Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

St. Romain, Philip A.
Kundalini energy and Christian spirituality : a pathway to growth
and healing / by Philip St. Romain.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-8245-1062-3 (pbk.)
1. Kuxalini. 2. Christianity and yoga. 3. Spirituality.
I. Title.
BR128.Y63S77 1991
248.2-dc2O 90-22217
CEP

- Foreword -

This book is the first description that I know of in Christian literature about the awakening of kundalini energy in a purely Christian context. Kundalini has long been known in Taoist, Hindu, and Buddhist spirituality. The fact that this complete awakening occurred in the context of a classical development of Christian prayer makes it an important contribution to East/West dialogue. Given the newness of the kundalini experience in Christian circles, however, any theological interpretation is bound to be tentative.

Reading the Christian mystics from the perspective of his own experience of kundalini energy, the author sees many examples of its working in the lives of Christian saints and mystics. Since this energy is also at work today in numerous persons who are devoting themselves to contemplative prayer, this book is an important contribution to the renewal of the Christian contemplative tradition. It will be a great consolation to those who have experienced physical symptoms arising from the awakening of kundalini in the course of their spiritual journey, even if they have not experienced it to the full extent described by the author. His compelling testimony is a powerful affirmation of the potential of every human being for higher states of consciousness.

The awakening of kundalini energy and its various stages clearly enhances our understanding of how the body takes part in the spiritual journey. Spiritual writers of our tradition have long known that the body must be carefully prepared if it is to receive the higher communications of divine grace. For example, St. John of the Cross considered bodily ecstasy a weakness that gradually subsides in the process of transformation.

With keen insight, the author raises several crucial questions that arise from his experience of the full unfolding of kundalini. Prior to the awakening of kundalini he received the Baptism in the Spirit and enjoyed the gift of tongues. While appreciating the immense value of kundalini, he sharply distinguishes it from the action of the Holy Spirit. He considers kundalini a natural evolutionary energy inherent in every human being. There is a tendency in Hindu spirituality to identify kundalini and the Holy Spirit, perhaps because the Baptism in the Spirit is not a part of the experience of the East.

Kundalini is an enormous energy for good, but like all human potentials, it could also be used for selfish motives and thus become a source of serious harm. This is probably the energy that is so attractive in cult leaders; they may well impart a spiritual experience through the transmission of kundalini in a way that we do not yet understand. Energy, however great, is only energy. It is how one uses it that counts. Thus the importance of the moral context in which kundalini is awakened. Most spiritual disciplines worldwide insist on some kind of serious discipline before techniques of awakening kundalini are communicated. In Christian tradition, the exercise of the moral virtues that quiet emotional turmoil, the service of others, and the regular practice of the stages of Christian prayer from discursive meditation to contemplation are the essential disciplines. Without such positive preparation and the passive purifications described by St. John of the Cross, kundalini could serve the purposes of the false self and be used for spiritual power plays, to the great emotional and spiritual damage of other people. Thus, for a Christian at least, it is essential that their energy be directed by the Holy Spirit. In Christian spirituality, the unfolding of the stages of prayer described by St. Teresa of Avila in the Interior Castle may be the fruit of the kundalini energy arising under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Kundalini may also be an active ingredient in the Dark Nights of St. John of the Cross.

Kundalini has influenced ancient Eastern methods of medicine such as acupuncture and ayurvedic medicine. As these forms of healing become better known in the West, the question as to the exact nature of kundalini will certainly arise. All the Eastern traditions concur that this energy should not be awakened except under the guidance of a qualified teacher. Since this energy can arise through the practice of ordinary Christian prayer forms, the need of spiritual directors who are at least knowledgeable in this area is evident. The personal predicament that the author describes could be happening to other Christians in our time. Moreover, as Christian contemplation becomes better known, a number of persons who have experienced the awakening of kundalini through Eastern techniques may wish to return to their Christian roots, where their spiritual condition needs to be understood.

In order to guide persons having this experience, Christian spiritual directors may need to dialogue with Eastern teachers in order to get a fuller understanding. The importance of the “Document on the Non-Christian Religions” comes into focus here. The document states, "the Church therefore has this exhortation for her sons [and daughters]; Prudently and lovingly through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions and in witness of Christian faith and life, acknowledge, preserve and promote the spiritual and moral goods found among these men and women] as well as the values in their society and culture." (no. 2)

This book will initiate Christians on the spiritual journey into this important but long neglected dimension of the transforming power of grace.

