess Kundalini, lies coiled three and a half times around the base chakra, is said to awaken and unfold each chakra as she ascends through the spine, ensuring the free flow of life energy (prana or qi) throughout the body, thus balancing the chakras and promoting general health and well-being. When she has risen to the crown chakra, located at the top of the skull and associated with elevated spiritual consciousness, then all chakras have been opened [although lower chakras are thought to be just as important as higher] and a person is said to experience enlightenment. The goddess is also said to unite with the Shiva, or the male polarity when she arises to the crown chakra. The ‘awakening’ of the Kundalini brings about an expanded states of consciousness and can be achieved through three main practices, the most effective of which are meditation and yogic postures such as those taught in Hatha Yoga, or a guru or spiritual teacher conferring the spiritual "power" or awakening, often by means of a touch to the forehead.
How Kundalini is Awakened... Shakti Pat or Divine Touch
Shakti .. strength or psychic energy (derived from the root 'shak,' meaning potency or the potential to produce).
After a Kundalini Awakening, Ravindra Kumar, Ph.D. retired from being a mathematics professor in order to devote himself to spiritual research. He now conducts workshops internationally and is the author of several books. In an article called The Secrets Of Shaktipat, Kumar says The term "Shakti" is very popular today, but is usually misunderstood. Shakti can be understood by thinking about electricity. The fan will function as long as electricity powers it; the moment electricity is withdrawn, it stops working and become useless. The same is true of humans. We are alive as long as Shakti powers us. The moment Shakti life force withdraws, we die. [17]
Shaktipat, derived from two separate Sanskrit words.. Shakti (above) and Paat (to descend, fall, tumble, to cause to fall down, to cast down etc.) refers to the act of a guru or spiritual teacher conferring a form of spiritual 'power' or awakening on a disciple/student. (Sanskrit itself is the primary liturgical, or sacred language, of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.)
While some believe that Shaktipat can be transmitted through gaze, sound, thought, objects, or even via telephone or letter, the short cut to an awakened kundalini is through a Guru, or so called holy man, who can transmit energy to an aspirant and awaken the Kundalini, which brings about an expanded states of consciousness. This is often done by touch to the ajna chakra or the disciple's third eye. As the article by Ravindra Kumar goes on to say "“Traditionally, Kundalini energy can be awakened through three main practices:" Asanas (yogic postures), mudras (hand positions), and pranayama (breath-control exercises) Grace of the Guru The accumulated results of devotional practices through several lifetimes. Awakening Kundalini through the grace of a Guru is traditionally seen as the best and most natural way of stirring this energy. When Kundalini energy awakens through the grace of the Guru, yogic postures, mudras, and breath control exercises do not need to be performed…” way. [17]
In an October 1995 article published in http://www.pastornet.net.au, researcher Robert Walker described what takes place in kundalini yoga: “Few Christians realize that for thousands of years gurus have operated with gifts of healing, miracles, gifts of knowledge, and intense displays of spiritual consciousness as they stretch out and connect with a cosmic power which, though demonic in origin, is very real. The meetings which mystic Hindu gurus hold are called 'Darshan'. At these meetings devotees go forward to receive spiritual experience from a touch by the open palm of the hand, often to the forehead, by the guru in what is known as the Shakti Pat or divine touch. The raising of the spiritual experience is called raising Kundalini……
Kundalini Awakening Through Yoga
However, for those who think that Yoga and Meditation are safe for the Christian, carefully note the following [All Emphasis Added]
Kundalini can be awakened by attaining perfection of certain hatha yoga postures called asanas, by certain breathing exercises aimed at controlling the breath called pranayama, by God's grace, by meditation or by intense devotion. [18] Meditation is the practice of turning the attention from outer awareness to inner concentration. In the practice of Kundalini Maha Yoga, meditation is much more than a relaxation technique. It is a way of easing resistance to the ascent of Kundalini energy by quieting the fluctuations of the mind. Of all the forms of meditation, meditation through attention on the breath is the simplest and most direct way to self-realization. [19]
Philip St Romain, author of Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality (the title alone is enough to make one gag), and who is described as “at once a practicing Catholic devoted to the life of prayer and the recipient of experiences described by the sages of India”, says.. [Emphasis Added] “Kundalini energy in its pure, undifferentiated form is experienced only after the personal and pre-personal dimensions of the unconscious mind have emptied their contents. Of course, kundalini is the energy "pushing" this cleansing process, and so the emptying of the unconscious is itself a "colored" experience of kundalini energy. It may be said, then, that practices that facilitate the breakdown of Egoic defenses can help to awaken kundalini. The most effective method is a combination of meditation and yogic postures such as those taught in Hatha Yoga. Also effective are laying on of hands in prayer, certain drug experiences, praying in tongues, near-death experiences, certain ritualized sexual practices (Tantric sex), and intensive chanting and/or dancing. If these practices only temporarily puncture the seal of repression between the conscious and unconscious mind, the kundalini energies will erupt until the repressive mechanisms are "repaired." Such an arousal, then, is short-lived in comparison with a full-blown awakening, in which at least part of the repressive seal is permanently ruptured. [20]
