Sooner or later on the spiritual awakening journey, we all taste the mysterious and intense phenomenon known as kundalini energy.
It might be smooth and subtle, or intense and explosive, but whatever the case, kundalini is a primal force of awakening.
In fact, sometimes people can experience full-blown kundalini awakenings spontaneously without any prior experience (or interest) in spiritual growth or transformation.
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Have you experienced a kundalini awakening?
If you’re curious to discover whether you’re going through a kundalini awakening or something else entirely, keep reading.
Table of contents
What is a Kundalini Awakening?
Put simply, a kundalini awakening is a form of energetic awakening that causes us to transform on the mental, emotional, and spiritual levels.
Kundalini itself is a Sanskrit word that means “she who is coiled.” It refers to primordial life force energy contained at the base of the spine that is often depicted as a snake.
This serpentine energy, once awoken, travels up the various energy centers (or chakras) of the body and into your crown chakra where higher consciousness is triggered.
The result of this higher awareness is a greater understanding of your Soul (or True Nature), life purpose, and the nature of reality itself.
19 Symptoms of the Kundalini Awakening
As divine feminine energy, kundalini usually lies dormant in the root chakra (base of the spine).
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However, there are a number of different situations where kundalini can be suddenly awoken spanning from trauma to drug use, all the way to years of targeted practice (such as tantra or kundalini yoga).
Below, I’ve divided kundalini awakening symptoms into two groups: “light” and “dark” signs.
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Please note that kundalini energy is neither good nor bad, instead, it’s a primordial force that simply lives within us. However, to the human mind, some of these experiences are pleasant, and others are extremely unpleasant:
‘Light’ Kundalini Awakening Symptoms
- You feel a spiritual connection with the Divine that transcends the ego
- You are bathed in bliss and boundless love
- You experience periods of Oneness where your compassion for humanity increases
- You tap into extrasensory abilities (ESP) and/or develop extraordinary gifts
- Pleasurable sensations pulsate through your body
- You’re inspired to make big, life-altering decisions and authentic changes in your life
- Synchronicity (i.e., meaningful or miraculous coincidences) increases tremendously
- You have profound insights into your behavior and past experiences
- Your empathic abilities strengthen, and you can feel everything at a profound level
- You begin to understand the nature of the mind and how it influences reality
- You keep receiving big, cosmic “downloads” of information (soul communication)
‘Dark’ Kundalini Awakening Symptoms
- You experience intense, involuntary shaking of the body that can be alarming
- Your nervous system becomes hypersensitive to external stressors (bright lights, TV violence, loud noises) and shuts down or craves total solitude
- You struggle to sleep properly
- You experience sudden and shocking moments of ego death
- You have visual disturbances that can feel alarming (e.g., objects seeming to vibrate)
- You experience intense heat, vibrations, or electricity surge through your body
- It feels like you’re having a bad drug trip while sober
- You struggle to distinguish what is real from imagined (psychosis) and feel like you’re going crazy
If you would like to learn more about each of these symptoms and the stages they correspond to, you can read my article on Kundalini Awakening Stages.
Other Kundalini Awakening Symptoms
The above kundalini awakening signs are fairly common. However, as someone who has experienced the energy of kundalini move through me, I can say that it doesn’t happen in the exact same way for everyone.
One of the most recent experiences I’ve had with kundalini, for instance, was preceded by two weeks of low-scale feelings of ‘impending doom,’ followed by the kundalini energy gently moving from my head and down through my body into my stomach.
The energy felt gentle, like a soft breath of wind, and when it reached my stomach, it felt like it was ‘working’ on something there. Then it melted away and vanished.
