I received notification from Crossroads Publ. that my book, Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality, was now out of print.

I have a few copies left and am looking to sell them. If interested, go to http://shalomplace.com/books/kundalini.html and you'll be able to order online.

I'm also working on scanning the book, and will offer it as a shareware download, with a few new appendices added. More on this later.

All by way of FYI, but if you have any questions, please post them in a reply.

Phil

Just wanting to get a post registered on the main board after deleting one above it.

FYI, I will be scanning my kundalini book for download ($5.00) soon, and will add a few new appendices to it.

DEAR PHIL I PURCHASED YOUR BOOK AROUND 18 MONTHS AGO. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME OF THE SAME PHENOMENA. SINCE 1979 I HAVE BEEN STUDYING MONASTIC SPIRITUALITY; PRIMARILY CHRISTIAN DUE TO MY FAITH CENTER. I HAVE COME ACROSS QUITE A FEW NARRATIVES OF KUNDALINA LIKE EXPERIENCES OF CHRISTIAN MYSTIC MEN AND WOMEN OF PRAYER SUCH AS ST. THERESA IN HER INTERIOR CASTLE,JACOB BOEHME, RICHARD ROLLES' FIRE OF LOVE, THE PHILOKALIA, THE EARLY SYRIAN MONASTIC THEOLOGIANS AND QUITE A FEW OTHERS SUCH AS PADRE PIO..
ST. AUGUSTINE IN HIS BOOK "THE GREATNESS OF THE SOUL" PUBLISHED BY NEWMAN PRESS IN ITS' ANCIENT CHRISTIAN WRITERS SERIES HAS SEVERAL CHAPTERS CENTERED ON THE THEME OF THE SEVEN DIFFERENT LEVELS OF OUR SOUL THAT HAVE SOME SIMILARATIES TO HINDU/BUDDHIST/TAOIST/ALCHEMIC KUNDALINA NARRATIVES.

IT IS NOW TIME FOR CHRISTIANS TO FORMULATE, VIA SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT AND BIBLICAL CONTEMPLATION, A CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING OF THE KUNDALINA BUILT AROUND GENESIS CHAPTERS 1 & 2 DECRIPTIONS OF GODS' SPIRIT HOVERIENG ABOVE THE SUPERNATURAL WATERS AND THE BREATHING OF GODS BREATH/RUAH INTO THE CLAY OF MAN AND SUBSEQUENTLY GENERATING HIM INTO A LIVING TRIUNE BEING OF FLESH/SOUL/SPIRIT.

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP OF SO CALLED KUNDALINA ENERGIES TO GODS' NEURAL PATHWAY DESIGN, NERVE ENERGY DESIGN, BLOOD DESIGN And DNA DESIGN FOR TRIUNE MAN?

CHRISTIANS HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE MEDICAL/HUMANISTIC CREATION OF MAN CONCEPT TO LONG OR GONE WITHOUT AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERACTIVE ENERGIES OF GODS CREATION FAR TO LONG. THE YOGIC, HINDU, TAOIST, BUDDHIST, ALCHEMIC CONEPTS OF GODS INTERACTED ENERGIES OF CREATION HAVE SOME TRUTH BUT NEED TO BE FULFILLED IN JESUS CHRIST.

IT IS NOW TIME FOR CHRISTIANS TO FORMULATE, VIA SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT AND BIBLICAL CONTEMPLATION, A CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING OF THE KUNDALINA BUILT AROUND GENESIS CHAPTERS 1 & 2 DECRIPTIONS OF GODS' SPIRIT HOVERIENG ABOVE THE SUPERNATURAL WATERS AND THE BREATHING OF GODS BREATH/RUAH INTO THE CLAY OF MAN AND SUBSEQUENTLY GENERATING HIM INTO A LIVING TRIUNE BEING OF FLESH/SOUL/SPIRIT.

I completely agree, DKC, that we need to learn what we can from other traditions to deepen our understanding of the metaphysical implications of our own. I think such knowledge could be very helpful in contributing to a fuller understanding of human nature.

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP OF SO CALLED KUNDALINA ENERGIES TO GODS' NEURAL PATHWAY DESIGN, NERVE ENERGY DESIGN, BLOOD DESIGN And DNA DESIGN FOR TRIUNE MAN?

Excellent questions! It would seem that everything about us must have been created to manifest the divine. Just everything!

