Black Beryl: The Modern Remaking of Kundalini, with Marleen Thaler

Black Beryl: The Modern Remaking of Kundalini, with Marleen Thaler

Author: Marshall Poe February 6, 2026 Duration: 1:03:20
Today host Pierce Salguero sits down with Marleen Thaler, a researcher at the University of Vienna and University of Graz. Together, we investigate the history of the transformation of Kundalini from a Hindu goddess resting at the base of the spine to her modern manifestation as a psychiatric syndrome. Along the way, we discuss the central importance of the Theosophical society, the anti-psychiatry movement of the 1970s, spiritual emergencies, and kundalini as a meeting point for religion and medicine. Resources mentioned in this episode: Arthur Avalon, The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic Yoga Gopi Krishna, Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man Lee Sennella, The Kundalini Experience: Psychosis or Transcendence Spiritual Emergence Network (USA | International) Marleen’s publications: Academia.edu Become a paid subscriber on Black Beryl Substack to unlock our members-only benefits, including PDFs of these resources. Pierce Salguero is a transdisciplinary scholar of health humanities who is fascinated by historical and contemporary intersections between Buddhism, medicine, and crosscultural exchange. He has a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and teaches Asian history, medicine, and religion at Penn State University’s Abington College, located near Philadelphia. See www.piercesalguero.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions

Dive into the vibrant and complex world of South Asian spiritual traditions with New Books in Indian Religions. Hosted by Marshall Poe, this series is part of the broader New Books Network, an initiative that functions as a sprawling, conversational audio library. Each episode brings you directly into a dialogue between academics, where authors detail the arguments and discoveries found within their latest publications. The conversations span a rich terrain, from philosophical debates within Hinduism and the histories of Sikhism to contemporary practices in Buddhism and Jainism, all under the broad umbrella of Indian religions. You’ll hear experts unpack dense material with clarity, making recent scholarship accessible and engaging. This podcast serves as a front-row seat to the evolving academic discourse, offering depth and context you won't find in summaries or reviews. It’s for the curious mind eager to move beyond surface-level understanding, whether you're a student, a practitioner, or simply someone fascinated by the enduring questions of faith, culture, and spirituality. Tune in to discover the people and ideas currently shaping our understanding of these ancient yet dynamically living traditions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

New Books in Indian Religions
Podcast Episodes
The 4th Yoga Darśana Yoga Sādhana Conference [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:43
The 4th International Yoga Darśana Yoga Sādhana Conference convenes 27–29 May 2026 at EHESS Paris, organized by CESAH. Theme: Authenticity, Authority and Adaptation—examining how yoga traditions establish legitimacy, tra…