THOMAS KEATING
June 1990

- Introduction -

“You're writing on Christian spirituality and what!”

So exclaimed a friend when I showed him this manuscript.

“Well, let's just say it's on contemplation and its effects,” I responded.

He thought that sounded more interesting.

Unless one has read avidly in the literature of Hinduism and New Age mysticism, a few of the terms utilized throughout this work are likely to be foreign. I realize that some readers are likely to be put off by terms such as “chakras,” “astral body,” and “kundalini energy,” but there are no synonymous or even analogous terms to describe these experiences in the Christian contemplative literature. It is in Hinduism that the kundalini process and its spiritual significance is most clearly identified, so my occasional use of Hindu terminology is a giving of credit where it is due. For those unfamiliar with Hinduism, however, a few, brief definitions are in order. (See Appendix One for a more developed elaboration on the Hindu context for understanding kundalini.)

1. Astral Body. This is the psycho-spiritual body in Hindu literature. It mediates between the gross body, which is material, and the causal body, which is pure spirit. Sometimes called the yogic body, it has its own energetic physiology, which roughly parallels the systems of the gross body.

2. Chakras. The term means “circle” in Sanskrit. These are the energy centers in the astral body, roughly corresponding to the spinal plexuses. Most texts speak of seven chakras, five of which are located along the spine; the sixth is located in the center of the forehead, and the seventh atop the head. Kundalini Yoga organizes its spiritual disciplines in reference to these chakras.

3. Kundalini. The term means the "curl of the hair of the beloved.” It is described as a very powerful form of psycho-spiritual energy that is curled, or coiled, at the base of the spine in the first chakra. When awakened through the disciplines of yoga, this energy uncoils and moves up through the spinal canal (the sushumna nadi), piercing the chakras and eventually entering the brain. Great energy, power, and insight accompany the experience of kundalini in the brain. For many, this is a short-lived experience: after entering the brain, kundalini slowly begins falling, eventually coiling again in the first chakra. It is said that yogis have the ability to keep the kundalini current flowing up to the seventh chakra, giving them experiences of extraordinary knowledge, power, and bliss.
Since the spring of 1986,1 have been experiencing various psychological and physiological phenomena such as those attributed to kundalini in the Hindu and Taoist literature. Through the years, the process has intensified, bringing many positive and painful experiences. All this has happened to me in the context of Christian, contemplative prayer.

The purpose of this book is to describe the kundalini process as experienced by a Christian. As far as I know, this is the first book of its kind, which makes it significant in terms of the relationship between Christian and Eastern mysticism. The implications of kundalini relative to physiology, psychology, and spirituality will also be discussed. I believe these reflections will be of interest to spiritual directors, pastoral counselors, contemplatives, New Age readers, and those interested in Christian-Eastern dialogue.

August 1990

- Acknowledgements -

During the course of my struggles to understand and integrate the experience of kundalini into my life as a Christian, several people have played very important roles. Quite obviously, this was not the kind of thing I could talk about with just anyone, but I am grateful that I could share these experiences with my wife, Lisa. She and my children provided an ongoing support environment that enabled me to ground my experiences in practical reality.

My correspondence with the Catholic contemplative Bernadette Roberts was also helpful. More than anyone I had ever read, she described experiences of contemplation that resonated with my own. I see the working of kundalini all throughout her journey.

My correspondence with author Jim Arraj helped me to identify the kundalini process in my experiences. This discovery did not come until the winter of 1988, when the process had almost completed its cycle. Our ongoing dialogue concerning Eastern and Christian spirituality has helped me to remain firmly rooted in my Catholic faith. It was also Jim who encouraged me to write this present work roughly along the lines in which it is organized.

Members of my support group — Rev. Walt Smith, Shirley Smith, Marchita Mauck, and Rev. Bob Marcel — were most puzzled when I first took a risk and shared my experiences during the spring of 1988. Nevertheless, they validated the good consequences they were observing and provided another helpful grounding in reality.

The small group meeting for daily Mass at St. George Parish has also been important to me — even though we do not say much to each other. Simply being with others for Eucharist has been a key to integrating kundalini

Tom Abel, my spiritual director and soul friend, has provided helpful feedback, confrontation, support, and encouragement. Also a family man, Tom is open to the working of the Spirit in many wonderful ways that have blessed me in my relationship with him.