CHRISTIANS HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE MEDICAL/HUMANISTIC CREATION OF MAN CONCEPT TO LONG OR GONE WITHOUT AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERACTIVE ENERGIES OF GODS CREATION FAR TO LONG. THE YOGIC, HINDU, TAOIST, BUDDHIST, ALCHEMIC CONEPTS OF GODS INTERACTED ENERGIES OF CREATION HAVE SOME TRUTH BUT NEED TO BE FULFILLED IN JESUS CHRIST.

In the various Catholic traditions, there is at least a philosophical/metaphysical perspective that exists, but it certainly needs vitalization.

Thanks for your post. I look forward to hearing more from you.

Phil

While reading over the previous posts I felt a few things come to mind. Various non-Christian metaphysical books I have read expound almost exactly the same story although their processes of creation are tailored to their own basic ideological format. The Genesis creation account # 1 can be looked at from a Christian perspective in a few ways: 1) from the point of view of God retelling the story to mankind in the form of the Bible...as if people were simply narrators of a continuous dialougue throughout history. 2) from the point of view of mankind. This one is a bit harder to go with because mankind could not possibly write about something that happened before its creation (i.e., witnessing creation). 3) from the point of view of Christ's refelction upon human history as both a human and divine being whose perspective is both temporal and eternal. Hans Urs Van Balthazaar spoke of this a bit, but, his language differened from mine. (See In Fulness of the Faith).
Biblical truths are hard to discern, especially when you are trying to extract truth from another language, another world, and, then, transpose upon it a foreign metaphysical system to find similarities. In some of my own ruminations I came to the point where I considered the creation accounts to be archetypal. To me that means that the experiences contained within the Word are experiences all people have during life. An explaination might help: Paul writes that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The only exception to this rule is virgin births (such as Jesus) and Melchizedek, the priest of olden days. A more modern idea I ran across a few years ago was written by Schopenhauer that said that to exist is to sin. Now, I draw into this pair of ideas the concept of dualistic striffe and see that human existence (barring the excpetion of miraculous births) is wholly contingent on dualistic-sexual perception. You are either male or female. Seeing as God is both and then some, we are limited by our biological beings. This limitation can be perceived within the context of Kundalini since the Kundalini energy itself is, in its purest form, libido/emotional/spiritual. To be engendered causes (on one level) a psychic split because society (and nature) differentiate beings according to their biological traits, e.g., maleness or femaleness. On another level, to be a human means that one is an embodied and engendered spirit. This sort of dualistic necessity could be developed pretty fully to illustrate a basis for the human aspect of creation.
As for the spirit of God hovering over the waters, I am not quite sure about that one yet. There are lots of symbolic avenues that could be pursued, but, no one jumps out at my intuition just yet. I have intuited that there is something very important in a couple of concepts I'll outline briefly. Hebrew tradition holds the "word" to be an essential aspect of being. Indeed, the name of God is held to be sacrosanct. Also, God's name, YHVH, parallels the Hebrew and Arameic first person present tense use of the verb "to be". When Jesus, for instance, said, "I am the way, the truth, and, the life", he was not just making a personal declaration about his identity, but, was speaking with divine authority by speaking the Word of God. This is a very deep concept I have hardly begun to even understand, but, an essential one I feel Christians must come to grasp.
Furthermore, the Hebrew words for breath (ruah) and body or soul (adah) are to be paired off this way....the breath fills the container, i.e., the body/soul. In Hebrew, the word for soul/body is literally translated as meaning "something that holds breath". If this is true, and we know that God formed man from the earth, then, it would make sense that God formed mankind's body of the clay into a container, the body, to carry to spirit of God, his breath. Seeing as we are to be the breath of God, it is important in my mind to remember how the creation account occured. Is it an account of every soul's embodiment shrouded in the symbols of language? Do all people experience the creation account before they come to life?

As for another very interesting question:

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP OF SO CALLED KUNDALINA ENERGIES TO GODS' NEURAL PATHWAY DESIGN, NERVE ENERGY DESIGN, BLOOD DESIGN And DNA DESIGN FOR TRIUNE MAN?

