By George A. Boyd © 2005
In the Mudrashram® System of Integral Meditation,
we use the term, the cutting edge of spirituality. In this article, I
will attempt to clarify what we mean by this, how your cutting edge is
identified, and what happens when people unfold themselves spiritually
outside their cutting edge.
The cutting edge of spirituality is the ensouling
entity within you that is animated by the living force of Spirit, which
we call the Alaya. This pointing finger of the Divine shows you what is
the appropriate next stage of spiritual growth. There are 13 potential
levels that you may experience as your cutting edge. These are shown below.
Number
|
Our Name for this Ensouling Entity
|
Level of the Continuum of Consciousness at which
it operates
|
Other Names for this Ensouling Entity
|
1
|
Soul Spark
|
Subtle Realm
|
Atom of the Divine Presence, Jivanatma
|
2
|
Soul
|
Planetary Realm
|
Transpersonal Self, Atma, Higher Self, Planetary
Soul
|
3
|
Monad
|
Transplanetary Realm
|
Paramatma
|
4
|
Astral Soul
|
Cosmic Sphere
|
The Jewel in the Lotus, The Divine Swan
|
5
|
Supracosmic Soul
|
Supracosmic Sphere
|
|
6
|
Soul of the Bridge Path
|
Transcendental Sphere, Bridge Path
|
|
7
|
T1
|
Transcendental Sphere, 1st Transcendental Path
|
|
8
|
T2
|
Transcendental Sphere, 2nd Transcendental Path
|
|
9
|
T3
|
Transcendental Sphere, 3rd Transcendental Path
|
|
10
|
T4
|
Transcendental Sphere, 4th Transcendental Path
|
|
11
|
T5
|
Transcendental Sphere, 5th Transcendental Path
|
|
12
|
T6
|
Transcendental Sphere, 6th Transcendental Path
|
|
13
|
T7
|
Transcendental Sphere, 7th Transcendental Path
|
Satchitananda, Infinite Consciousness
|
If your cutting edge is Planetary (ensouling entity
2), and you begin to unfold another of your ensouling entities at a higher
octave (ensouling entities 3 through 12), you create a condition we call
spiritual imbalance. You may also create imbalance by awakening a nucleus
of identity. Yet another way to create imbalance is to open the
Nadamic channels of your spirit, either beyond your current level of spiritual
evolution at your cutting edge, or at another band of the Great Continuum
of Consciousness altogether.
How the Cutting Edge of Spirituality is identified
On the Transcendental portion of the Bridge Path, there
are three important centers that give information about the cutting edge
of spirituality. These centers are the Lotus Feet center, the mirror of
Souls center, and the Jewel of Alaya. These three centers reflect your
cutting edge of spirituality, and can be used to "read" which of your
ensouling entities has been activated by the Divine Spirit. A meditation
on these three centers from above reveals the following alignment:
Chakra
|
Center
|
Content
|
Brain
|
Lotus Feet Center
|
Appears as a golden triangle on a lotus flower of countless petals.
The Alayic Divine Name (the quintessence transformational mantra)
resounds here.
|
Point between the eyebrows
|
Mirror of Souls Center
|
Each of your ensouling entities is reflected here. The ensouling
entity that is your cutting edge of spirituality appears to have
a jet or flame of Spirit imbuing it.
|
Heart
|
Jewel of Alaya
|
An octagon that emits a colored light from its center. The length
of the beam of light gives a clue as to the relative spiritual evolution
of the ensouling entity [closer to the center indicates nearer to
the Source]. The color of the beam of light indicates which of the
ensouling entities has been animated.
|
Feet
|
The ensouling entity itself, reflected above in
these three higher centers
|
Existence, Consciousness, Bliss
|
Since many aspirants either cannot find these centers
for themselves, or lack the clarity of inner vision to read them, we include
a reading of the spiritual cutting edge for those who take the Mudrashram®
Master Course in Meditation or the Accelerated Meditation Program. Interested
individuals may also find out this information in a Basic Soul Reading.
