Kundalini Research Foundation

(est. 1971)

   A number of gurus have introduced KUNDALINI methods to the United States for dissemination. One such yogi is Gopi KRISHNA (1903–84), who led a life of MEDITATION in search of liberation (moksha) and enlightenment (samadhi). He exper-imented with several types of yoga for 17 years before achieving enlightenment. After his experi-ence with the awakening of KUNDALINI energy, he became a prolific writer, speaker, and teacher of spiritual kundalini yoga.

   Kundalini energy is believed to be a well-spring of spiritual energy that is coiled at the base of the spine. Seven invisible wheels of energy (CHAKRAS) along the spine are the sites of powers that must be accessed to allow enlightenment to occur. Teachers of yoga, such as Gopi Krishna, frequently speak of opening these chakras with special breathing techniques so that the life force (prana) can be utilized to transform consciousness into a state of enlight-enment (samadhi).

   Gopi Krishna, with a wealth of knowledge about yoga, wrote 17 books about various aspects of the awakening of kundalini. In 1970, an Ameri-can, Gene Kietter, realized the significance of what Gopi Krishna had learned and founded the Kundalini Research Foundation in New York in 1971 in order to promote his work. The founda-tion, now headquartered in Darien, Connecticut, seeks to promote the scientific investigation of enlightenment, inspiration, genius, and the evolu-tion of consciousness.

   Further reading: Darrell Irving, Serpent of Fire: A Mod-ern View of Kundalini (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1994); Gopi Krishna, Awakening of Kundalini (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1975); ———, The Biological Basis of Religion and Genius (New York: Harper & Row, 1971); ———, The Goal of Consciousness Research (Darien, Conn.: Friends of Gopi Krishna, 1998); ———, The Wonder of the Brain (Norton Heights, Conn.: Kundalini Research Foundation, 1987).