Kundalini Is Contagious
The website Enlightened Beings says the following [Emphasis Added]
“Perhaps the most important thing to know and remain aware of, is that a Kundalini Awakening contains the most unbelievable expanded states of comprehension of Reality, enlightenment and absolute ecstasy. Not to mention that you've just befriended the greatest healing energy available inside you and extremely contagious to all human beings.” [21] Unfortunately, most people do not seem to realize just how contagious the Kundalini energy is, nor how easily it is passed by a touch or by some other method from one already ‘on fire'. “The mere presence of a single being whose shakti is strongly active can awaken the shakti of those around him. Similarly being in the presence of many people whose shakti is awakened to some degree can awaken one's own shakti. [22]
The Requirements for a Receiver
The unique perspective of Siddha Mahayoga is that because kundalini is an intelligent force it will, upon awakening, naturally direct the practice of the student. All that is required is that the student completely surrender to this force. As a result of kundalini's unfoldment spontaneous purifying movements, called kriyas will occur...
An interesting excerpt from kundalini-teacher.com [Emphasis Added] The transmission of Grace from Guru to seeker to awaken or enhance Kundalini, is called Shaktipat. Someone with the ability to do this is called a Shaktipat Master….There are degrees of Shaktipat Mastery. From "oops, I'm contagious, how did that happen?" to "here is your full awakening, all knots pierced and major blockages removed." ... but it always depends on the receptivity of the recipient, and what they can handle. The title of Shaktipat Master, is a little misleading. …Nobody really "Masters" Shakti. She does as She pleases, and we just try to stay out of the way. The Shaktipat Master is a vessel for transmission, Goddess is the source….I do not care for the term "Kundalini Master", because it suggests mastery of Goddess, ... control of it, and that is an ego illusion. One does not Master Kundalini, one steps aside and allows it to do its work through you, as the vessel... I do accept the title of Shaktipat Master... which at one end of the spectrum, simply means that one's Kundalini is contagious. [23]
The Results of an "Awakened Kundalini"
Turning again to Enlightened Beings we read [All Emphasis Added]
A Kundalini awakening can be an experience that feels like the greatest blessing in the entire world, or the worst curse you have ever encountered. It simply depends on one thing. Whether you know that you are a infinite soul that will never die, OR you still believe you are this physical non-spiritual mortal body. Your perspective is everything when it comes to a million watts of energy pouring through you. The bigger and more inclusive your perspective is on each experience, the easier it will be for your bodymind to accept the Kundalini”.
And Awakening your Kundalini can be like tapping into a million watts of electricity where your body may only have the capacity of a 100 watt bulb at the time. So you'll want to prepare your bodymind so that you can open up to 100 million watts or more. Remember, this is a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual merging with the most powerful healing Divine creative sensual energy in this
Universe. So you'll want to go about it slowly, respectfully and consciously. [24]
Physical Manifestations..
The end results of an awakened Kundalini are
Along the process of kundalini, there can be extreme emotional outbursts without any apparent cause or source. This is simply the effect of karma releasing. [23b]
As researcher Robert Walker wrote in 1995: "After a period when the devotee has reached a certain spiritual elevation they begin to shake, jerk, or hop or squirm uncontrollably, sometimes breaking into uncontrolled animal noises or laughter as they reach an ecstatic high. These manifestations are called 'Kriyas'. Devotees sometimes roar like lions and show all kinds of physical signs during this period. Often devotees move on to higher states of spiritual consciousness and become inert physically and appear to slip into an unconsciousness..." Kriyas [literally activities] are spontaneous movements that occur after kundalini awakening. After a period when the devotee has reached a certain spiritual elevation they begin to shake, jerk, or hop or squirm uncontrollably, sometimes breaking into uncontrolled animal noises or laughter as they reach an ecstatic high. These manifestations are called 'Kriyas'. Devotees sometimes roar like lions and show all kinds of physical signs during this period. Often devotees move on to higher states of spiritual consciousness and become inert physically and appear to slip into an unconsciousness when they lose sense of what is happening around them. This state is called 'samadhi' and it leads to a deeper spiritual experience.'