Knowing your cutting edge of spirituality is important
for several reasons. It allows you to:
- know your Soul Purpose
- identify the correct level at which to open the Nadamic
channels of your spirit
- discern which inner vehicles that are activated,
which in turn reveals the abilities of the ensouling entity that may
be used for creative expression and service to others
- correctly determine to which depth the kundalini
shakti should be awakened
- maintain the optimal interface between the Superconscious
mind and the centers of the personality, so you are able to function
in your personality seamlessly and effectivelywithout personality
dysfunction, cognitive and emotional dysregulation, or outright shutting
down of personality functioning seen in imbalanced conditions
- experience realization of the appropriate ensouling
entity
- select the appropriate vehicles of consciousness
and ensouling entity to use for attentional contemplation
Pathways to Imbalance
When you work in a balanced way at your cutting edge,
you do not experience personality dysfunction, cognitive and emotional
dysregulation, or personality shutdown as a result of your spiritual practice.
You also do not experience kundalini emergency syndrome, or get locked
into permanent altered states of awareness that are common in religious
cults and fanatical religious groups.
There is a distinct progression of spiritual imbalance
that occurs when you work outside your cutting edge of spirituality. This
may range from little or no effect to complete dissolution of normal personality
structures.
These balanced and imbalanced stages of spiritual
development are shown below in a pictorial form.
Next they are described.
Finally we compare these stages to the degree they
bring about personality dysfunction, emotional and cognitive dysregulation,
personality shutdown, kundalini syndrome, and permanent altered states
of awareness (ASA).

|
Zone
|
Stage
|
Description
|
Balanced
|
0
|
Unawakened
|
Full identification with personality, and unaware
of the existence of the ensouling entity. The ensouling entity communicates
with it via dreams, impressions of the preconscious, intuition,
or through the expression of its innate gifts
|
1
|
Awakened to cutting edge with no development of higher
octave
|
Personality is aware of ensouling entity and functions
in harmony with it. There is seamless integration between the personal
and transpersonal bands of the mind.
|
Imbalanced
|
2
|
Awakened higher octave with little or no effect on
personality functioning
|
>Here there is little or no effect on personality functioning.
The individual may experience states of relaxation and euphoria
during meditation. The individual may report feeling peaceful, with
lowered stress and enhanced concentration during daily life. This
is the "spiritual honeymoon" phase.
|
3
|
Awakened higher octave moderately interferes with
personality functioning
|
The individual may experience cessation of thoughts,
or trance states in meditation in which they cannot move. They may
have difficulty coming out of meditation, and may become spaced
out or dissociated after meditation or prayer. They begin to have
difficulty concentrating or making decisions. They may begin to
have emotional mood swings, or obsessional thinking.
|
4
|
Awakened higher octave markedly interferes with personality
functioning, sporadic fixation at higher octave
|
The individual may enter into union with this higher
octave state of awareness (ASA) without warning. Personality functioning
may shut down as the kundalini rises: kundalini emergency syndrome
symptoms begin to arise in this zone. Emergence phenomena begin
to spontaneously arise from the unconscious mind. The ability to
function in daily life is compromised. Attention may become temporarily
locked or fixed in this ASA.
|
5
|
Awakened higher octave markedly interferes with personality
functioning, permanent fixation at higher octave
|
Attention is locked into this ASA permanently. The
individual becomes fully identified as this ensouling entity, nucleus
of identify or spirit of the higher octave. The kundalini may remain
fixed in this ASA, and the individual will relate to others from
a pseudo personality. Here there is complete detachment from the
personality, which may be seen as illusory.
|
6
|
Awakened higher octave suspends or dissolves personality
functioning, permanent fixation at higher octave
|
In the deepest stages of development along this path,
the advanced disciple or Initiate may gain the ability to awaken
others in this path, effectively multiplying imbalanced states of
spiritual development in many others.
