A new Center -presently dormant in the average man or woman -has to be activated and a more powerful stream of psychic energy must rise into the head from the base of the spine to enable the human consciousness to transcend the normal limits.
   This is the final phase of the present evolutionary impulse in man. The cerebrospinal system of man has to undergo a radical change, enabling consciousness to transcend the limits of the highest intellect. Here reason yields to intuition and Revelation appears to guide the steps of humankind.

   This Mechanism, known as Kundalini, is the real cause of all so-called spiritual and psychic phenomena, the biological basis of evolution and development of personality, the secret origin of all esoteric and occult doctrines, the master Key to the unsolved mystery of creation, the inexhaustible source of philosophy, art and science, and the fountainhead of all religous faiths, past, present and future.

• from "The Kundalini Experience" By Dr. Lee Sanella.

Kundalini is the sacred Fire Serpent of spiritual evolution. It is the procreative evolutionary energy, directed up the spine into the head, rather than outward to create life.

It is referred to in some way in most religions. Kundalini is the Sanskrit term, used to describe the phenomena of awakening most often, because the Sanskrit terms and descriptions of the phenomena are clearest, and adaptable to most religous or spiritual paths.
   The Christian version would be the fiery descent of the Holy Spirit.

One seeks to first gently awaken the Fire Serpent (dormant spiritual/evolutionary energy), where it sleeps coiled three and one half times at the base of the spine (the root chakra, or Kundalini) and then induce it to uncoil inside oneself, releasing energy as it goes and opening the Chakras, until it's fiery head pokes out through the crown chakra, signifying enlightenment.
   Thus, enlightened beings are often portrayed with a halo of light coming from the crown of the head.

The medical symbol, the caduceus is an icon of the Fire Serpents uncoiled around the spine, and the round halo of the crown chakra.
    They are a giant helix, like DNA.

Chakras are like the organs of your spiritual/energy body.

There are thousands of chakras throughout the body, however most focus is given to 7 major chakras that run in a line down the centre of the body, from crown to tail bone. We have a rainbow of lights, within.

Each of the chakras is associated with an aspect of being: The crown chakra is concerned with universal oneness, the relationship with the all. Next is the third eye, which is associated with psychic perception, next, the throat chakra, which is concerned mostly with communication,....and so on.

Achievement normally takes years/lifetimes of spiritual work and meditation, but because of the conflux of events that is the millennia, the "end times" predicted by so many cultures worldwide, Kundalini awakening has become enough of a widespread phenomena to have an email list.

Kundalini is considered the most powerful and potentially dangerous force in the universe. It's awakening can appear as madness, with visions, uncontrollable physical sensations and extravagant psychic phenomena.

It isn't something to be pushed, as premature awakening can be pure nightmare to a being that is not yet ready to handle the intense energies. Kundalini seeks to purify the soul, and resolve lifetimes of Karma in one lifetime.

This can be extremely traumatic, if you have not already done considerable work to prepare for the experience.

However, someone like myself who is fully awakened, may have the ability awaken others, even lift some karmic debt from them. It is a contagious phenomenon, and very much an individual experience. This is only a rough outline of a spiritual phenomenon that may be near the root of most religion.

Want another opinion? Here is a list of links, from the WWW I have assembled on this topic.