Here are some other, and perhaps less common, kundalini awakening symptoms:
- Feeling shattered (fragmented) or like you have no center
- Dreaming of snakes or seeing snakes everywhere (this is an alert from your subconscious mind)
- Feeling raw and extremely vulnerable, like a newborn child
- Manic and exuberant energy or the opposite, chronic fatigue (sometimes alternating)
- Frequent lucid dreams or vivid dreams
- Seeing lights or hearing music that isn’t there
- Tapping into your past life experiences (or other people’s)
- Entering spontaneous yoga poses (known as kriyas), mudras (hand poses), or pranayama (yogic breathing)
- Developing a Savior Complex or feelings of grandiosity
- Feeling intense grief for the planet and all suffering beings
- Out-of-body experiences where you (may/may not) connect with your Higher Self
- Visual and hearing changes
- Panic attacks and feelings of terror
- Strange food cravings or aversions
- Spontaneous orgasms
- Developing strange, undiagnosable physical symptoms that may manifest as autoimmune conditions, digestive issues, nausea, etc.
Have you experienced any of the signs mentioned above? Feel free to share your experience in the comments. This might help others who have undergone similar experiences to not feel alone.
Is Kundalini Awakening Dangerous?
This is a fair question, especially considering some of the symptoms mentioned above.
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To answer the question, yes and no. Kundalini energy isn’t innately dangerous or bad. It’s our energy blockages that limit the flow of kundalini that make it a painful, scary, and sometimes dangerous experience.
In Georg Feuerstein’s book Tantra: Path of Ecstasy, he explores why kundalini can go haywire:
Without prior cleansing of the nādī system, raising the serpent power (kundalinī-shakti) along the axial pathway is not only impossible but also very dangerous to attempt, for instead of entering the central channel (sushumnā-nādī) it is likely to force itself into the idā- or the pingalā-nādī, on either side of the central channel, causing immense havoc in the body and mind.
In other words, when kundalini is prematurely stimulated or aroused in an incorrect way (aka., through inadequate preparation and clearing of our energetic body), the results can be disastrous. Thankfully, the experience doesn’t last forever, and we’ll explore what to do if you’re experiencing the ‘dark side’ of kundalini awakening a little later.
But to further illustrate, Feuerstein goes on to quote the experience of yogi and mystic Gopi Krishna during his spontaneous kundalini experience. He writes:
There were dreadful disturbances in all the organs, each so alarming and painful that I wonder how I managed to retain my self-possession under the onslaught. The whole delicate organism was burning, withering away completely under the fiery blast racing through its interior. I knew I was dying and that my heart could not stand the tremendous strain for long. My throat was scorched and every part of my body flaming and burning, but I could do nothing to alleviate the dreadful suffering. If a well or river had been near I would have jumped into its cold depths, preferring death to what I was undergoing. . . . I racked my distracted brain for a way of escape, only to meet blank despair on every side. The effort exhausted me and I felt myself sinking, dully conscious of the scalding sea of pain in which I was drowning.
I’ll stop there because I know that this might be alarming to you (or alternatively, affirming, helping you to see that you’re not alone if you’ve experienced this).
In short, kundalini is a mighty potent force.
If you’re seeking to awaken it, be sure you know what you’re doing and seek out trustworthy guidance. This is not something to be trifled with.
Spiritual Awakening vs. Kundalini Awakening – What’s the Difference?
While the two sound the same, they’re slightly different in nature.
The spiritual awakening process (or what we refer to as the spiritual wanderer’s journey) tends to be emotional and psychological. Kundalini awakening, on the other hand, is energetic: it’s a surge of energy that may be either gentle and gradual, or sudden and intense.
While kundalini awakening usually comes further down the road after someone has experienced a spiritual awakening, it doesn’t always.
As mentioned previously, kundalini can arise suddenly in response to psychedelic drug experiences, sexual encounters, or even traumatic situations.
Another distinguishing factor is that kundalini energy is felt very physically whereas the spiritual awakening is usually more mind and heart oriented.
So while intense vibrations and heat may be felt in the body during kundalini awakening, during spiritual awakening there is more of a soulful quality of deep questioning, insight, and transfiguration (some refer to this as spiritual alchemy).
Can someone experience both spiritual awakening and kundalini awakening at the same time? Yes, absolutely.
It’s for this reason that both tend to lead to the experience of the Dark Night of the Soul (or the inevitable after-effect of having felt like one has ‘lost touch’ with the Divine). Ultimately, they are two sides of the same coin.