|
We can summarize some of these effects as aspirants
pass through these different stages as follows:
Zone
|
Personality dysfunction
|
Cognitive and Emotional Dysregulation
|
Personality Shutdown
|
Kundalini Syndrome
|
Permanent Altered State of Awareness
|
0
|
from genetic or psychological factors only
|
from genetic or psychological factors only
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
1
|
from genetic or psychological factors only
|
from genetic or psychological factors only
|
no
|
no
|
>no
|
2
|
from genetic or psychological factors, little or no
further influence
|
from genetic or psychological factors, little or no
further influence
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
3
|
mild to moderate added influence above existing genetic
or psychological factors
|
mild to moderate added influence above existing genetic
or psychological factors
|
temporary
|
sporadic
|
no
|
4
|
moderate to high added influence above existing genetic
or psychological factors
|
moderate to high added influence above existing genetic
or psychological factors
|
sustained
|
moderate to severe
|
temporary
|
5
|
very high added influence above existing genetic or
psychological factors
|
very high added influence above existing genetic or
psychological factors
|
sustained with dissociation and formation
of a pseudo personality
|
moderate to severe
|
full identification with ASA
|
6
|
very high added influence above existing genetic or
psychological factors
|
very high added influence above existing genetic or
psychological factors
|
sustained with dissociation and dissolution
|
moderate to severe
|
full identification with ASA and ability
to awaken this ASA in others
|
The Great Deception
Unfortunately, many spiritual groups do not reveal to
the aspirant that further along their path there may be problems.
They don't talk about the interference with personality
functioning: severe mood swings, difficulty thinking and deciding, and
states of derealization or depersonalization.
They don't mention that there may be problems arising
from the kundalini remaining raised or dredging up material from the
unconscious mind.
They don't tell the aspirant that they will
ultimately become fixed in an unnatural altered state of consciousness.
Instead they point to all of the positive phenomena
that occur during stage two (the spiritual honeymoon phase), to make the
aspirant desire to receive initiation (diksha) and make speedy progress
on the path.
Worse, many of these spiritual teachings that advocate
development at higher octaves of being, normalize and idealize these abnormal
symptoms.
They tell the aspirant that these abnormal states
affecting the personality, kundalini and states of awareness are signs
of progress on the spiritual path, and that the normal waking state
of awareness is an illusion.
They point to signs of their advanced disciples entering
states of catatonia (Samadhic trance) as representing advanced stages
of spiritual development.
When aspirants have severe emergence phenomena and
their personality begins to shutdown, they explain to these unfortunate
seekers that this stage is temporary and will be supplanted by a stage
of stable realization and bliss.
When aspirants break finally do break through into
the zombie-like pseudo personality stage after undergoing much torment,
they are extolled as having gained true knowledge and exemplifying true
virtue and ideal faith.
Those who propagate these teachings of higher octave
work to all and sundry are not to be blamed. They are simply teaching
others what they have learned and realized as they followed the guidelines
of these paths. They learned to recognize the abnormal symptoms engendered
by this spiritual work outside their appropriate cutting edge as normal,
as markers of spiritual progress, to be expected and even coveted as badges
of honor.
The casualties are those who suffer through these symptoms.
These are many people who are paralyzed by kundalini
emergency syndrome. Some have lost their ability to make personal
decisions or set goals for themselves. Others are locked into altered
states of awareness and cannot return to their normal state of awareness
or functioning.
How many are there? Maybe thousands of people suffer
these symptoms, and their stories are rarely told.We see this again and
again. Those who write to us with kundalini emergency syndrome often tell
us they experienced their symptoms after practicing their mantra or doing
their kundalini practices for a number of years. They detail how blissful
it was in the beginning, and then later, these strange symptoms began
to occur
We urge aspirantsplease do not become a casualty!
Learn to identify your cutting of spirituality and do your work there.
When you begin unfolding the nuclei of identity, ensouling entities, and
your spirit at octaves of being that are not on your cutting edge, you
risk producing these symptoms of imbalance.
You do not have to go insane or become a zombie to make
spiritual progress! When you work at your cutting edge, there is seamless
integration between your Soul and your personality. Here's what you can
do:
- Study these materials to clearly understand them
- Discern what is your cutting edge
- Notice if you have been experiencing any of the untoward
symptoms described in this article
- Stop doing any practices that exacerbate your symptoms
- Learn methods to help you work at your cutting edge
- Learn to rehabilitate your ability to function in
the personality
- Study about religious and spiritual cults
- Learn to progressively undo the beliefs and suggestions
that these groups may have anchored in you, through which they convinced
you to do these practices that produce imbalance
- Continue to monitor the results of whatever spiritual
practice you do
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