In his book Kundalini: The Arousal of the Inner Energy, Ajit Mookerjee, an "acknowledged expert on Eastern art and the sacred texts of India" says "The ascent of the Kundalini as it pierces through the chakras is manifested in certain physical and psychic signs. Yogis have described the trembling of the body which precedes the arousal of Kundalini, and the explosion of heat which passes like a current through the Sushumna [the supposed channel by which this energy rises through the body]....inner sounds are heard... the head may start to feel giddy... the yogi visualizes a variety of forms... pure light...numerous signs and symptoms may be experienced... as creeping sensations... tingling sensations all over the body; heaviness in the head or sometimes giddiness; automatic and involuntary laughing or crying; seeing visions of deities... The chin may press down against the neck; the eyeballs roll upwards or rotate; the body may bend forward or back, or even roll around on the floor... the mind becomes empty... there is spontaneous chanting of mantras or songs, or simply vocal noises The eyes may not open in spite of one's efforts to open them. The body may revolve or twist in all directions. Sometimes it bounds up and down... sometimes the hands move... some speak in tongues... Sometimes the body feels as if it is floating upwards and sometimes as if it is being pressed down into the earth... It may shake and tremble and become limp, or turn as rigid as stone. In the process of the arousal of Kundalini, Muktananda went through an experience of extreme sexual excitement. Not everyone will experience all or even most of these signs. The Sakti [foundational consciousness] produces whatever experiences are necessary for the disciples spiritual progress according to his samskaras [impression or fruit of Karmic action] or habit pattern formed by past action". [25]
Although the effects of an awakened kundalini can vary from person to person, both in form and intensity, the following are common manifestations of the risen Kundalini according to the Kundalini Gateway site. [All Emphasis Added]
Muscle twitches, cramps or spasms. Energy rushes or immense electricity circulating the body Itching, vibrating, prickling, tingling, stinging or crawling sensations Intense heat or cold Involuntary bodily movements (occur more often during meditation, rest or sleep): jerking, tremors, shaking; feeling an inner force pushing one into postures or moving one's body in unusual ways. (May be misdiagnosed as epilepsy, restless legs syndrome, or PLMD Alterations in eating and sleeping patterns Episodes of extreme hyperactivity or, conversely, overwhelming fatigue Intensified or diminished sexual desires Headaches, pressures within the skull Racing heartbeat, pains in the chest Digestive system problems Numbness or pain in the limbs (particularly the left foot and leg) Pains and blockages anywhere; often in the back and neck Emotional outbursts; rapid mood shifts; seemingly unprovoked or excessive episodes of grief, fear, rage, depression Spontaneous vocalizations (including laughing and weeping) -- are as unintentional and uncontrollable as hiccoughs Hearing an inner sound or sounds, classically described as a flute, drum, waterfall, birds singing, bees buzzing but which may also sound like roaring, whooshing, or thunderous noises or like ringing in the ears. Mental confusion; difficulty concentrating Altered states of consciousness: heightened awareness; spontaneous trance states; mystical experiences (if the individual's prior belief system is too threatened by these, they can lead to bouts of psychosis or self-grandiosity) Heat, strange activity, and/or blissful sensations in the head, particularly in the crown area. Ecstasy, bliss and intervals of tremendous joy, love, peace and compassion Psychic experiences: extrasensory perception; out-of-body experiences; pastl ife memories; astral travel; direct awareness of auras and chakras; contact with spirit guides through inner voices, dreams or visions; healing powers Increased creativity: new interests in self-expression and spiritual communication through music, art, poetry, etc. Intensified understanding and sensitivity: insight into one's own essence; deeper understanding of spiritual truths; exquisite awareness of one's environment (including "vibes" from others) Enlightenment experiences: direct Knowing of a more expansive reality; transcendent awareness [26]
Noting that laughter is a common symptom of an awakened kundalini...