After writing the first draft of this manuscript, I sent copies to Rev. Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O., Lee Sanella, M.D. Gene Kieffer (of the Kundalini Research Foundation), Sr. Fara Impastato, O.P., Michael Washburn, Ph.D., Bernadette Roberts, Jim Arraj, Michael Milner, Monica Freeman, and Mary Carmen Rose. All these people have either scholastic an/or personal experience and competence in discussing prayer, mysticism, and transpersonal experience. Their feedback has been of enormous help in strengthening many sections of this work. My ongoing dialogue with these people has also helped me to better integrate the kundalini experience.

What is Kundalini Energy?

On an experiential level, kundalini energy is simultaneously pure libido, pure psychic energy, and pure spiritual consciousness.

A theoretical definition of kundalini would be that it is the energy of the Dynamic Ground of Consciousness, which is the undifferentiated energy of the body-Soul union. This definition is similar, in many respects, to the Hindu idea of kundalini as Shakti, the inner (and feminine) power of God.

All bio-energy systems are, ultimately, charged with this energy, for it is the very life force in every person. However, the repressive and defensive mechanisms in Egoic consciousness prevent one from experiencing the full power of kundalini. Consequently, it is rightly said that, for most, kundalini is a dormant energy.

-How Is Kundalini Energy Awakened? -

Kundalini energy in its pure, undifferentiated form is experienced only after the personal and pre-personal dimensions of the unconscious mind have emptied their contents. Of course, kundalini is the energy "pushing" this cleansing process, and so the emptying of the unconscious is itself a "colored" experience of kundalini energy.

It may be said, then, that practices that facilitate the breakdown of Egoic defenses can help to awaken kundalini. The most effective method is a combination of meditation and yogic postures such as those taught in Hatha Yoga. Also effective are laying on of hands in prayer, certain drug experiences, praying in tongues, near-death experiences, certain ritualized sexual practices (Tantric sex), and intensive chanting and/or dancing. If these practices only temporarily puncture the seal of repression between the conscious and unconscious mind, the kundalini energies will erupt until the repressive mechanisms are "repaired." Such an arousal, then, is short-lived in comparison with a full-blown awakening, in which at least part of the repressive seal is permanently ruptured.

-What Is the Significance of a Kundalini Awakening? -

1. Kundalini awakening signals a reversal of the mechanisms of Original Repression, which enabled the Egoic pole to differentiate from its bodily base. If the Ego is balanced and cooperative, a new synthesis can be reached between the conscious "I" and its "Am," or Dynamic Ground. If the Ego is unbalanced, fragmented, and/or uncooperative, kundalini awakening can lead to various psychic disturbances -even permanent insanity, owing to the uneven distribution of energy flowing into the brain. Unbalanced and emotionally colored kundalini awakenings can also overstrain physiological systems, resulting in physical pain, and, in extremely rare cases, death.

2. Kundalini awakening signals a dramatic change in the energy dynamics of the psycho-physiological systems. This change is analogous to adolescence, when the psycho-physiological systems were "wired," as it were, for reproduction. With the awakening of kundalini, something of a reversal of adolescence takes place, with the sexual energy becoming genitally diminished and more diffused throughout the body.

3. Kundalini awakening cleanses the bodily tissues of the physiological roots of emotional pain, allowing the tissues to function more efficiently.

4. As a consequence of the above three factors, a kundalini awakening signals the beginning of the end of the Mental Ego, which maintained itself as a differentiated pole of consciousness through conceptual attachments and emotion-laden defense mechanisms. Kundalini dismantles the defense mechanisms by stripping them of their physiological roots. Thus open to the Dynamic Ground, the Ego stands disoriented and eventually drops its conceptual ties.

5. As the energy of the Dynamic Ground, kundalini awakens one on a level of Soul, which is the True Self experience. This Soul experience is simultaneously one-with-God and not-God.

6. It is written in many places that kundalini is evolutionary energy. This is true to the extent that we accept the likelihood that the expanded states of consciousness brought about in a kundalini awakening are part of our human evolutionary future.

7. In the context of spirituality, it can be seen that a kundalini awakening helps one to bring greater energies and psychic gifts into the service of Love. Kundalini awakening is no guarantee of holiness, however. Free will persists and, with it, the possibility of misusing freedom. Love, too, must continually be chosen.

