Kundalini Rising: Exploring the Energy of Awakening

by Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, Dorothy Walters (Contributor)

You have within you a latent energy waiting to transform your life. Known as kundalini, this legendary power is believed to catalyze spiritual evolution. But is kundalini real? And if so, how can we engage this energy to awaken our consciousness?

For centuries, the secrets of kundalini have been guarded by masters and buried in esoteric texts around the globe. Kundalini Rising brings together 24 illuminating essays by some of today's most prominent voices to demystify this mysterious phenomenon.

From personal accounts and yogic practices, to brain research and historical perspectives, this compelling anthology weaves together both the mystical and practical perspectives on the rise of kundalini energy to help support your own spiritual discovery.

Contributors Lawrence Edwards, PhD; Bonnie Greenwell, PhD; Bruce Greyson, MD; Gene Keiffer; Penny Kelly; Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa; Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, PhD; Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, PhD; Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, PhD; Gopi Krishna; Olga Louchakova; David Lukoff, PhD; Andrew B. Newberg, PhD; Stuart Perrin; John Selby; Stuart Sovatsky, PhD; Swami Sivananda Radha; Dorothy Walters, PhD; John White; Whitehawk; Barbara Harris Whitfield; Charles L. Whitfield, MD; and Ken Wilber.

Genres: Spirituality, Meditation, Nonfiction, Essays, Psychology

408 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2007

About the author

Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa is a teacher of Kundalini Yoga and a pioneer in the field of pre-natal yoga. She is the co-founder and director of the Golden Bridge Yoga Center in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Jason]

Ever since I had a kundalini awakening experience in 2005, I've picked up books on kundalini, hoping to better understand the nature of my experience. Truth be told, I still don't have the slightest idea what kundalini is all about, and I'm not much for the spiritual platitudes that I so often hear. This book, so far, is the most accessible anthology on kundalini that I have encountered. I can relate to so much of what I'm reading. This book helps me see kundalini as more of a blessing than a curse and it is really helping me to articulate what kundalini has been for me.

[aditi mahajan · Rating 3 out of 5]

p good p good

have been interested in kundalini for a while and this was a cool way to learn more about it. i love books that are a series of essays

knocked off a few stars because i did not love some of the viewpoints in the stories. i wish this book had had more viewpoints from people of color, particularly indian people - my reminder to all poc out there- your traditions don’t only have value when america realizes it.

[Idontknow · Rating 4 out of 5]

From "What the hell just happened to me" to basic advice on how to not be a complete nutjob, this book covers basically the whole spectrum of "spiritual awakening", and goes a step further, associating a variety of illnesses (and other diverse adverse physiological impacts) with this process; and how to work through them. Written in Essay format, a very easy read. Each chapter is a separate essay covering a different topic/aspect, each with a brief summary of each at the start of the chapter.

Some essays are might not be as helpful as others to specific readers... but each essay is clearly pointing to a common recurring theme and key component. Definitely worth checking out if it's bothering you; multiple PHD and MD authored papers contained herein.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me an eternity to read, but that's only because I would finish one essay and immediately want to reread it. In some ways I feel like I've read the book a few times through. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see kundalini through so many different lenses: medical studies, brain research, mental health, yoga practice, philosophy, historical perspectives, on and on. A truly must-read book for anyone hoping to get some questions answered about kundalini energy...and provoke even more questions in the process!

[Del Zimmerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I sought this book out as the purported authority on kundalini. I found this anthology of essays to be particularly disjointed, disorganized and somewhat contradictory among its many authors. While I did find nuggets of information that resonated with me, mostly I would have a hard time recommending this as any kind of definitive collection on the subject.

[Rochelle Km. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its provides a good mix of perspectives: people providing their own personal experiences, but also that of researches analysing the phenomenon objectively and even compares 'kundalini awakening" to near death experiences.

[Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction to the topic. I feel some of the essays could have been lightly edited, as a few were introductions to other books (and talked about that particular book) while a few others were taken from parts of books in which you needed to have read the book to understand. Rather than collecting past essays, the editor could have had some authors work in dialogue together so as to talk with each other rather than "talk past" and repeat the same core concepts. The collection does allow a beginner to discover and further explore relevant authors and practitioners.

[John Majerle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book "about" kundalini. However I was disappointed that it was not book "on" kundalini. Like other esoteric topics, knowledge of kundalini is experiential and can not be fully appreciated simply by reading a book.