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5 Hidden Traps of Kundalini Awakening
The kundalini shakti bestows liberation on yogins and bondage on the ignorant.
– Svātmarāma (15th century yogi master)
Kundalini awakening is a life-changing mystical experience that can feel magical, ecstatic, and profound. And it is. But there are also many hidden traps we can fall into after we’ve emerged out of the other end.
Some of these traps involve:
- Spiritual superiority – seeing yourself as “more awake” than others and looking down on those who are not as advanced or still “asleep” (also known as spiritual narcissism)
- Savior complex – adopting a disproportionate sense of self-grandiosity and specialness, believing that you’re sent to “save the world” (e.g., for those who have undergone kundalini psychosis, this can even mean believing they’re Jesus Christ or the next Buddha)
- Grasping and attachment – desperately trying to hold onto the blissful experiences of the kundalini awakening and being miserable (even entering crisis mode) when it’s inevitably lost (this can result in spiritual materialism and the dark night of the soul)
- Spiritual nihilism – taking universal truths and misapplying them to a human level, e.g., “all is an illusion,” “nothing ultimately matters” which breeds a sense of dissociation, emptiness, and cynicism
- Avoidance – avoiding or spiritually bypassing everyday responsibilities and focusing only on “higher spiritual matters” (this is essentially a way for the ego to avoid growing up and integrating the experience at a human level)
I explore a variety of different spiritual issues that can arise on the spiritual wanderer’s journey which you can check out in the Traps & Pitfalls section of this site.
How to Handle a Kundalini Awakening
If your kundalini has awoken and you’re feeling overwhelmed, here’s some guidance:
1. Be gentle with yourself and take care of your nervous system
Likely, your nervous system is going into overdrive if you’re having a painful kundalini experience. Some ways to calm your nerves can include:
- Taking a warm bath with essential oils like lavender (you can also try magnesium salts). If a warm bath doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, try a cold shower. Be mindful and notice how your body and mind respond to the temperature of the water.
- Find something/someone that brings you a feeling of safety. This might be cuddling your dog or cat, asking your partner or friend to hold you, finding a cozy nook in nature, or relaxing in a corner of your house that brings you comfort.
- Listen to calming music.
- Try slow guided breathing using an app like Calm or InsightTimer. (Be mindful of how your body responds. Stop immediately at the first sign of discomfort.)
- Ground yourself outdoors in nature.
- Eat grounding foods (potatoes, root vegetables, organic meat)
2. Stop all spiritual practice temporarily
Yes, your spiritual practice might be amplifying the effects of your kundalini awakening. So stop. Let yourself rest. If you crave a replacement practice, try mindfulness as it helps to ground you in the present moment. Read my article on the spiritual emergency for more helpful ideas.
3. Seek out compassionate help
If you still struggle with the kundalini energy being too intense, I strongly recommend seeking out the guidance of a transpersonal or depth psychotherapist. The best guides are those who understand the importance of integrating the mind and spirit (or spiritual psychology).
There are also people who specialize in kundalini awakening help that you can find online – but tread carefully. Trust your instincts. If you feel worse or if you get weird vibes about someone, you don’t owe them any explanation. Leave. Find someone else. You have the right to get the guidance you need.
Kundalini Awakening FAQ
Here are some other questions you might have about this powerful experience on the spiritual journey:
Usually, there is a period of long integration after the kundalini awakening experience. In other words, it takes a while for the mind, heart, and soul of a person to fully comprehend what they’ve been through and translate that into daily life. For some (extremely) rare people, kundalini awakening results in liberation from the separate self and the realization of non-dual awareness (also known as ‘enlightenment’).
There are many methods out there that help to stimulate kundalini energy. Most involve either Tantric and/or Yogic practice. Visualization, plant medicines (like psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca), certain breathwork techniques, belly dancing, and meditations also help to awaken kundalini energy. But remember to always be gentle, go slowly, and know what you’re doing. Kundalini energy is powerful and not to be messed around with.
