ABSTRACT
Kundalini concept comes from ancient yogic philosophy in which it is believed that certain spiritual practices will cause Kundalini awakening. The phenomenon of Kundalini awakening can sometimes mimic mental illness and results in difficulty for mental health practitioners to distinguish between them. While there are ample literatures suggesting the benefits of yogic practices in mental illness, it is also worth understanding the side effects of these practices, especially if advanced yogic practices are not performed properly with necessary preparations and precautions under the guidance of an expert. In this context, we discuss a series of cases demonstrating altered mental experiences related to Kundalini, from both modern psycho-pathology and traditional yoga view points and try to differentiate severe mental illness from advanced spiritual states perceived after practicing Kundalini yoga.