However I do recommend a thorough reading of this book before diving into your personal kundalini journey.

[Dora Viazzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well organized book on a topic that is not in my beliefs. I was glad to understand a different point of view though since it is well done.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding collection of essays from doctors and gurus on Kundalini and consciousness. A must read.

[Bruna (bruandthebooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Dr Goon Taco Supreme · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m terribly disappointed in “Kundalini Rising: Exploring the Energy of Awakening.” The book is a collection of essays that claim to be about kundalini, but few of the essays manage to stay on topic.

Some of the essays are not even about kundalini at all, but instead focus on kundalini yoga. If I wanted to read a book about kundalini yoga, I’d have gotten a book about kundalini yoga. This book is supposed to be about kundalini, not about yoga.

The yoga essays weren’t really that bad in comparison to the essays that recounted the experiences some authors claimed to have had as a result of kundalini. Any essay submitted for this book that included claims such as, “After my kundalini awakening, I became a lightworker and began healing our race for the Aquarius age,” should have been rejected. There are two such essays in this book that made crazed New Age claims that should never have made it to publication.

Some person who calls himself “Whitehawk” wrote the worst essay in the whole book. I’m still angry for having spent time reading Whitehawk's unverifiable claims that he is now so enlightened from his kundalini experience that he removes viruses from the Earth by processing them through his energy field. Whitehawk claims to regularly have out-of-body-experiences to meet with a committee of guides who instruct him on how to heal the Earth for the Age of Aquarius.

I almost stopped reading the book after Whitehawk’s essay. You sound like a liar, Whitehawk. You may need medication and case management.

After reading Whitehawks train wreck of an essay, I read the next essay written by John Selby, a psychologist and writer of an excellent book called “Kundalini Awakening.” In the essay, poor old Selby has decided that his Kundalini experiences were all in his imagination.

So basically, this book goes from insulting the topic, what with Whitehawk’s unbelievable claims, to denigrating the topic, with poor Selby shooting it all down.

There were a few essays of value to be found in this book. Lawrence Edwards wrote an excellent essay about his kundilini experience, as did Barbara Harris Whitefield.

However, the majority of the essays would have been better off in different volumes. Whitehawk should be in with some New Age book filled with goofy essays about wearing pyramid hats.

And the majority of the essays should be in a book devoted to kundalini yoga. The essay about Freud and chakras should have been included in no written works, but instead torn up and thrown away. Arrrrrrrghhhhh. I’m telling you, this book was no good.

[Priscilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago I had a dream and heard "kundalini". I had never heard or saw the word before. I tried googling the word at the time my spelling was off. When I finally got the right spelling, a number of refernces came up andI stumbbled onto this book- Kundalini Rising. My background is christainity and kundalini seems alot like receiving the holyspirit to me.I received the holyspirit years ago- so I'm still baffled as to what the dream meant. I enjoyed reading the book and learning of other spiritual paths especially the similarities.

[Shyaam Kalbik · Rating 4 out of 5]

The greatest strength and weakness of this volume is its diversity authors and contents. Viewing this phenomenon from an array of perspectives illuminates how incredibly profound the spiritual experiences are.

One does not need to read very much of the book to begin to see that, although fairly elaborately conceptualized in yogic philosophy, kundalini research, from the lens of modern science, is still very much in its infancy.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

To validate that the energy and power that resides within is real. And as powerful as it feels.
This coupled well with some Budo doctrine and philosophy I have read. I enjoyed the stories and other peoples experience with the energy that resides with in. How they channel it and the benefits and pitfalls of power...

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good collection of essays on a very specific topic that relates to yoga and sex and all sorts of fun things. Some essays are much more useful and interesting than others, but if you're working on activating your root and sacral chakras, this could help.

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

From really extreme experiences that are inherently not that relatable, to academic medical essays, this book was a lot less accessible than I hoped and less instructional than the write-up made it seem. : (

[Marilyn Zeiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good help for meditation and balancing your power

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes. They were not met. I'm glad I read it though. The good parts were worth it. Some things were validated. Other times I felt like the greater authority.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate how broad these takes on kundalini are, & I wish I'd had this book earlier! It would have demystified my experience & made me feel a lot less afraid.

[Lux Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the selections are life-changing; some...not.