Laughter as a "Spiritual" Experience... In Other Traditions
Indian Gurus: It is very likely that most Americans will remember Rajneesh, the Indian mystic and spiritual teacher who garnered an international following. At one time he established an intentional community in Oregon, called Rajneeshpuram. this was inspired by the fact that his ashram in India was increasingly being criticized for violence in it's 'therapy sessions 'and allegations of drug use amongst sannyasins. He scandalized Hindu leaders by calling for freer acceptance of sex and became known as the "sex guru" in the Indian press.
Threatened punitive action by the Indian authorities, provided an impetus for the ashram to relocate to America, where he was also known as the "Rolls-Royce guru" due to his large collection of Rolls-Royce automobiles. He lived in opulence, while his followers existed at mere "subsistence level", most having severed ties with friends and family and donated all or most of their money and possessions to the commune. However Rajneesh was eventually deported from the United States after it was revealed that the commune leadership had committed a number of serious crimes, including a bio-terror attack (food contamination) on the citizens of The Dalles. Denied entry by twenty-one countries he eventually returned to Pune, where he died in 1990. Well, in his book Dance Your Way To God, this really 'nice guy' told his followers "just be joyful . . . God is not serious . . . this world cannot fit with a theological god . . . so let this be your constant reminder - that you have to dance your way to God, to laugh your way to God" (p. 229). Often referred to as being "drunk on the divine," Rajneesh encouraged his followers to come and "drink" from him. Bahgvan's spiritual "wine" was often passed along with a single touch to the head. Many of his Sannyasins would fall to the floor in ecstasy after their encounters with Rajneesh. [10]
And, Indian gurus are not the only ones to view extended periods of laughter as a spiritual experience.
Laughter of Aphrodite: Carol Christ, author of the widely reprinted essay "Why Women Need the Goddess," which argues in favor of the concept of there having been an ancient religion of a supreme Goddess, has written five influential books on women's spirituality and feminist theology. She has lived in Athens and Lesvos where she, like Sappho, has heard the muses sing. In Crete she discovered the sacred tree in the center of the garden and descended four levels into the darkness of a cave, experiencing personal transformation. [27] As director of the Ariadne Institute she has conducted pilgrimages to "sacred sites" in Greece, which contain artifacts of matriarchal religion. In her book Laughter of Aphrodite she says…
“I laughed for hours and hours. All my private personal suffering…was dissolved in laughter…I felt transformed…and have always viewed what happened as a kind of spiritual experience…People do not think of laughter as a spiritual experience. I now understand that laughter can be a mediator of transformation. Gavreil’s laughter, like Aphrodite’s enabled me to distance myself form pain, opening a new perspective to my life.” [28]
Jessie Penn-Lewis' and The Welsh Revival: Also pay close attention once more to the words of Jessie Penn-Lewis' words in Chapter 6 of her book entitled War on the Saints, written to combat the deception that arose during the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival. Counterfeit manifestations of the Divine life in various ways now follow quickly; movements in the body, pleasant thrills, touches, a glow as of fire in different parts of the body; or sensations of cold, or shakings, and tremblings; all accepted by the believer as from God, but showing what a full entry the deceiving spirit has obtained to the bodily frame; for there is a distinction between the manifestations of evil spirits "with" and "in" the body and mind of the believer;....
