I recently was asked for my opinion by a student on a video made by Andrew Strom that compares some charismatic Christian experiences with the "Kundalini Spirit". I am embedding the video in this post along with my brief response to the student.
My comment:
I am somewhat familiar with Andrew Strom and his opinions. I have read his materials over the years. I think his comparisons of Kundalini to charismatic manifestations are not very convincing. He uses the most extreme examples of m...anifestations to illustrate his points. I do not believe we can get an accurate picture of a movement by focusing solely on the most demonstrative phenomena.
The types of manifestations he cites are not new to recent moves of God. In fact, more extreme examples of manifestations occurred among the Methodists at The Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky in the early 1800's. Those Methodists (along with Presbyterians and Baptists) make The Toronto Blessing look tame by comparison. I highly doubt that those in Cane Ridge, Kentucky were influenced by Kundalini.
I have a hard time imagining how any move of God in the past 200 years would not meet Strom's definition of being of "The Kundalini Spirit". From The Welsh Revival and Azusa Street to The Jesus Movement of the 1970's; every movement had moments of laughter, falling, and physical manifestations that followed the laying on of hands.
Every movement has excesses. It is an unfortunate reality. It is the responsibility of the leadership of that movement to shepherd people to grow beyond manifestations and extremism. I agree with Randy Clark's view that we should evaluate movements based on their fruitfulness.
In fact, Strom has urged people to cut themselves off specifically from the ministries of Randy Clark, Bill Johnson, Mike Bickle, John Arnott, Heidi Baker and many, many others due to their connection with the Kundalini Spirit. Those are some of the ministries that I see being abundantly fruitful for The Kingdom.
While his mini-documentaries are interesting, I find them to brush with too far wide a stroke in comparing Christian charismatic experiences to New Age Hinduism.
Kundalini is just one description of contact with demons. Every heathen religion achieves contact through similar methods, repetitive music and drums cause altered consciousness and once that happens the doorway is open for demonic spirits to enter. Bickle and the rest of those ministries chant, pray in repetition (forbidden by Jesus) and have emotional, pulsing music for 15 minutes. I'd be surprised if demons didn't show up!
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