That's one juicy video...

October 23, 2003 5:42 AM

Goddess Juice takes you on a ride like no other. Its purpose is to arouse your Kundalini, but be warned; an aroused Kundalini may not always be a good thing.
posted by debralee (29 comments total)

i'm sorry... the voice... the "ring"-like imagery... it was too creepy for me.
posted by lotsofno at 5:59 AM on October 23, 2003

In the classical literature of hatha yoga Kundalini is described as a coiled serpent at the base of the spine

All I know is that Toecutter says that Kundalini wants his hand back.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:09 AM on October 23, 2003

Yes, because you can't really reach the divine without a marketed product, can you? Further proof that Americans, instead of casting off outmoded ways of thought, just substitute paying for praying. Oh, and let me get to this first:

"The drink made by hippies, but marketed by a ruthless international corporation." /simpsons reference
posted by lumpenprole at 6:20 AM on October 23, 2003

I don't have kundalini, just ticklish spots.
posted by jonmc at 7:44 AM on October 23, 2003

James Randi, in An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural, says it best:

"Kundalini: From the Sanskrit meaning 'serpent power.' This is the fiery snake said to sleep, coiled up, at the base of the human spine. Diligent searches by anatomists have so far failed to locate the kundalini."
posted by bdk3clash at 8:39 AM on October 23, 2003

I'm always disappointed at how quickly members of western society (and MeFi) dismiss things simply because they cannot be seen. For millions of people, kundalini is something sacred, part of a larger spirituality, and not something to be taken lightly. But here, it is immediately dismissed, scorned, and snickered at in a Beavis & Butthead way. Or co-opted by corporations to sell 'Goddess Juice'. (Is it just me, or does that sound... wrong?)

If you've ever had a complete body orgasm, where boundaries between you and your partner seemed to dissolve and you felt an immense rush of energy pulsing throughout your body and extremities, then you've had one form of a kundalini experience.

There is much great information about this and other forms of energy available. I've thought many times about posting a few of my favorite sites, but there just doesn't seem to be an audience for it at MeFi. *sighs* Oh well, plenty of other interesting stuff to keep me coming back.
posted by widdershins at 9:27 AM on October 23, 2003

For millions of people, kundalini is something sacred, part of a larger spirituality, ...

And I always thought it was just a type of pasta. *snicker*
posted by ZenMasterThis at 9:30 AM on October 23, 2003

I love the caduceus on kundalini-gateway.org.
"Oh, look. One of those doctor symbol thingies. It must be scientific!"
posted by JeffK at 9:31 AM on October 23, 2003

I'm always disappointed at how quickly members of western society (and MeFi) dismiss things simply because they cannot be seen.

I'm always stunned at how people who wouldn't be caught dead inside a "western" religious establishment, eat up the "mystical east" with a spoon.

I'm not saying ones better than the other, but just because somethings foreign and exotic dosen't mean it shouldn't be approached with healthy skepticism.
posted by jonmc at 9:40 AM on October 23, 2003

BITE HER FACE OFF
posted by Satapher at 10:17 AM on October 23, 2003

jonmc - I totally agree with you. Healthy skepticism is good - and so is an open mind.
posted by widdershins at 10:32 AM on October 23, 2003

Man, if like the death dealers and shit knew how powerful the kund-whatever was, they'd totally outlaw it. I heard about this thing on tv where they said that the Tibetians had the Kunolindi, and, like, the Chinese government had to be all oppressive and shit to them or else the massive power would totally free them. And when I like, wear a t-shirt or stick a bumper sticker on an electrical transformer, I'm totally using the Kunolione to like cast off the power of assholes like my neighbors, who are total narcs and fascists. I could really go for a veggie burger and some of those really spicy fries...
posted by Mayor Curley at 10:43 AM on October 23, 2003

Mmmmmm, spicy fries.
posted by majcher at 11:02 AM on October 23, 2003

don't worry, widdershins. we're out there.

i don't mock people for believing in a soul (or their own egos, for that matter). please don't mock us for believing in kundalini. like widdershins said, if you haven't experienced it, you're missing out.

jonmc, i think for many of us, a natural preference of eastern "religions" over western ones (though i wouldn't call the eastern stuff i'm interested in "religion"), is based on the lack of dogma and the possibility for personal interpretation.

for some, kundalini might be an actual snake of energy at the base of the spine. for others, it might represent creativity and passion hidden in our subconscious.

i also find a sense of inclusivity that doesn't exist in western thought. it's possible to incorporate Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist, Taoist, etc. thoughts into an all-encompassing world view. i think that's harder to do from a monotheistic background.

there's also an honesty in eastern thought that i find missing in christianity. (imo) finding "enlightenment" shouldn't be as easy as accepting JC as your personal savior (not to conflate Xianity with all western thought). my own redux: there are no easy answers; Xianity tries to give us easy answers.

and i don't eat it with a spoon. i read it. or listen. i definitely favor rational belief over faith-based belief.

kundalini is such a personal and variable experience that it is hard to find useful information sometimes. i know that i would definitely appreciate some link sharing, if anyone has favorites.
posted by mrgrimm at 12:12 PM on October 23, 2003

Good for you. Now relax. It was just a broad generaliztion and half a joke. And I assume your computer has a "shift" key. You might wanna use it occasionally.
posted by jonmc at 12:30 PM on October 23, 2003

It should be noted that there is a growing dialogue between science and the spiritual disciplines that are the basis of some Eastern religions. Here's a recent thread on this topic.
posted by homunculus at 12:32 PM on October 23, 2003

we're out there.

