Kundalini

[Jhanananda]

Kundalini, or charismatic energy is reported by rigorous, self-aware contemplatives. You may find reading and viewing the following essay and video of interest on this subject:

Energy, Kundalini, vîrya, viriya Understanding the Charismatic Experience

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE4HPR9VA4M

Kundalini and chakras
The religious experience is not the possession of a people or religion. A dialog at the GWV Ecstatic Buddhist Wilderness Retreat, August 2012 Gila Wilderness, NM with Michael Hawkins, Karen Sattler, Stuart B. Skadden and Craig Anzelmo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEGrMcdikIw

Kundalini, chakras, the spiritual crisis and letting go
There are shades of gray in the religious experience. A dialog at the GWV Ecstatic Buddhist Wilderness Retreat, August 2012 Gila Wilderness, NM with Michael Hawkins, Karen Sattler, Stuart B. Skadden and Craig Anzelmo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA7ph1uSons

[Jhanananda]

4:38
Meditation, Posture and Kundalini HD
February 11, 2013 10:49 AM
Meditation, Posture and Kundalini Meditation Posture and practice method that can produce Kundalini. A dialog at the GWV Ecstatic Buddhist Wilderness Retreat, August 2012 Gila Wilderness, NM with Michael Hawkins, Karen Sattler, Stuart B. Skadden and Craig Anzelmo

[Alexander]

Notes on kundalini

🤔

The coiled serpent

Gopi Krishna - 1 experience
Robert Bruce - 1
Jhanananda - ?
Sivananda - 1
Rougeleader - ?
Yogananda - 1

*Number of experiences stated unless unknown due to poor documentation

Notes
*Gopi Krishna: experienced it spontaneously while meditating and imagining a glowing lotus radiating out of the crown of his head
*Robert Bruce: experienced it spontaneously during a meditation session in the late 1970s
*Yogananda: experienced it spontaneously while meditating in a cemetery
*Shiva Samhita: recommends concentrating on the root chakra at the base of the spine; recommends maintaining a calm and focused mind

*It appears to awaken only once and to be a spontaneous phenomenon
*It appears personally transformative in all cases, but unrelated to the descent into hell or the dark night of the soul
*It appears to have little impact on fame or celebrity

[Jhanananda]

I've had the classic kundalini experience of a powerful energy rising up the spine many times. It was always associated with a deep meditation experience, typically after the mind is stilled in the 2nd jhana I can have the powerful jolt which often propels me into deeper states associated with the immaterial states of samadhi. Also, my experiences with kundalini tend to extend my meditation sessions to hours.

I am no sure where the idea of meditating upon the lower chakras came from, but it seems like unwise advice. In my case the chakra I might begin with would be the heart, which stimulates bliss, which in my experience an intense experience of objectless love.

Please note: I didn't see a reason to have two topics with the same name and neither had a lot of posts, so I merged them together.

[rougeleader115]

“It appears to have little impact on fame or celebrity” made me smile Alexander. It is all too true, and I think of how accomplished and detailed a teacher Jeffery is and how few people will even find this forum or his teachings. He easily deserves more recognition in life than he gets. So I assume it will be the same for myself. But in the same ways i know I don’t need it, I know he doesn’t. But thank you always Jhanananda.

Thank you for including me in the list Alexander lol

[bodhimind]

The lower chakras seem to be associated with the animalistic body, while the heart chakra and above are associated with the spiritual soul. The heart chakra in particular seems to be associated with a feeling of lovingness and union.

I do remember when 'kundalini' shot through my spine, it was like being bolted by lightning. It threw me completely into a wild, rude shock to the core of my system. It came so quick that I could not even know which direction the jolt was going - upwards? downwards? I don't think it really mattered, but I started seeing many faces, saw kaleidoscopic visions, almost like I was on an acid trip. Until now, I still have no idea how the kundalini (if you call it this) is associated with the jhana-nimittas, which seem to be a different experience for me. How exactly is kundalini and the holy spirit associated - are they the same thing, because it does feel different in experience to me

[Tad]

I read that Hesychian monks focus on the heart area when reciting Jesus prayer and it invokes the heart chakra in very powerful ways.

[Jhanananda]

The lower chakras seem to be associated with the animalistic body, while the heart chakra and above are associated with the spiritual soul. The heart chakra in particular seems to be associated with a feeling of lovingness and union.

I agree

I do remember when 'kundalini' shot through my spine, it was like being bolted by lightning. It threw me completely into a wild, rude shock to the core of my system. It came so quick that I could not even know which direction the jolt was going - upwards? downwards? I don't think it really mattered, but I started seeing many faces, saw kaleidoscopic visions, almost like I was on an acid trip. Until now, I still have no idea how the kundalini (if you call it this) is associated with the jhana-nimittas, which seem to be a different experience for me. How exactly is kundalini and the holy spirit associated - are they the same thing, because it does feel different in experience to me

This is a good description of the kundalini, while there is nothing that I can find in the suttas that could be interpreted as a classic kundalini experience; nonetheless, I find my experiences of kundalini rising typically occur after the 2nd jhana and often when I am in the 3rd jhana.

I read that Hesychian monks focus on the heart area when reciting Jesus prayer and it invokes the heart chakra in very powerful ways.

I'm not surprised to find some Christian contemplatives and mystics would focus upon the heart, because I find that is where the spiritual life begins, with universal, nonobjectified love.