As she said so many years ago... these counterfeits include the physical symptoms grief and joy, heat and cold, laughter and tears, all succeed each other in rapid changes, and varied degrees--in brief, the emotional sensibilities seem to have full play. [11]
Other World's Religions
The Kundalini Support Network states that…
“Shaktipat is by no means exclusive to the Hinduism religion which at over 4500 years old is probably the world’s oldest organized religion. Shaktipat appears in all the world’s major spiritual traditions under different names and is often hidden, obscured in Eastern and Western Alchemical literature. Shakti kundalini is a normal, biological cross cultural universal phenomenon that is inside all of us”. [33]
Although Kundalini is mainly associated with Hinduism, it is related to several other occult practices like Qi Gong, and is thought to have parallels in many of the mystical and gnostic traditions of the world's great religions like the ritualized dhikr ceremonies and the Whirling Dervishs of the Sufis and the Tummo practices of Tibet. Kundalini is a prominent practice in Japan's Aum Shinrikyo group [notorious for the 1995 sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subways] and Shamanistic practices in Ayyavazhi (also a Hindu sect). African Kung Bushmen Of The Kalahair. The Grofs, in their book The Stormy Search for the Self, also cite an interesting parallel between the Kundalini awakening and the trance dance of the African Kung bushmen. During rituals the bushmen "enter a profound altered state of consciousness associated with the release of powerful emotions such as anger, anxiety, and fear. They are often unable to maintain an upright position and are overcome by violent shaking. Following these dramatic experiences, they typically enter a state of ecstatic rapture. According to the bushmen tradition, the dance releases from the base of the spine a cosmic healing force called ntum or `medicine.' This is then passed by direct physical contact from one person to another." Qigong (ancient Chinese practice). Yan Xin, a Chinese Qigong master known to most of the over one billion people in China, gave a talk in San Francisco in 1991. 1,700 devotees--most of them Chinese--showed up at the Masonic auditorium to listen to Yan. The San Francisco Chronicle on May 16, 1991, reported that "minutes" into his talk, several began experiencing what Yan calls spontaneous movements. The Chronicle reporter said that "before long, the scene began to resemble a Pentecostal prayer meeting with many people waving their arms and making unintelligible sounds." Yan told his audience, "Those who are sensitive might start having some strong physical sensations--or start laughing or crying. Don't worry. This is quite normal." The article said that "since 1985, when a Qigong revival started sweeping China, 50 to 60 million Chinese have gone to see Yan." Subud. According to The Encyclopedia of American Religions by J. Gordon Melton, the central element of the Subud faith is the practice of "latihan." Latihan is the way one surrenders to the power of God. It is a group process. The Encyclopedia says, "The latihan proper is a time of moving the consciousness beyond mind and desire and allowing the power to enter and do its work ... often accompanying the spontaneous period are various body movements and vocal manifestations--cries, moans, laughter and singing. These occur in the voluntary surrender of the self to the power. During this time, people report sensations of love and freedom and often, healings. All reach a higher level of consciousness. [34] Subud is an international spiritual movement that began in Indonesia in the 1920s as a movement founded by Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo, the basis of which is a spiritual exercise commonly referred to as the latihan kejiwaan, which was said by Muhammad Subuh to represent guidance from "the Power of God" or "the Great Life Force".
Shamanism. Incidentally, the shamanistic initiatory crisis, or rite of passage, observes symptoms similar to the kundalini process, where the initiate might sing or dance in an unconventional fashion. Interestingly they also call this being "disturbed by spirits". [35]
The Shakers: Even more telling is the fact that the term The Shakers is a mocking description referring to the rituals of trembling, shouting, dancing, shaking, singing, and glossolalia (speaking in strange and unknown languages) of what is supposed to be a Protestant religious denomination. [See Tongues... Gift of What Spirit?]
Is Kundalini Dangerous?
The above list of manifestations of the risen Kundalini on the Kundalini Gateway site is accompanied by the following warning [Emphasis Added]
“Many people know that the risen Kundalini flings open gates to all sorts of mystical, paranormal and magical vistas but few realize it can also dramatically impact the body. A large percentage of Shared Transformation subscribers have reported long bouts of strange illness as well as radical mental, emotional, interpersonal, psychic, spiritual and lifestyle changes. Over and again we hear stories of frustrating, sometimes desperate visits to doctors, healers, counselors, etc. who neither understood nor were able to help with the myriad pains and problems catalyzed by raging Kundalini” [29]
And this tidbit [Emphasis Added] “We have also been asked why we do not put more emphasis on union with the Divine and God-realization, which are very much central to spiritual awakening. Since everyone experiences and interprets their mystical experiences differently and very personally, to make sure no one will feel excluded, we just speak of "awakening consciousness" or "transcendent states" on the ST Web pages”. [26]
