Shared Transformation
Introduction to Issue 9
In the last issue, I said that I might be underestimating how ready the public might be for frank
discussions of the Kundalini phenomena. On March 17, the same day that Jacquelyn Small (of Eupsychia) was speaking
about our soul's need for transformation on the Oprah Winfrey show, San Francisco's largest daily newspaper, the
Chronicle, ran a front page article about spiritual emergence titled "Therapists Turn from Psyche to Soul"!!!
Although neither the article nor Small mentioned Kundalini directly, both were a quantum leap in that direction.
Amazing! Those of us in the forefront of knowing about this process are ever hungry to learn more. I have added
two new volumes to my ever-expanding collection:
KUNDALINI: EVOLUTION AND ENLIGHTENMENT, edited by John White (Paragon House, 1990).
The book is a compilation of essays by 37 different authors, many of which are excellent. White presents a wide
spectrum "of disputes" regarding "the philosophy, physiology, and methodology of Kundalini."
It is not surprising that there should be such variance in views; of all known spiritual phenomena, none remains
more shrouded in mystery than Kundalini. The paucity of women authors (only four) represented in this collection
is a bit disappointing. Still, overall, this book is a rich source of information and inspiration for anyone experiencing
the risen Kundalini.
KUNDALINI AND THE CHAKRAS by Genevieve Lewis Paulson (Llewellyn Publications, 1993)
The author of this book went through a long Kundalini awakening ("the worst of it took seven
years") which began in the '60s, when information about this process was "very scarce." Much of
her book is focused on her elaborate analytical breakdown of the chakras into complex subdivisions. She says this
specific information was conveyed to her by her guides, and while to some it may be useful, those who are more
intuitive are likely to find it somewhat cumbersome and mechanistic. The book is filled with exercises for releasing,
cleansing, refining and developing control of the Kundalini energies. I question some of Paulson's conclusions
which seem arbitrary and dogmatic, such as her hard and fast explanations of what is and is not karmic experience.
Like many individuals who have broken through to new realities, she presents her personal opinions and interpretations
as if they were established fact, which they are not. But all criticisms aside, Paulson definitely speaks as one
who "has been there," and this book does contain many insights that may be valuable to anyone going through
a Kundalini process.
-- El Collie