The Human Experience · Episode

Episode 80 – Bonnie Greenwell Ph.D – The Kundalini Guide

A conversation with Bonnie Greenwell Ph.D

Published: November 28, 2016
Runtime: 34:42

Listen or watch

Stay with the full conversation.

Episode field notes

Show notes

Bonnie Greenwell Ph.D has covered the various aspects of kundalini for over 30 years. She is regarded as one of the most credentialed people to cover the various aspects of Kundalini. Since 1983 she has worked as a transpersonal therapist with people having non-ordinary experiences associated with spiritual awakening, especially with kundalini arising, which was the topic of her doctoral dissertation at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.

Kundalini

Kundalini (Sanskrit kuṇḍalinī, कुण्डलिनी, About this sound pronunciation (help·info), “coiled one”), in the Dharma religions, is a primal energy, or shakti, located at the base of the spine. Different spiritual traditions teach methods of “awakening” kundalini for the purpose of reaching spiritual enlightenment. Kundalini is described as lying “coiled” at the base of the spine, represented as either a goddess or sleeping serpent waiting to be awakened. In modern commentaries, Kundalini has been called an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or “mother energy or intelligence of complete maturation”.

Kundalini awakening is said to result in deep meditation, enlightenment and bliss. This awakening involves the Kundalini physically moving up the central channel to reach within the Sahasrara Chakra at the top of the head. Many systems of yoga focus on the awakening of Kundalini through meditation, pranayama breathing, the practice of asana and chanting of mantras. In physical terms, one commonly reports the Kundalini experience to be a feeling of electric current running along the spine.

The Kundalini Guide

The eruption of kundalini energy from its secret nest at the base of the spine has been revered by some as bringing ecstasy and enlightenment, and disparaged by others as simply disabling, terrifying and dangerous. Mystics may call it a method of transformation. Skeptics consider it imaginary. All who have experienced it know it as a mystery and a profound life-altering experience. This book, based on 25 years of interviews with over 2000 people who have had this awakening, describes seven categories of phenomena that may occur, tells the eastern perspective of kundalini science, offers guidance on coping with the erratic energies and shifts of consciousness that happen, and reveals the inward path to self-realization that follows the deconstruction initiated by a kundalini arising. If you think you might be in this awakening process, you engage in spiritual or energy practices, or you have activated energies following a near-death experience or trauma, this book is your companion and guide.

Click to purchase

FIND TRANSCRIPT HERE

This was a wonderful conversation where we discussed the various psychological and physiological effects that come with the process known as a Kundalini Awakening

You will love this Episode!!!

Find Bonnie and her work Visit kundaliniguide.com.

Follow Xavier Katana on X

Connect with us on Facebook

We rely on listener support to keep this show AD FREE – If you value even one of our shows, help us sustain and scale the show up; Become a member for 5$/mo (a cup of coffee) or Donate.

Read the conversation

Transcript

A full transcript has been published for this conversation.

Click here for transcript

Ideas worth returning to

Quotes

Five substantial excerpts from the published transcript, lightly edited for clarity without changing their meaning.

“I begin by asking how the experience started because context determines what support a person needs. Someone already grounded in a spiritual community may understand the experience, while a person whose symptoms began after an accident may have no framework at all. Learning that spiritual-awakening experiences have been described for thousands of years can reduce fear and confusion.”
From the conversation
“Heightened sensitivity can reveal that a relationship, job, or way of living is no longer compatible with you. The body may be signaling a need to change or leave. People often suffer most when they remain in chronically stressful situations that conflict with what their bodies and deeper values are communicating.”
From the conversation
“The process can be understood as consciousness trying to wake up to itself through you. It may change how you see your life, identity, world, and connection with everything around you. That can be a profound opportunity even when it is inconvenient, disruptive, or not something you would have chosen at that moment.”
From the conversation
“In my experience, the first year or two was the most intense, with periods when the body seemed to need to release energy. I often suggest lying safely on a bed and allowing the movement for a short time. Fighting and contracting against it may make the experience more distressing, though anyone with concerning symptoms should also seek appropriate medical care.”
From the conversation
“As my understanding of life and self changed, the energetic intensity gradually faded. Bodywork or deliberate attention can sometimes invite it again, and then it is usually blissful. Age and a stable life may also have mellowed the process, so I cannot separate spiritual interpretation from the ordinary effects of time and circumstance.”
From the conversation