Kundalini teacher also warns that “Some caution is recommended when dealing with Kundalini” since “he cannot control Goddess”. [Emphasis Added] Legally and morally, I have to tell you: "Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread." Kundalini has been called the most powerful force in the universe. Respect it, or it will kick you to pieces. I don't think Kundalini itself, kills anyone but resistance to the process can result in trauma that moves people to suicidal behavior. Don't seek awakening unless you are genuinely ready to turn your whole life over to your Higher Power, have it taken from you, and reshaped, redirected and rebuilt. "Not my Will, but Thine be done." Kundalini eats your ego based free will, replaces it with the will of your Soul. This is a door that once opened, does not close again. There is no putting the Genii back in the bottle. Like the Borg say, on Star Trek: Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated ...into the collective consciousness... into the Self. Bliss! Resistance, is worse than useless, it is dangerous, and the cause of most all kundalini based problems. There is growing evidence that many bipolar disorders and psychoses may be undiagnosed kundalini. Surrender is the imperative of Kundalini. [30]
Also in the words of a first hand experience of kundalini
“Someone in my yoga class told me about a famous Indian guru who was offering a three day retreat in Honolulu. I signed up for the workshop, and met Swami "Baba" Muktananda, who changed my life. He was a Siddha Yoga disciple of Bhagawan Nityananda, and had shaktipat, the ability to awaken spiritual energies in other people. During one meditation, he gazed at me awhile, then forcefully slapped me several times on the forehead. I felt like I had suddenly been plugged into a high voltage socket. My body began to shake with a powerful force moving through me, and I was flooded with visions. I sobbed, experiencing birth, death, pain, ecstasy, strength, gentleness, love, fear, depths, and heights, like a genie finally let out of a bottle. Dark days followed...” “...In 1977, I happened upon two books about the Kundalini awakening, and suddenly understood what had been happening to me." [31]
If that isn't bad enough, read Muktananda's own description of events relating to his own spiritual enlightenment, a path he endorses for his disciples. It is quoted at length so the reader may have a better understanding of the frightening reality that is frequently involved on the Eastern path. [Details]
In the online book Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality author Philip St Romain says that one of the signs of a Kundalini Awakening is a
“sense of going down into an abyss, or "black hole."
I don't know about you but this makes me very very uncomfortable.. In another section (What Are Some Ways to Cope with and Integrate Awakened Kundalini Energies?) St Romain says [Emphasis Added] 1. Don't panic! Fear only colors the energy darkly. There is nothing to fear if you cooperate with the process (or at least don't frustrate it too much). 18. When you don't know what to do to cooperate with the process, it is better to do less than too much. For example, it is better to cut back on meditation than to meditate too much. It is easier to awaken a sleeping serpent than to tame an angry one. [32]
And he would have us believe that this is of God? In Scripture there are several references to people being told NOT to fear.. not because ‘the energy would be coloured darkly’, but because God is on their side. In every case God is reassuring. The words of David are especially telling. Note the emphasized words.. especially the “beauty of the Lord”. No darkly colored stuff here. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh, Even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, My heart shall not fear: Though war should rise against me, Even then will I be confident. One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in his temple”. [Psalm 27:1-4]
By the way the author also speaks of attending a week-long Zen retreat, which was conducted by a Jesuit priest with vast experience in Eastern mysticism.
He says had already read Thomas Merton’s Zen and the Birds of Appetite and had relished every word. He saw many affinities between my sitting/breathing and Zen and was eager to find out what Zen had to teach me. Had Christian contemplation led me to Zen? Was Zen the next step for me? [32]
Kundalini, The Christian and Fr. Thomas Keating
The introduction to the online book ‘Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality‘ A Pathway to Growth and Healing the author by Philip St Romain, makes one wonder how many of the experiences of Catholic (and other) mystics and Contemplative are due to an awakened Kundalini . [Emphasis Added]
“Since the spring of 1986,1 have been experiencing various psychological and physiological phenomena such as those attributed to kundalini in the Hindu and Taoist literature. Through the years, the process has intensified, bringing many positive and painful experiences. All this has happened to me in the context of Christian, contemplative prayer. [See Contemplating The Alternative] The purpose of this book is to describe the kundalini process as experienced by a Christian. As far as I know, this is the first book of its kind, which makes it significant in terms of the relationship between Christian and Eastern mysticism. The implications of kundalini relative to physiology, psychology, and spirituality will also be discussed. I believe these reflections will be of interest to spiritual directors, pastoral counselors, contemplatives, New Age readers, and those interested in Christian-Eastern dialogue. [36]
And, in the acknowledgment section, Philip St Romain says “My correspondence with the Catholic contemplative Bernadette Roberts was also helpful. More than anyone I had ever read, she described experiences of contemplation that resonated with my own. I see the working of kundalini all throughout her journey”
