Earlier on I have contacted Father Wilfrid Stinissen and asked him to give me his opinion on the relationship between kundalini and dark night of the soul. Father Stinissen is a founder of Carmelite monastery in Sweden in 1967. He has written a dozen of books on spirituality, prayer, mysticism etc. He is best known on his knowledge of John of the cross and Theresa of Avila. Recently he has written a letter and answered my question. I would like to share father Stinissen�s letter with you hoping you enrich the discussion by your comments. The letter is in Swedish and translation is mine.

The substance of Dark night lies in the complete death of false self and in overtaking of its place by God. The result will be like Paul put it nicely "I live, not-I, but Christ . . .�.

I don't think kundalini is Dark night of the soul. While kundalini can be awaken instantly, dark night of the soul takes many years of purification process. I believe that when kundalini doesn't awake violently it can lead to the deeper, richer and bright life. Through this or that way one must experience a period of darkness in the process of Dark night of the soul. Unity with God always demands a long period of spiritual exercise and test.

This seems very wise and sound to me, Grace. In the best of cases, kundalini process ought to be in the service of the Dark Night, as it effects a purification that weakens the embodiment of constricted states of attention. Nevertheless, this in itself is not sufficient for growing in holiness and union with God. For such, there's no getting around the long, hard word of practicing spiritual disciplines and living a life of love.

Thanks for sharing the exdchange with Fr. Stinssen.

I agree that kundalini as such is not Dark night. As Fr. Stinissen put it correctly Dark night is a purification process which can take many years. According to my understanding if kundalini is initiated and guided by Holy Spirit it is a purification process which can take many years. So, what is the difference between Spirit-guided kundalini and Dark night?

Grace, you might poke around and explore a little here:

http://www.innerexplorations.com/ and here:

http://www.ronrolheiser.com/ for Dark Night info...

caritas,

mm <*)))))><

Just to nuance what Phil says a little. I think our union with God is already achieved. John 14 talks about Christ being in us and we being in Him, just as He is in the Father and the Father in Him. Spiritual practise opens us out to the realisation that this is so. Our psyches are so clouded, so dense, that it does indeed take a heck of a lot of practise to open us up to what we already have. Same goes for what we inherit in Christ.