-What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Kundalini Awakening?

Most of the symptoms listed below will be experienced at some time during the kundalini process. Not all will be experienced at once, however (thank God!). Generally, a person who has experienced awakened kundalini will have at least three of these symptoms occurring regularly through the day.

1. Inner vision illuminated when the eyes are closed, especially during times of prayer and meditation. Visual background turning blue, purple, ultraviolet, gold, silver, or white, sometimes forming circular, amoeboid, or tunnel-like patterns.

2. Sensations of heat and/or cold in different parts of the body, especially the shoulders and the top of the head.

3. Tingling sensations in the brain, ears, forehead, spine, and other parts of the body. Feeling like an electrical current is shooting through these places, often snapping or popping through nerves.

4. Sensations of a warm, energized fluid slowly pushing its way around the brain and/or up the spine.

5. Perception of inner sounds -ringing, chirping, buzzing, ringing in the ears.

6. Strong compulsion to be alone and to meditate very deeply.

7. Strong compulsion to close eyes tightly, especially during meditation.

8. Very deep and quiet states of consciousness during meditation; sense of going down into an abyss, or "black hole."

9. Alteration of breathing patterns -sometimes slow and shallow (especially during meditation), short and choppy, or deep and smooth. Growing preference for abdominal breathing.

10. Sensations of electrical energy rippling through the reproductive organs.

11. Sensations of gaseous bubbles arising from the area of the reproductive organs.

12. Compulsion to move facial muscles and bodily limbs in yoga-like postures.

13. Emotional release through weeping and deep sighs.

14. Disorientation in sense of self -not feeling oneself. Sense of "fading," of not really being here.

15. Loss of affective memory; loss of a felt sense of Egoic continuity. "Flattening" of memory.

16. Sense of an inner eye seeing with the two sense eyes. Sense of warmth and strength emanating from the center of the forehead.

17. Inability to stay focused in logical-conceptual consciousness. Inner resistance to conceptualization.

18. Drowsiness when energy is pushing its way into the brain.

19. Pain in the area of the heart and stomach -especially if one has not eaten for a few hours.

-What Are Some Ways to Cope with and Integrate Awakened Kundalini Energies?

1. Don't panic! Fear only colors the energy darkly. There is nothing to fear if you cooperate with the process (or at least don't frustrate it too much).

2. Find someone to talk to about what is happening to you -preferably someone who knows about kundalini or spiritual growth.

3. Accept the process as a sign of growth. Be grateful for the growth that is taking place within, painful though it may be.

4. Do not work against the process. Pay attention to what hurts, and back off on activities that seem to frustrate the process (e.g., heavy reading, drinking alcohol, using drugs, smoking, immoderate sex, even too much meditation). Learn to "go with the flow."

5. Keep your intent of consciousness focused on BEING HERE NOW IN LOVE.

6. Let the various states of consciousness produced by kundalini come and go. Experience and explore them, but do not attach to them. The True Self is not to be found in any particular state of consciousness.

7. Surrender yourself into the care of Christ, Whose Spirit is capable of guiding your kundalini energies toward a wholesome integration. Trust that a Higher Guidance is at work in the process. Ask for this Guidance when confused; listen for the answers.

8. Accept the pains that come and willingly cooperate with asanas and compulsions to meditate. These all pass away in time.

9. Practice yogic asanas for at least fifteen minutes a day to help facilitate the movement of the energy. Also consider using Tai Chi, massage, and/or movement therapies, especially when the energy seems to be blocked.

10. Learn to breathe abdominally.

11. Practice the mahabandha lock under the supervision of an experienced guide. Tuck the chin into the chest, thawing the navel inward and upward during exhalation while gently contracting the anal sphincter and perineal muscles. Keeping the chin tucked in, relax the muscles during inhalation drawing the navel outward to pull the diaphragm downward. Gently repeat this pattern of contracting and relaxing muscles while exhaling and inhaling deeply, attaching a spiritually focused mantra (e.g., "Come, Lord") to the breathing pattern.

12. Eat a balanced and nutritious diet, avoiding red meat, eggs, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee, and empty calorie sweets. Eat more fruit, vegetables, brown rice, grains, nutritious pastries, cheese, milk, yogurt, tofu, and nuts. These healthy foods probably do play a vital role in producing maximum nutrition and minimum pollution to a body undergoing physiological changes.

