Carl Jung on Kundalini - Lecture 2, 19 October 1932

Building on the first lecture, Jung explains the psychology of the first 4 chakras: the muladhara, swatistana, manipura and anahatha. The muladhara, is the symbol of consciousness of the early personal existence (roots). One of the symbols is the elephant which signifies the carrying power.

In the muladhara, the gods are asleep. This includes Kundalini, the sleeping beauty, the possibility of a world yet to come. A mere seed of the future, that man can awake and manifest to potential by awakening Kundalini.

The muladhara is the three dimentional world of personal consciousness. Through Kundalini, the impersonal (higher chakras) can be developed through dreams and experiences. However it is essential to have a solid foundation in the rational, three dimensional world. The germ of life (entelechia) can grow out of a solid foundation, for the spark to come out of it through Kundalini needs to be grounded. Man can leave a trace in this world by: believing in this world, making roots, doing the best that one can, and believing in the most absurd things.

People with a problematic nature have a deeper understanding of these worlds because they can see the other sides and can judge by comparison to their own experiences. It is important not to identify with (personalize) with the dreams and Kundalini for they are impersonal and out of the human realm. Personal attachment leads to inflation. Becoming so inflated that you burst is schizophrenia.

In lecture one, Jung spoke of moving from the muladhara (earth) to the swatistana (water), a symbol of conquering the personal world and being reborn into the impersonal world. The manipura (third chakra or solar plexus) represents the sun that rises up out of the water. It is associated with the fullness of jewels, fire, the world of emotions, desire and illusions. The sun can rise into the air, which brings it to the anahatha (fourth or heart chakra).

The anahatha symbolizes the divine self that rises from the emotions, a germ like appearance of the self. It is the ability to reason/judge through the development of the true self (personality), rather than solely reacting to instincts and emotions. This is not to be confused with the ego, a disconnected version of the true self that sits deep down in the muladhara.