The Spiritual Roller Coaster: Kundalini and Other Side Effects

This is Chapter 9 of the Kornfield book.

The sections in this chapter are:

(1)  Atitudes Toward Altered States–Certain spiritual paths insist that we need to attain profoundly altered states of consciousness in order to discovery a “transcendent” vision of life, to open beyond our body and mind and realize the divine taste of liberation. [Other schools]’s teachings say that liberation and transcendence must be discovered here and now, for if not here in the present, where else can it be found?  Instead of seeking to transcend, the perspective of the “immanent” school teaches reality, enlightenment, or the divine must shine through every moment or it is not genuine. (p. 120)

(2)  Some Common Altered States–When we begin a spiritual practice, we struggle with the pains of our body and the armoring we have forged for it over the years, we face emotional storms, and we encounter a procession of five common hinderances.  But as we continue spiritual practice, and become more familiar and compassionate with our deepest difficulties, even the most ingrained pattens of holding and fear will gradually lose their power over us.  We develop a spirit of calm and steadiness, whatever our means of practice. (p. 122)

(a)  Raptures–rapture is a broad term used to cover the many kinds of chills, movements, lights, floating, vibrations, delight, and more that open with deep concentration, as well as the enormous pleasure they can bring to meditation.  (p. 122)…Deep concentration can lead to all kinds of visions and visionary experiences.  Floods of memories, images of past lives, scenes of foreign lands, pictures of heavens and hells, the energies of all the great archetypes, can open before our eyes.  (p. 125)…(this has happened to me:  “…we can experience a release of the strongest kinds of emotions, from sorrow and despair to delight and ecstasy.  Meditation may feel like an emotional roller coaster as we allow ourselves to be plunged into unconscious emotions.” p. 126)

(b)  Chakras–This section describes the chakras and the openings of the energy body and the experience as our inner energy tries to move and free itself in the body

(3)  Skillful Means of Working with the Energetic and Emotional Openings–we need a teacher who has personally encountered and understood these dimensions of the psyche

(a)  All Experiences are Side Effects–In the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha often reminded students that the purpose of his teaching was not the accumulation of special good deeds and good karma or rapture or insight or bliss, but only the sure heart’s release–a true liberation of our being in every realm.  This freedom and awakening, and this alone, is the purpose of any genuine spiritual path. (p. 129)

(b)  Finding the Brake—very cool and interesting section!  The most important thing, however, is:  it is necessary to find a guide, someone who has touched their own madness, grief, and loss of boundaries, who can gradually and fearlessly direct us back to the ground of our own true nature.  (p. 132)

(c)  Awareness of the Dance–the practitioner’s primary responsibility is to open to the experience with a full awareness, observing and sensing it as a part of the dance of our human life. (p. 133)

(4)  Meditation:  Reflecting on Your Attitude Toward Altered States

Meditation

This is Chapter 10 of the Schiffmann book.

Now, let’s be very clear here. Meditation means listening, and the meditative mind is the “listening-to-Infinite-Mind” mind. The practice of yoga is a way of learning to be in this meditative listening state all the time. It’s not only about how flexible your body is, or how many advanced and intricate postures you can do, though all of this is wonderful. It’s about you and your specific mind listening to, being guided by, and communing with Infinite Mind, God. (p. 306)

Be curious. Want to know. It’s to your advantage to be intelligent and aware, not ignorant, and to know who you are and how life works – since everything is predicated on this. There is no reason to be hesitant, no sense in not investigating the truth of this claim. And don’t be so sure you’ve already got it figured out, one way or the other. This may or may not be true, you may or may not be Consciousness being specifically conscious, but find out. Don’t just accept it or reject it. See what it means. Look again. Experience yourself anew – directly. Consciously experience what it means to be conscious. We deserve to know the truth. We owe it to ourselves to prove it one way or the other, once and for all, and no longer to live out the suffering caused by inaccurate conceptions of who we are and how life works. (p. 307)

The following is great for leading a meditation:

Meditation will go through three stages: (1) feel the energy you are made of, (2) mentally listen inwardly, and (3) come back when you’re done.

Feel the Energy You Are Made Of

Starting from the floor, allow your awareness slowly to float upward through your core and body all the way up to the crown of your head. Feel it coming up slowly, at a leisurely pace. As your awareness floats slowly upward, allow yourself to expand and assume a new shape. Allow your chest gently to expand and lift up away from the waist, relax your shoulders back and down, rest your hands where they are comfortable, and balance your head perfectly on top of your spine. Lift or lower the chin until your head feels the most weightless, perfectly balanced. Then close your eyes and sense whether your face is slanting upward or downward excessively – even if it’s minimal – and make subtle internal adjustments until it feels perfect to you now.

Allow all of this to happen. Enjoy this part. Make subtle intuitive alignment changes until your posture feels perfect. The straighter you are, the more comfortable you will be. Be comfortable. Then put your awareness at the top of your head, the fontanel, and feel around for any kind of sensation.

Effortlessly move the crown of your head straight upward as far as it will go, and feel your spine and body reconfigure to this upward thought. You’ll notice many subtle changes occurring spontaneously in the alignment of your body as you do this, changes you are not personally responsible for, but that you allow to happen. Every subtle change will contribute to your overall sitting comfort. (p. 313)

The tendency is unconsciously to hold on, and what’s needed is the willingness consciously to let go. (p. 314)

When you surrender and become receptive to guidance, when you really become conscious of the movement of Life within you, you’ll begin to understand that there is already something greater than you in control. (p. 315)

Mentally Listen Inwardly as Though You Were Waiting to Hear a Message

Say, “Is there anything I need to know right now?” Then mentally listen inwardly.

Listen inwardly to the stillness of your quiet mind. Be in the void and listen as though you were waiting to hear a message. Listen as though you were hearing beautiful music. Listen with the intent to hear. (p. 321)

When You’re Done

When you are done listening, mentally say “Thank you.”

Then bring your awareness back to the breath, to the sensations in your nostrils, the taste of the air, and the feeling-tone of who you are – and take several deep breaths before opening your eyes and completing the meditation. Savor the air as you breathe in and out. Breathe with the awareness that you are bringing in something valuable, something that you need and therefore want. Breathe with appreciation, gratitude, enjoyment. Pull in life with each inhalation, and release every sense of strain and fear with each exhalation. Breathe with feeling. Relish the way you feel. Notice how relaxed you are, how peaceful, how at ease. And as your eyes open and you come back into the visible world, be mindful not to immediately tighten up, contract, or shrink and become small again. Stay relaxed, wide open like space. (p. 324)

Hands