13. During times of strong energy upheavals, keep food in the stomach. A small snack such as bread and butter every three hours will help to minimize burning sensations in the stomach.

14. Avoid all forms of willful, competitive activities that generate fear and anger, for these will contaminate the energy with painful emotions.

15. Learn to deal with feelings as they arise through proper communication skills.

16. Males should be especially careful about sexual expression. Although the research on kundalini and sexuality is only in its infancy, the experiences of many (the author included) point up a definite relationship between kundalini energy and sexual energy. Genital sexuality should not be divorced from love, or else one's spiritual energy and physiological responsiveness will be lowered.

17. Creative outlets of expression help to ground the energy. This was a turning point in Gopi Krishna's experience of kundalini, and many others have noted the same. Activities such as dance, song, art, poetry, sculpture, gardening, and even long, quiet walks are helpful.

18. When you don't know what to do to cooperate with the process, it is better to do less than too much. For example, it is better to cut back on meditation than to meditate too much. It is easier to awaken a sleeping serpent than to tame an angry one.

19. Above all, you should be careful about Egoic inflation, especially in the early stages. In certain states of consciousness, you may experience profound psychic gifts and feel like a great spiritual genius. You are still human, however. Even though it is not commonly observed, thousands of people throughout history have gone through this process. It's just a part of our human development -that's all!

20. Get a good night's sleep. If the ears hurt, sleep on your side with the ear hurting most (probably the right ear) downward.

21. If symptoms become too uncomfortably strong and painful, suspend meditation, eat more food, and get more exercise. Gradually resume meditation when uncomfortable symptoms have subsided. If this does not help, seek professional guidance.

- Appendix Four -

The Cosmic Egg
by Philip St. Romain

What follows is a graphic I've used in workshops about kundalini. It attempts to diagram the relationship between the kinds of ideas expressed in the previous appendices and in the book concerning the levels of being, the chakras, Jung's archetypes, and a few other concepts. A few notes follow below:

1. The created universe is represented as the oval/egg, and the various levels of being in the universe are delineated with the horizontal lines. All the levels of the universe exist in God, and God is also transcendent to the created universe, existing in a realm we call the Supernatural.

2. The human form/soul is represented by the triangle, which shows the relationship of the soul to the various levels of being (not drawn to scale, of course). Note that the soul connects to the Physical Level through its body/sense organs and also encompasses the Physiological/Vegetative level and Animal/Emotional-Instinctual levels while extending into the Spiritual Level, though not into the realm of pure spirits such as angels experience.

3. The Ego is considered the spiritual individuality of the soul. It is experienced in different ways as one develops the levels of one's being in the manner similar to that described at the end of Chapter 3. The same Spiritual Ego manifests in all these levels, finally awakening to itself in the higher stages of spiritual development. There is only one Self or Spiritual Ego, although its manifestation is layered through the levels of being and may even be experienced as fractured through dysfunctional dynamics and repressed energies/defenses.

4. Although we are conscious of something of our physical, physiological, emotional, intellectual and spiritual potentialities, we are also unconscious of a great deal. This is not all repressed material, although some of it is. Much is simply unrealized or unawakened. Hence, we can speak of the unconscious as having aspects that are physical, physiological, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

5. Note that the spiritual dimension of the soul is open to receiving good and bad influences from the spiritual level of the universe. Good and bad spiritual entities can communicate with the soul, as can God. Awareness of the loving Spirit of God in the various levels of the soul is what Christianity means by contemplation.

6. The chakras are not demonstrated here, but could be along the vertical line in the soul/triangle, with the first chakra at the lower level and the seventh at the pinnacle of the soul, where it receives its existence from God. To be awake at this level could be considered enlightenment in the Eastern sense of the term.

7. In this framework, kundalini could be viewed as an energy moving through the vertical axis to enable the various levels of the soul to become more transparent to the Spiritual Ego. This process could be awakened by the soul's own innate striving to awaken to its fullest potential, which does not by any means discount the role of Supernatural Grace (Divine Life) in drawing and supporting the soul in this movement. Kundalini, in turn, could work to enable Supernatural Grace to be more deeply received in the various levels of being.

POSTSCRIPT

My husband, Phil, has asked me to write about my thoughts and perceptions of what has been going on with him these past four years. I do so quite willingly. He has always shared his spiritual experiences with me, even before our marriage. Our relationship began in Christian community and has been rooted in our Catholic faith even as we individually struggled to let go of various attachments and fears.