The foreword to the book was written by a Catholic priest... Father Thomas Keating. He writes in part “This book is the first description that I know of in Christian literature about the awakening of kundalini energy in a purely Christian context. Kundalini has long been known in Taoist, Hindu, and Buddhist spirituality. The fact that this complete awakening occurred in the context of a classical development of Christian prayer makes it an important contribution to East/West dialogue. Given the newness of the kundalini experience in Christian circles, however, any theological interpretation is bound to be tentative. Reading the Christian mystics from the perspective of his own experience of kundalini energy, the author sees many examples of its working in the lives of Christian saints and mystics. Since this energy is also at work today in numerous persons who are devoting themselves to contemplative prayer, this book is an important contribution to the renewal of the Christian contemplative tradition. It will be a great consolation to those who have experienced physical symptoms arising from the awakening of kundalini in the course of their spiritual journey, even if they have not experienced it to the full extent described by the author. His compelling testimony is a powerful affirmation of the potential of every human being for higher states of consciousness. The awakening of kundalini energy and its various stages clearly enhances our understanding of how the body takes part in the spiritual journey. Spiritual writers of our tradition have long known that the body must be carefully prepared if it is to receive the higher communications of divine grace. For example, St. John of the Cross considered bodily ecstasy a weakness that gradually subsides in the process of transformation”… …Kundalini is an enormous energy for good, but like all human potentials, it could also be used for selfish motives and thus become a source of serious harm… In Christian spirituality, the unfolding of the stages of prayer described by St. Teresa of Avila in the Interior Castle may be the fruit of the kundalini energy arising under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Kundalini may also be an active ingredient in the Dark Nights of St. John of the Cross. [36]
Keating goes on to speak about the need for the church to have interfaith dialogue so that we can be “properly guided” into a safer kundalini experience: “In order to guide persons having this experience, Christian spiritual directors may need to dialogue with Eastern teachers in order to get a fuller understanding. The importance of the “Document on the Non-Christian Religions” comes into focus here. The document states, "the Church therefore has this exhortation for her sons [and daughters]; Prudently and lovingly through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions and in witness of Christian faith and life, acknowledge, preserve and promote the spiritual and moral goods found among these men and women] as well as the values in their society and culture." [36]
However none of the above is particularly surprising. During the twenty years (1961–1981) that Thomas Keating was abbot of St. Joseph’s Abbey, a Trappist monastery in Spencer, Massachusetts, they “held dialogues with Buddhist and Hindu representatives, and a Zen master gave a week-long retreat to the monks. A former Trappist monk who had become a Transcendental Meditation teacher also gave a session to the monks”. [Read More] All of which bring us to
The Conclusion... A New Thing? You Have To Be Kidding!
When "Kundalini teacher" said that he was legally and morally bound to issue warnings about Kundalini, he also used the phrase "Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread". While I certain that angels (the real ones, not Todd Bentley's demons dressed up as angels of light) actually would not have any problems taking on "the goddess", I am equally sure that many thousands of fools are rushing into spiritual quicksand. Christians that flock to Toronto, Brownsville and Lakeland do not seem to realize that the manifestations at these places are not a New Move of God, but have existed for thousands of years. They are a Very Ancient Move of Satan.
Todd Bentley, John Arnott and the like think they are hot stuff running around screaming “Bam” and “Fire” , yet For thousands of years gurus have operated with gifts of healing, miracles, gifts of knowledge and intense displays of spiritual consciousness for thousands of years. For thousands of years they have connected with a cosmic power which, though demonic in origin, is very real. For thousands of years devotees have gone forward to receive spiritual experience (Darshan) from a touch by the open palm of the hand, often to the forehead, by the guru in what is known as the Shakti Pat or divine touch. For thousands of years, as a result of the Shakti Pat, these devotees have had a raising of the spiritual experience also called raising Kundalini……
For thousands of years the manifestations of an awakened kundalini among people of other religions has been exactly the same as the results of being ‘Slain in The Spirit’ in so called Christian meetings.
In short the modern phenomenon of "slain in the spirit" has absolutely nothing to do with the Bible, but is rooted in the ancient practice of awakening the Kundalini through Shaktipat.
Not convinced? They say a picture says a thousand words... In which case this video, comparing the spiritual manifestations of other religions and the new false revivals taking place inside the church, has to be worth at least a million. Lets do a little recap in the form of a visual comparison of kundalini and the antics at the so called revivals. Can You Tell The Difference?
Also See | 
Section 10A 