Intentional? ;)

mrgrimm, my interest in kundalini is based on the part it plays in the chakra system. If that's your cup of tea, email me and I'll send you a couple of great sites. Am currently listening to some great CDs on Energy Boundaries - very, very cool, especially if you're in the healing profession.
posted by widdershins at 12:44 PM on October 23, 2003

I must be more mystical than I thought - I have at least half of these symptoms all the time.

I have to agree with jonmc and have often noticed that people will fall over themselves to embrace something just because it is mysterious and from "over there", while denigrating beliefs that are more mainstream in their own region.
posted by dg at 3:30 PM on October 23, 2003

amen, homunculus. it seems like momentum has been building for decades now. (however, based on that MeFi link you posted, it looks like it'll be a long time b4 it gets discussed in depth here - ;p)

yes, i'm very interested widdershins. i'll send you an email.

JeffK, i don't think they're trying to fool anybody into thinking they're in the medical profession. the intertwined snake has been around for a long time (probably b4 the Greek caduceus (sp?), but i'm not positive).

btw jonmc, caps are for pussies, and i didn't get the joke. if it makes you feel good to pick on a minor detail to obscure the general discussion, go for it. (sorry. my right-action abilities are none too impressive today - i blame work and a friend's car accident.)
posted by mrgrimm at 3:48 PM on October 23, 2003

if it makes you feel good to pick on a minor detail to obscure the general discussion, go for it.

Nope, the embrace of 'eastern" stuff by 'secular' westerners is just something I've noticed before and the caps thing was an easy zinger. I'm not big on feuds with people who show balls like you have so I'll forgive your gothness and your kundalini. I'm fulla Harp Lager so I'm feelin' all magnanimous and shit.

Here's to ya.
posted by jonmc at 5:04 PM on October 23, 2003

Goddess Juice is an hour-long Chakra journey through the sensually dripping liquid reality of the Goddess.

Wow. Imagine sitting through an hour of that.
posted by boredomjockey at 5:47 PM on October 23, 2003

Hmm. And I always thought my full-body orgasms were brought on by appropriately titrated doses of alcohol, pot, and good lovin'.

There's a snake coiled at the base of my spine?!

***reaches for Bactine and X-acto knife***

there are no easy answers; Xianity tries to give us easy answers

I dunno. "Life is suffering" seems about as glib as "worship the guy nailed to the stick" to me.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:48 PM on October 23, 2003

hmmm. i loaded the page, saw the word "g-spot", said, "ain't got one of them" and moved on.
posted by quonsar at 7:04 PM on October 23, 2003

so why do i need to pay for goddess juice when virtual om doesn't cost me squat?
posted by juv3nal at 8:11 PM on October 23, 2003

Why would anyone want to reach for mysticism when they can instead opt for a bunch of dogma, strict rules of behavior, and the absolute assurance that they are bad by nature? Uh...

I have a horrible confession to make. I'm a Christian. I find it extremely mystical. I do not find it dogmatic, and rather than focus on the negative message of "original sin", which I don't find very important, I focus on my own infinite divinity. There I discover infinite compassion.

Eastern thought has influenced me over the years. I've often found it quite helpful to better understand the mystical aspects of Christianity itself, and life in general. My life is better for it.

For me, what the east calls "meditation" I take as what the Bible calls a "prayerful attitude". When I get in to it, I feel better and function better. Coiled snake? If you want to think of it that way, that's fine. What I experience I describe as a set of lights shinning bright across my chest (3 lights, each shoulder and the center. Chakras? I don't know)

As for "Goddess juice", I've noticed for years the psychoactive properties of slow music set to a decent beat (Enigma is a favorite example). I think the listeners expectations and desired affect the nature of their experience. ("Set, setting, and dosage") This is applicable to any experience, not just drugs.
posted by Goofyy at 1:16 AM on October 24, 2003

there's also an honesty in eastern thought that i find missing in christianity

In Hong Kong and Singapore you can meet lots of Chinese people who have become disgusted by the mindless ritualism and dogma of the local versions of Taoism. They converted to Christianity because they found a purer, more honest spirituality in the New Testament.

Eastern Christians are often completely unaware of the deep corruption of the actual practice of Christianity in the West, just as Westerners are completely ignorant of the corruption of Eastern religions. Personally I can't see the difference between rosary beads and Buddhist prayer wheels. If you're looking for it, you can find plenty of justification for Hindu slaughter of Muslims in the Bhagavad Gita, among people who claim to be practitioners of Kundalini Yoga.

It's a great luxury to be able to study the philosophy and just ignore the religion. Most Western talk of "goddesses" and Kundalini is a step in the opposite direction.
posted by fuzz at 5:41 AM on October 24, 2003

yes, fuzz!

I am always interested in the philosophies of religions, and I think I've learned a few things by studying them (to some degree), but all of them seem dogmatic, and thus limiting and wrong to me.

However, I would say that someone who has only been ensconced (or even imprisoned) within their own traditional religion might find it liberating - at least for a time - to make a jump to another one, if the idea of just winging it isn't compatible. So far as I have looked I haven't found any true religion that didn't have a great deal of wisdom to impart.
posted by taz at 6:49 AM on October 24, 2003

Hmm. Maybe I opened a can of worms by saying that kundalini is part of a larger spirituality. I would like to say that believing that kundalini exists does not equal believing in Hinduism. Kundalini is a term for a certain type of energy and does not have to connote religion.

As for the question of dogma in religions, well, that is why I, like many others, would call myself spiritual, not religious. As always, to each his own.
posted by widdershins at 9:46 AM on October 24, 2003

J-and-Juice cocktail ("HAIR-A OF THE DOGMA"):

2 oz. "Goddess Juice"
1 oz. "Blood Of Christ"
4 oz. tonic water

Serve over ice.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 12:46 PM on October 24, 2003