Many people these days are reporting experiences of kundalini awakening. What is this mysterious force? What are its manifestations? Must all spiritual aspirants go through them? Are their ways to consciously make it ascend? How safe is it?

Fringe benefits of kundalini

As the kundalini moves higher into each chakra, the brain would start registering different experiences and one would attain siddhis. However, if one gets caught in these siddhis, the ultimate union would move away from sight, so all gurus guide their students to not get caught up in them.

Patanjali in his yoga sutras, observes that ‘‘All these psychic manifestations are obstacles that block the free flow of consciousness towards samadhi.’’

This is how C.W. Leadbeater described the evolution process of the kundalini: ‘‘As the kundalini moves into the second etheric centre and the ‘petals of the lotus open’, man might start to remember his astral journeys. In the third centre, the physical body becomes quite conscious of astral influences, would properly understand the reasons."

Leadbeater adds: "As it moves into the fourth centre, man instinctively becomes aware of the joys and sorrows of others. The arousing of the fifth enables him to hear voices, which sometimes make all kinds of suggestions to him. He might also hear music or other less pleasant sounds. When it is fully working, it makes the person clairaudient as far as the etheric and the astral planes are concerned. When the sixth is aroused, man begins to see things, to have various sorts of waking visions. The full arousing brings clairvoyance. When the seventh centre is quickened, the man is able by passing through it to leave his body in full consciousness , and also to return to it without the break.’’