The kundalini is the energy that lies dormant at the base of the spine until one begins to awaken and calls it into action, on the path to enlightenment. I believe there are a few fully enlightened beings among us but I think to be fully enlightened on this earthly plane we have to be willing to integrate both human and spiritual aspects of our being - that means sometimes suffering as a human being, because we do choose to become attached to things or people while here and eventually we will lose them or they will pass away because everything on this physical plane is impermanent. Even Jesus as a human had to endure suffering. I don't think the enlightened person passes away or loses their human form until their job here is done.

We are all immortal in spirit whether we become enlightened or not, and we don't need to experience ascension to become immortal.

I have a superb answer for you, Kathleen: read the spiritual classic ' The Nine Freedoms', by Dr. George King. It undoubtedly will provide you with the most precise as well as fascinating description of the rise of Kundalini available in the world today! The book is available from the Inner Potential centre, London England. Order online--you will be amazed at the contents, Kathleen. Blessings Johnny

Michael Hutchison experienced such an awakening; he describes it in detail here:

An E-Interview with Michael Hutchison
http://www.mindmachines.com/AVsJournal/article-AnE-InterviewMichaelHutchison.htm

If the masters are to be believed, the awakening of Kundalini, if brought up through the Sahasara chakra, brings forth vast psychic powers as well as the traditional enlightenment in which the individual mind is united with the superconsciousness and the world of form (maya) is revealed to be (and experienced as) a dream-like illusion.

There are perils in awakening Kundalini, however. That is, if you don't do it right, as described in Krishna Gopi's book, "Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man."

From what I have heard, you do not shed the human form...but as I have not experienced it myself, I cannot say :)

Swami Sivananda, a great master, wrote a highly detailed book about it called "Kundalini Yoga."

enlightenment is never finished, it is an everwidening spiral of awareness, being and action.

kundalini is not the only energy involved in evolutionary energy work. with progressive spiritual discernment, one can sense other subtle energies at work.

there are 4 types of energies that i am aware of: 1) kundalini symbolized by electricity. 2) life force symbolized by air. 3) soul force symbolized by water. 4) cosmic fire.

the terms are just labels and can be misleading. the symbols are worth looking into because of the texture of the experience they bring about. electricity has polarity. air is for breath. water flows. fire is consuming. their interplay brings about the evolution in awareness, being and action.

The flesh is flesh and the spirit is spirit. This does not change.The kundalini, enlightement,born again of water and spirit,all describe this.What happen is that you know your self in peace with no division in truth(A.K.A the image made in the image of God) and you move out of the flesh(The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.") and go to the kingdom of light("I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.).The pure of heart will see God.

I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.

I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQrsvmDNG1c

"This heaven will pass away, and the one above it will pass away.

The dead are not alive, and the living will not die. During the days when you ate what is dead, you made it come alive. When you are in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one, you became two. But when you become two, what will you do?"

Jesus said to them, "When you make the two into one, and when you make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the male will not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in place of an eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then you will enter [the kingdom]."

"Anyone here with two ears had better listen! There is light within a person of light, and it shines on the whole world. If it does not shine, it is dark."

Jesus said, "If the flesh came into being because of spirit, that is a marvel, but if spirit came into being because of the body, that is a marvel of marvels.

Yet I marvel at how this great wealth has come to dwell in this poverty."

Jesus said, "From Adam to John the Baptist, among those born of women, no one is so much greater than John the Baptist that his eyes should not be averted.

But I have said that whoever among you becomes a child will recognize the (Father's) kingdom and will become greater than John."

Jesus said, "Look to the living one as long as you live, otherwise you might die and then try to see the living one, and you will be unable to see."

"For this reason I say, if one is whole, one will be filled with light, but if one is divided, one will be filled with darkness."

You examine the face of heaven and earth, but you have not come to know the one who is in your presence, and you do not know how to examine the present moment."

You don't understand who I am from what I say to you.

The heavens and the earth will roll up in your presence, and whoever is living from the living one will not see death.

Those who have found themselves, of them the world is not worthy

http://gnosis.org/naghamm/gosthom.html

So let there be light,Be the light that you can be,experience and enjoy.

It does not matter which way you attain enlightenment I done it from meditation music you can reach enlightenment in several ways like religion and yoga,if you are going to do this do what works for you it's your journey it will be tailored for you you don't need to follow anyone like Buddha or any enlightened being like myself there are lots of us out there.When you reach enlightenment you gain all the knowledge of your past lives see the world for the greatness it really is and also see how we are decieved by great leaders in this world.When you reach enlightenment it's not the end but the start to much greater knowledge,it's the knowledge to things you could not believe if I was to tell you it's like being in a secret club.ITS A JOURNEY ONCE IN A THOUSAND LIFETIMES!