I have seen some very interesting relationships. The pattern of a tree (echo...tree of knowledge of good and evil/tree of life) repeats itself throughout the human being, as well as the earth in many places. Veins, lungs (an inverted tree split down the middle with its roots in the brain-the seat of the spirit), nerves, rivers, etc. On another level, fractals...mathematical patterns, appear to repeat the same pattern.
DNA patterns (double-helix) resemble both waves, planetary orbits as the galaxy travels through space, and, musical truths. Some naturalistic patterns that underlie all of physical creation. The activity of the spirit, on the other hand, is a very different matter altogether. That one is way beyond me. There are a few books out there that I highly recommend to anyone interested in these ideas. If you are interested e-mail me at: will_steele@hotmail.com Very deep things.
At the root of it all, my furthest postulation leads to this: at every scale of existence there are fundamental patterns (Plato called them forms), that repeat and interact with themselves. Cosmically, Macrocosmically, microcosmically, we see three scales of existence. Yet, how are we to understand this? Beneath every scale of creation lies an infinity of other identical, yet, infinitely smaller histories happening at the same time forever. That's our view of the atomic goldfish bowl. When we look up, into the cosmic order of things, we are the goldfish, and, God is the being looking down at our infinite small universe wondering what is happening to each and every thing and being, yet, at the same time, knowing what is happening. It's a great mystery!

Oh, my last bit. When you said that we need to fulfill this in Christ Jesus, I had something interesting to add. I believe that Christ is the last person we see before we are born and the first person we see when we die if we have kept in touch with God (as best we can). It this is true, then, the naturalistic energies the practice of Kundalini yoga harnesses can be paralleled to something Francis Bacon wrote, "To control nature you must obey her." An apparently paradoxical statement, but, true nonetheless. By harnessing the energetic patterns of being we can experience through our bodies we are enabled to transcend the forces of material creation (particularly the ultimate meeting all people have with death) to return to our creator. Like the spiral and the tree, which repeat themselves throughout all of creation, energy is a natural manifesation of existence. Christ is at once natural and supernatural. To contextual Kundalini in a manner true to Christ it must, in all cases, be used in a loving manner to fulfill the truth and spirit of Jesus' message and God's calling. We can ponder the creation at the expense of our creator's memory. With respect to Kundalini, I have chosen to let it work as it is meant to work to do the Will of Him who saves. It's very easy to get lost pondering all of existence.

I enjoyed reading your reflections, Will. You give us lots to think about!

To contextual Kundalini in a manner true to Christ it must, in all cases, be used in a loving manner to fulfill the truth and spirit of Jesus' message and God's calling.

I can most definitely say amen to this one, and we should note in addition that the Hindus make this point as well. They would no more think of of awakening to the Kundalini process outside of a loving context then they would recommend black magic to us. The only difference is that In Christianity are loving focus is sharpened in the person of Christ.

With respect to Kundalini, I have chosen to let it work as it is meant to work to do the Will of Him who saves. It's very easy to get lost pondering all of existence.

Yes! This kind of docility to the workings of energy in conformity with the will of God is definitely the best way to go, I think.

Thanks a gain for another deep and enriching reflection.

Just an update: this thread mentioned that an e-book edition of Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality was in the works. Well, I'm pleased to announce that the project is finished.
Check it out!

Phil

I was watching a video on contemplative prayer on Youtube, when I came across this comment, which might (or might not) give you a chuckle:

'Its sad to see Biola head down this road. Thomas Keating -- for instance -- said in his book "Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality" (a book recommended by Brennan Manning, "Ragamuffin Gospel" author) that, "In order to guide persons having this experience [divine oneness], Christian spiritual directors may need to dialogue with Eastern teachers in order to get a fuller understanding." I am blogging on this now. Sad'

So . . . THAT'S where the royalties on that book have been going? Keating is getting them now?

Hi

I was introduced to Phil's onine book Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirtuality very early on into my own experience of this very formidable energy. That was five years ago just as I had begun sensing that something very different was going on deep inside of me and just prior to the rising of the serpent itself.

As Phil, my experience came within a completely Christian background, one steeped in prayer and Christian service. Had it not been for this book I would not, five years into this journey, be here. The book clearly pointed out to me what I was beginning to endure and layed out a path to what was to come. I basically experienced each of the steps/rungs on the ladder that Phil oulined in his book: infused yoga postures, energy centers, crown phase, glossalalia, awakening of the subconscious, the breakdown of the egoic state etc, etc. Another read that helped out a lot was St. John of the Cross' Dark Night of the Soul. It acted as a complement to Phil's book.

For me the journey continues. There are good days and not so good days. But what I have discovered, and what Phil alludes to, is that one needs to pay heed to what the energy is trying to teach: life lived in moderation, life lived for the service of others, life consecrated to prayer ( a prayer that is not our own but comes out of the bosom of our souls - it is the Spirit praying in us and through us).

