The Cutting Edge of Spirituality

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 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 effectively—without 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.

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. For example:

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.

There 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 aspirants—please 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