When he told me a few years ago about seeing lights in his head (which he later called mandalas), buzzings in the ears, crying for hours at night, energy fizzing from the top of his head, the "crab" in his brain, the pressure inside his ears, I found it all very strange. I did not find him strange, however. He was becoming more humble, more sensitive, less defensive and sarcastic. He continued his work and his share of the housework and childcare. As for the increase in prayer time... well, I always knew he needed time for prayer. Sometimes I felt a little sorry for him, having to go through these crazy-sounding things. Sometimes, too, I was a little awed, wondering whom I was married to! But my understanding, which I shared with him and with our support group, was not that he needed medical attention. Rather, I perceived this process as the way God chose to break through Phil's strong intellectualism. He was always a "head" person. In the new prayer experiences which forced him to just "be" --no words, no writing, no thinking- -it seemed he was being "rounded out" by God. Since we knew of no other person experiencing anything similar, I figured God must be working with him in a very individualized manner!

Discovering that all these strange experiences were called kundalini and were well known in certain forms of yoga was especially reassuring for him. I was glad he had comrades, of a sort. All I could offer was to be a listener who reassured him that I did not think he was crazy. However, the only part that had been familiar to me were the "grimaces" he'd refer to; those I recognized from Hatha Yoga (I was one who frequently did yoga stretches for fitness only), and those grimaces I thought were intended to give strength and flexibility to his facial and neck muscles.

As for myself, I do not expect to experience this kundalini process in the way that Phil has experienced it. We are different in our primary Jungian functions -his being introverted intuition, mine extraverted feeling. Thus, our Shadow experiences are different. We've also talked about gender being a factor. Phil surmises that for women in general, the unfolding of the impersonal feminine power is not such a shock to the system as for men. In any case, my spiritual journey to wholeness is presently different from his. Comparisons of better or worse are not appropriate here. God, Who knows us better than we know ourselves, leads us on the journey. We follow with trust.

LISA BELLECCI-ST. ROMAIN

AFTERWORD

The spontaneous awakening of kundalini-like energies that this book recounts has a significance that goes far beyond the importance it has in the personal life of Philip St. Romain. It is certainly fascinating to be allowed a glimpse into what it is like to suddenly encounter the ancient serpent power, or kundalini, that played so important a role in the religious life of ancient India. But since the author is at once a practicing Catholic devoted to the life of prayer and the recipient of experiences described by the sages of India, he has become, unwittingly, a laboratory in which we can see in microcosm some of the most crucial questions that face Christianity today.

Up until recently Christians have suffered from a mixture of cultural and religious superiority and defensiveness that have restricted their relationship with other religions and the secular world, as well. After the Second Vatican Council all this began to change rapidly. The separations of the past gave way to a growing enthusiasm to find what Christians had in common with Hindus and Zen Buddhists, Jungian psychologists and cosmologists, and these dialogues will have an important impact on the shape of the Church of the future.

But now that these discussions are beginning to mature, the first signs are appearing that this enthusiasm for convergence might be too facile. Is Buddhist enlightenment really the same as the mystical experience of Christians? Is Jung's process of individuation to be identified with prayer? Or must we face the fact that a fully mature dialogue must carefully distinguish differences, not in order to go back to the old separations, but to go forward to a higher and deeper unity?

This is why experiences like that of Philip St. Romain are so important. As a man trained in biology he has to ask how kundalini relates to anatomy and physiology. As a psychotherapist he is compelled to frame a psychological explanation thawing on the findings of depth psychology. And as a Christian he has to grapple with the difficult issue of how to relate his experiences of prayer with the awakening of a new kind of consciousness through kundalini. It is the men and women who experience from within both Hinduism and Christianity or Buddhism and Christianity, or Jungian psychology and Christianity, or modern physics and Christianity, and struggle to be faithful to each reality, in the face of the temptation to give way to hasty identifications, that will lead the way to the creation of a true global culture. The value of Philip St. Romain's book should not be sought first of all in the interesting hypotheses he advances in his attempt to integrate the experience of kundalini with the other aspects of his life; rather it resides in the simple but remarkable fact that he now lives in two worlds that he has to struggle to bring together, not only for his own sake, but for all of us.

JAMES ARRAJ

For more information about Jim Arraj and his work, see http://innerexplorations.com