I was looking forward to a golf filled retirement. Husband of 25 years. Father of two wonderful young ladies. A professional career filled with challenges, successes and not so successes. Oh no! This spiritual energy decided otherwise. I am now a voctional deacon ( ordained last October) and a promoter of the contemplative outreach community within the territory I serve, in service to the Lord. Who'd a thunk it. Not I. Not any person who had been around me prior to this transformation.

Thx Phil for providing an ebook version of your most important contribution to East West spiritual dialogue.
Denis

Thanks for your sharing, Denis. Glad to hear that my book was so helpful to you! There aren't many from the Christian pathway who've come to know this experience, so it's always interesting to compare notes. I'd be interested in hearing whether it all started before or after you began doing centering prayer.

By the way, I still play golf from time to time and find it (and many other outdoor activities) to be most helpful and enjoyable. I hear and understand what you're saying about a career change, however.

Hi Phil,

Actually this whole thing began when I was 21. One summer Saturday morning I woke up and headed to a presbytry not far from where I was residing. I was spending the summer of 1980 in Edmonton, Alberta working to save monies for my university studies. I knocked on the door of the presbytry and the priest, still dressed in pyjamas, answered. He led me to the chapel where I could pray. It had been the first time that I had been in a Church in many years. Something was knawing at me to go back.

Once in Church, I sat down in the front pew, looked up at the cross and said: Please come and get me. I need your Presence. I subsequently stood up and left the Church.

A couple of days later I got a call from someone I did not know. Her name was Pearl. She was a Baptist and worked in the same office as my sister. Well, she mentioned that my sister had talked about me being a very spiritual person. Pearl decided to call me to invite me to a Billy Graham crusade that was being held in Edmonton. This came on the heels of my going to that Church! I accepted the invite and met her at the Northlands Coliseum. The Coliseum was full, 20 000 people, but I had an intuition that this gathering was for me. A born again experience ensued. Upon returning to Ottawa in August of the same summer, this to attend my last year of university, I joined a local Pentecostal Church. I spent two years with that group before going back to the Catholic Tradition that I had been brought up in. I needed Silence and the Eucharist. And time in Silence I did spend. I spent many hours, over the ensuing years, at a Grotto located in the heart of Ottawa.

I chose St. Francois de Sales parish as a parish of choice and there I am still 32 years later. In those 32 years I, along with my wife, have offered time, talent, and energy in service to the community always accompanied by this Presence that would just never go away.

Six years ago when the second of our two daughters left our home to pursue university studies of her own, I was jolted into taking a new direction. One early morning, while lying in bed beside my wife, I felt a presence on my right side. I turned my head and saw a vision. It was a little nun dressed in black. She had her hands clasped together and she whispered endlessly, as if she was caught in prayer. A light illumniated her exterior. Well, I said to myself: Denis, you are dreaming. So I turned my head to go back to sleep. But this apparition decided otherwise. She bent down and touched me with her finger. A bolt of lightning ripped into my arm. It hurt and I screamed. My wife woke up wondering what was going on. The vision, however, had disappeared, having left me with a very very sore arm. This arm ached for about a month. Now, I can't say for sure what this was but I do know that my life has never been the same since.

I decided to offer my life in service to Christ. Deep Inside I felt something was happening and one day the serpent rose from the plexus area and up the spine. It confronted a barrier at the throat level where it prodded and prodded for about 8 months until it was able to reach the brain. The rest is in your book!

Centering Prayer came into my life a little time after the awakening of the serpent. Centering Prayer, which has become contemplative prayer now, has provided me with a method to ease the discomfort which this energy imposes upon oneself.

This experience has been instrumental in my decision to become a vocational deacon. I was ordained last autumn.

Denis

Denis, it sounds like all was proceeding as a rather "normal" journey for a committed adult Christian until the vision of the nun, who seems to have transmitted kundalini shaktipat to you. Do you have some idea of who that little nun might have been? Has she ever reappeared?

No need to reply, of course, if that's info you'd rather not share publicly.

I believe it was Thérèse of Lisieux.
No she has never reappeared.
Again, if it wasn't for the pain and the change in course this encounter, if that is what it was, imposed in my life I would never have played it much heed.

I have yet to read up on Thérèse of Lisieux. Haven't had time.