The answer is that it varies for everyone. Some people experience the awakening of kundalini early on their spiritual path (indeed, for some it actually triggers the spiritual search). For others, kundalini awakens after many years of spiritual practice. There is no set-in-stone rule here: it depends on your unique energetic blockages, destiny, soul, and many other factors.
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As the kundalini awakens, you naturally become aware of your true nature, the nature of God, and the purpose of your existence. It is an accelerated path to God-Realization, and can create many extraordinary experiences and realizations.
– Steven Sadleir (Looking For God)
Kundalini awakening can happen gradually and subtly or explosively and rapidly on our spiritual awakening journeys.
Known as the Serpent Power, the Inner Woman, and the essence of Shakti, kundalini energy can be a force of tremendous awakening or deep enslavement. The key is to be mindful, practice spiritual discernment, trust in your soul’s strength, and seek help where needed.
Remember that the ultimate purpose of kundalini is to dissolve the inner knots that keep you small and limited, helping you to awaken to your Eternal, Primordial, True Nature.
Have you had a kundalini awakening experience? What was it like? I’d be fascinated to hear below.
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I was literally going to comment somewhere else to ask, “Have you ever heard of kundalini awakening?” And here is this amazing article. I was raised catholic and have chosen a non-denominational Christian faith to grow myself spiritually. Last year things started happened out of the blue that I used to think were weird hippy, witch stuff. That being said it was happening whether I liked it our not. The first sign was with frequency healing music. I used it just to have white noise. After about a month of nightly listening I started to experience overwhelming physical reactions (warmth radianting up and down my body, strong cravings for vegetables…the cleaner I ate the quicker I’d achieve this floating feeling when I meditated of listened to the frequencies). This is tmi but I went to a yoga class during this season and I kid you not I felt a “climax” at the end. Like one of the best ones of my entire life and no one was touching me. Synchronicities were constantly occurring in a scary way all throughout the day. I began being repulsed by meat (never occurred prior in my life). I felt like I was an imposter in my Christian faith because I started researching kundalini and spiritual awakening. I literally bawled my eyes out in therapy. I was being pulled in two directions but decided that if these things were happening to me, to acknowledge them and let them grow since they were affecting my mood and physical health in such a positive way. One time while going through guided meditation imagining the orange ball of energy/light for the sacral chakra I could actually see it. It was so beautiful. And I could feel that sacral area getting extremely warm from within. That feeling radiated up and down my body for hours that night. Residual pulses of that same feeling at a lesser degree continued for weeks. I accepted that what I was experiencing was profound and one of my “new age” spiritual friends told me I was so lucky and that people intentionally work for years to experience what I spontaneously did. I started researching these sensations/experiences and that’s what drew me to the resources online. I had to know what was happening. Seeing others have randomly experienced it validated it for me. I want to go deeper. But right now it’s sort of a dry period for me spiritually. I want to achieve enlightened experiences/growth again. How do I get those things to continue occurring?
I felt every single one of these symptoms and truly wondered if I was loosing my mind because I am so adamant that I no longer need Netflix and social media. All I want is to be present in the moment and practice yoga twice daily for the rest of my life and help others disconnect from the bullshit of online addiction. The wholesale changes all came on suddenly and I will never look back. I had physical reactions and restlessness. I didn’t suffer from any fatigue and feel generally very well. As this progression continues I know that I will never be the same person again and I have crossed the threshold of my own consciousness into a realm of pure bliss and understanding of oneness and all that come and go. My ego attachment to much of life is dissolved and I have let go of years and years ago trauma in what is actually a short spaceof time. I feel truly blessed to be or to have experienced this as I still feel like it’s underway to some degree. Much love to one and all
Kundalini is stuck in my sacral chakra and now my organs have detached.
