Kundalini, Depression & Medicine

Kundalini works in the body through the chakra centers. It flows & allows psychic blockage to be shifted. That is physical, psychological, mental, and emotional. Everything. This can pay out, in the broadest sense. Hopefully, to increase Bliss.

I have written about the kundalini and chakras associated with Shakti, the female energy of the Cosmos.

See Om Divine Grace published on Amazon.

Also on WordPress Blog: goddessmantra.guru and Podcast.

This is a follow on regarding some views of how kundalini works.

Suffering and Bliss.

How these words resonate within the religious or spiritual sphere. Kundalini revealed and free to flow is synonymous with a deep spiritual awareness, and a connection with the Divine. However, at some point the full process of energy involvement through the centers or chakras becomes irrelevant. We may do our daily spiritual practice, and then move into the sphere of knowledge and awareness of a Oneness or around us. So really the whole idea of human Awakening “upwards” through the chakras can be dispense with, or reversed, as one becomes more proficient. The same Divine energy comes down also to enable a somewhat different, but still divine experience. From a religious perspective, we worship a Divine firstly as external deity, and as a powerful being. We are at risk then of being the ostrich, with head buried in the sand, if we are not aligned to Divine energy presenting down into our human lives, mentally and physically. Therefore, the idea or meditating on kundalini arising may be somewhat misleading.

The external teacher or guru can help with clarification. Even without their clarification, remember that we are already connected to the Divine, because we are already part of a Divine universe. This can be seen in the sense that a spark is not different in essence to the fire.

Many who write about kundalini talk of periods of despair and feelings of failure. It seems similar to reports of religious experience that at senior stage of practice, God seems to turn away. Such descriptions have a very strong correlation to that of depression as a psychiatric disorder, characterized by specific symptomatology. The connection of spirituality and depression, or a deep abyss, seems there, but what about this in terms of kundalini energy. What about our own levels of enlightenment, for is a rising and hence possible weakening of kundalini, and the descending of Divine energy, really healthily awakening spiritual consciousness in the body.

This query may be in conflict with traditional views and aspects of kundalini practice. However the real purpose and function of kundalini is to enable us to have an experience of the witness stage, where we “see through” life as it is usually presenting. Its about transcending Maya and getting to self-knowledge or Gyana.

Ultimately. the kundalini is a holy force, the Shakti aligned to the Goddess energy. This could have similarities with the idea of a Holy Spirit. It takes us out of our material craziness, but also it takes us through them, not passing by them, or burying them. The Awakening doesn’t make us mad or bad, we already were!

We do however, have to take what cure we really need to take, and leave what we can discard. For instance, much of religion has become distorted over the years, and often serves no purpose or, confuses and even destroys us. We need then to see religion as something that can help us only in parts.
Also, does Prozac have a place. Does Valium have a place?. Do we get a therapist. herbalist, crystal gazer, acupuncturist, psychiatrist, or hypnotist? The options are multiple, but the opinions are even more so. Some believe psychiatry is the work of the Devil. For some its new Age. In short degrees of fundamentalism are very common. It is actually all around us in many forms, and even is the new norm!
Kundalini yoga is supposed to be therapeutic. There is some research into its practice, Of course quite a lot of research looks at the value of meditation also. Writers in this field have expressed views that the kundalini process can include exacerbation of physical and mental problems. Those same writers also agree, usually, that the kundalini process can lead to the unveiling of the true self and enlightenment.

Depression may be located in the heart chakra, Its effects appear to be in the brain area. The right side of the heart is described as a true spiritual center, A number of teachers are very clear on this view. Depression also has echoes in monasticism and renunciation. The Sanskrit word vairagya means dispassion. In this case, it is almost a complete abhorrence of the world, that drives a person into the state of renunciation known as sannyas in Sanskrit. This is very similar to the state of anhedonia, which is in psychiatry is a loss of interest in all the world that previously appeared attracting. The early life of the Buddha also illustrated this overwhelming urge through “sadness”, to remove oneself from the world at all costs, even if one was a king. One view would be that he had a very low mood, the second of the two main symptoms of clinical depression.

The connection between the center of the heart and the brain, is an esoteric subject all of its own. The product of these two areas may be a conflict between this life of the family, society and the male female domain, and the domain of monasticism, and introspection. It’s cave vs the cafe! Or we could see also a focus on good vs evil. This primary chakra however may be more than just one chakra. It seems also to be an area that is reached after the crown chakra has been breached. A sort of umbrella of light then moves down from the head to the heart area, and then all around the body. So, the kundalini goes up traversing the chakras, including the heart one, and then connects with the external Divine energy which can appear to become seated around the heart area. Some say its actually a little to the right. This is the “heart over mind” source of energy. Where the True self is focused, the Atma connected to the Brahma, Cosmic Consciousness. (See other writings about Atma and Brahma.

Can the concept of depression connected to kundalini and spiritual awakening, be seen as a higher process that is trying to connect and balance, the flow and of energy to and from divine consciousness? This seems to be a process that meets the needs and aspirations of the human personality.

In present society, that moves into an ever advancing research approaches to medical treatment to mental health, may come a recognition of kundalini type “electricity”. If currently medication approaches stay limited in their effectiveness, it needs be that the true workings of the brain are found, and the consequent cures thus “discovered”. Then kundalini energies may be recognized, just as the power of meditation and other spiritual practice, are being “discovered”.

At this point some consider that psychiatric drugs to some degree are toxins that damage the brain, whilst also healing the disorders. Just because some may say that psychiatry is becoming defunct, we can also say the same about religion, or new age, or spiritual practice. In reality if we find a medication that helps us without significant side effects, there should be no conflict between our spiritual practice and scientific evidence-based medicine.

Medicine is starting to recognized the connection between the brain and other areas of the body. Such as the presence of Serotonin in the stomach and the connect of stomach disorders with depression. We know the heart is connected. Think, loss and grief!

It seems logical to realized that the ancient sages and yoga treatises were onto something. How will modern medicine rise to the challenge of “discovering: that which has already been discovered? Again we have to reference the yet un-researched electrochemical components of the kundalini process. Can the chakras be found in a scientific investigation?

We will see.

Don’t hold you breath, because if you want enlightenment with full, peace and sanity, then the solution were there a ling time ago! The Universe is Sat, Chit, Ananda. Existence, Knowledge, Bliss. The philosophy of Vedanta gives us a clear picture of who and what we really are!

(See writing also on Vedanta).