This is a visualization and awareness technique as mentioned in Vigyan Bhairav Tantra text that treats the spine’s central energy channel as the literal “road to God,” leading to the revelation of Divinity within.
The Road to God: Inner Space of the Lotus Thread
The instruction focuses the awareness on the most vital energy pathway of the subtle body:
The central channel located in the middle of the spinal cord has the appearance of the lotus thread. Meditate on its inner space. The Goddess then reveals God. (Verse 35)
The “central channel” is the Sushumna Nadi, which extends from the Mooladhara Chakra at the perineum up the center of the spine to the crown of the head (Sahasrara) (p. 41). It is visualized as being “as delicate as a lotus thread” or a “thin, white or translucent tube”.
Practice Instructions (Internal Ascent)
This is a unique form of internal awareness movement, referred to as literally “treading the path to God”:
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Posture: Sit comfortably with eyes closed.
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Visualize the Channel: Visualize the Sushumna Nadi running through the spinal cord, from the base of the spine to the top of the head.
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Meditate on Inner Space: The practitioner must focus their attention exclusively on the “inner space” of this transparent channel. It is not necessary to visualize the chakras within it.
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Slow Ascent: Move your awareness slowly upwards through this internal passageway, noticing the inside walls of the channel.
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Repetition: When the top is reached, start again from the base and move slowly upwards.
The Revelation of Divinity
The core belief of this practice is direct and metaphorical: “If you walk on the road to God, you reach God”. By moving awareness up the channel, the practitioner is essentially following the path of Kundalini (the dormant energy/Goddess).
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The Goddess Reveals God: “The Goddess then reveals God” refers to the ascent of Kundalini energy from the base to the crown. This event reveals the Divinity within the practitioner, leading to the Highest State.
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Source Within: This meditation, like many preceding ones, directs awareness within, teaching the crucial lesson that “God is found within” and that the “external world is temporary” and cannot bring eternal happiness.
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Detachment and Eternal Joy: This practice facilitates detachment by showing that the source of all desired joy and happiness is an internal, permanent reality, unlike external, temporary pleasures.
The key takeaway is that the joy found within is permanent and needs “nothing external to exist,” allowing the practitioner to remain joyful and calm even in the face of external calamities.
Warning: Practices that directly try to raise Kundalini are “very powerful” and can be “dangerous,” mandating the guidance of a master. Stop immediately if any discomfort is felt.