Went to my first kundalini yoga ,in the meditation ,I felt my head moving like a spiral ,then I went deeper and I was in a mass of orange and red was a great feeling ,I was the first time aware of the power inside my body
The pain in my face (sinuses/eyes) was crushingly painful. And my legs. Felt like stones in there, lots of shaking. Couldn’t walk. So intense. But on the other hand, I was experiencing this release, this freedom, and detachment – for the first time in my life, I began spontaneously decluttering – things, places, people – no feeling of loss, just transition… I know my life has changed for good but I’m not in a hurry to find out or go anywhere, I feel ready to heal first…
Please describe more about dark kundalini awakening. Thanks
For decades, every few years I have very pleasant, slightly blissful months of heat in my back, pressure at the crown, occasionally heat in the heart. I’ve been scared to encourage K, as I read Gopi Krishna 50 years ago! But am I avoiding some practice or experience that’s calling to me? How can I tell?
I had a kundalini awakening that it was very intense and lasted for about six years, although it’s never really completely died down. It is a pretty uncontrollable force, and I don’t know that everyone can handle that kind of energy, so I was happy to see you cautioning people about awakening their kundalini prematurely. The energy was so overwhelming at times I thought I was going to explode. My third eye was opened and I could see things happening that I couldn’t control. Trying to have a normal life with a normal job is very stressful when your kundalini is fully awakened. I was in a constant state of bliss, but sometimes the bliss was overwhelming. Be careful what you ask for! Once it has awakened and the circuit is complete you cannot turn it off. It just has to go on until it burns itself out.
I was on drugs. Meth the major one. My life was out of control. I woke up one day extremely manic, with this overwhelming desire & will to just quit & change. I’m pretty sure in the process though I was also being spiritually attacked by my shadow self. I was terrified. I literally could not focus on anything & shut down. Ended up jumping out of a window because I thought my boyfriend was going to stab me & was taken to the psych ward on antipsychotics & it’s been a bumpy ride. However.. in these last 10 months since, I’ve evolved on a level I can not begin to put into words. I see myself so much differently & I feel like I’m in the midst of an ego death. I’m taking responsibility for so much more & this uncomfortable journey has helped me in so many ways. Thank you for the information you’ve provided.
Kundalini Awakening… is absolute hell. Terror beyond imagining. Weeping, Panic, Violant nausea. I wish, today, tight now, 12/10/2021 that I wad dead rather than go on with this.
Can you describe the physical sensation as I believe I experienced hell as well like a a wave of energy starting from lower abdomen moving upward and feeling scared out of control as to what was happening as it reached my head I blacked out very briefly I could not stand heat any heat or being hot I felt like I was vibrating inside out. My vision too
Dear Craig, I could not believe that those feelings would ever pass, I was beyond despair. Hang in tight, there is light at the other side. I never felt so great after having never felt so horrified
Wow! This article caught me by surprise. Something told me to click on this article and BAM! I realised what has been going on with me. I really thought i was going completely insane. Hahaha
Wow. The kundalini awakening is very intense for me
Actually I think I was divinely directed to this site tonight.
For the past few weeks, I have been experiencing these short, often intense, bursts of shaking in my legs.
I thought they were seizures. I even went to the hospital. They referred me to a neurologist, but they looked at me like I had two heads.
I wondered if it could be a symptom of Kundalini Awakening. I wasn’t really that familiar with the concept, but the shaking was odd enough, I was curious.
So i looked it up, and I found this website. The very first symptom listed on the possible negative effects was intense shaking of the legs. I began to laugh hysterically. Then as I read my way through the other signs, I started crying and laughing in recognition, because I had experienced almost every single one of them.
Now everything makes sense. Honestly, I’m blown away.
Man…the whole emotional roller coaster ride you just described- ditto. Until today, I was unaware of kundalini awakening. Ive been intensely attracted to occult related anything since the age of 9. I’m now in my early 30s, and on Halloween (cheesy as heck. Purple hair, don’t care lol) I just woke up…awake. And I’ve been having aha moments left and right, feel like I’m finally home, like I found myself. Very odd occurrences have been happening around me- and witnesses every time. But then also experiencing this awakening was throwing me off. I’m still kinda thrown, but just basically wanted to say “Yeah. Me too” about your emotional response while reading that. Pretty wild huh.
Xo
Chelsie Rae