WIN a copy of Kara-Leah’s new book ‘Field Notes from Kundalini Awakening’, publishing in 2018. Guaranteed to take you on an intimate journey into the depths of the Kundalini experience. Click here to sign up for the book launch list and go into the draw to win one of THREE print copies.
by Kara-Leah Grant
Whether you’ve had a Kundalini Awakening, are curious about the process of awakening Kundalini, think you might have some of the symptoms of a Kundalini Awakening or are looking for support for a Kundalini Awakening, you’re in the right place.
Over the last eight years, this website has explored Kundalini Awakenings from many perspectives, including articles written by people who’ve had spontaneous awakenings and gone on to live healthy and productive lives.
Yes, a spontaneous awakening can be a frightening thing, but Kundalini Awakening is the evolutionary destiny of us all.
What is a Kundalini Awakening?
A full Kundalini Awakening is a specific energetic experience that means all of the knots and issues of the psyche have been resolved. It’s extraordinarily rare. Most people who experience some type of energetic experience are not experiencing a full awakening, but the beginnings of the movement of Kundalini in the body.
People can have an energy shift that awakens level of perceptions that activate the chakras for awhile. They can move into some strange modes of behaviour. The real full-on Kundalini Awakening experience is a surge of energy coming from mulhadara up the back of the spine, over the top of the head and culminating in the forehead. The whole system has awakened.
Regardless, Kundalini Awakening – whether a full experience or the beginnings of movement – is the awakening of Kundalini energy, which resides at the base of the spine. The energy begins to move up the spine in some way, shape or form.
This awakening of energy has nothing to do with a person’s culture, religion, or country of origin. While the experience is general described in yogic texts, it’s also known of and referred to in other spiritual traditions. It is the natural evolution of the human being, awakening to higher levels of consciousness.
What causes a Kundalini Awakening?
Traditionally, strong yoga practice was used to awaken Kundalini. However, now it’s becoming more and more common for people to have awakenings without any kind of yoga practice or history.
An awakening can be triggered by intense energy work, drug use, sexual experiences, abuse or trauma, yoga practice or life events.
What are the symptoms of a Kundalini Awakening?
The signs and symptoms of Kundalini Awakening are different for everybody, and it depends largely on the energy blocks in the person’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. The signs and symptoms generally relate to the blocks, and as these blocks are worked through and released, the symptoms dissipate.
Signs & Symptoms can include:
- Energetic sensations like electricity in the body or internal lightening bolts
- Shaking and jerking in the body, usually totally out of the control of the person
- A sensation of insects or snakes crawling on the body, often along the spine
- Feelings of cold in the body, and conversely, feelings of intense heat in the spine or in specific chakras
- Spontaneously arising kriyas (yoga practices), mudras (hand gestures), Bandas (body locks), asana or pranayama. Usually the person has never studyed or learned any of these spontaneously arising practices.
- Waves of intense pleasure or bliss, even leading to orgasm
- Big emotional shifts or mood swings, well beyond the normal
- Sensory overload – sounds, lights, noise – everything becomes too much
- Strange internal sounds that no one else can hear like buzzing, musical instruments, or thunder
- Waves of apparent wisdom or insight into the way reality actually is
- Heightening periods of creativity
What is the process of a Kundalini Awakening?
While an awakening can seem like a crazy and out of control experience, Kundalini is an intelligent and organic process that has a purpose, and works with that purpose systematically.
The purpose is to work through all the illusions and knots in the psyche and re-orientate the awakened person’s life into truth. This can be a painful process because it can mean the end of relationships, work situations and old ways of being. Often people aren’t ready to let go of the known and familiar, and so attempt to hold on to these people and situations. The attachment to the old is what causes suffering.
The more a person has done the hard work before Kundalini Awakens, the smoother the process. If the person has had a spontaneous awakening with little work on themselves, they’re in for a hard road. Over time, Kundalini transforms on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level.
What are the benefits of a Kundalini Awakening?
When Kundalini awakens, a person may experience deeper empathy with others, and this empathy can almost become telepathic. There is greater sensitivity, higher energy levels, sometimes psychic abilities or deep knowing, ageing can appear to slow down, creativity and charisma can increase, as can internal peace and knowing. There is a sense of being part of All that Is. The greater mysteries of life are no longer mysteries.
Where can I find help or support for my Kundalini Awakening?
There are many support groups on the internet, and books that have been written about Kundalini Awakening. However the best support you can ever find is a knowledgable, trained and experienced yoga teacher who has been through some kind of awakening themselves. They are rare, but not as rare as you might think. Ask around, use Google, and see who you can find. Be discerning though and make sure you trust your own feelings and intuition.
Never give your power away to someone you think knows more than you!
Kundalini Awakening • What’s It All About?
WIN a copy of Kara-Leah’s new book ‘Field Notes from Kundalini Awakening’, publishing in 2018. Guaranteed to take you on an intimate journey into the depths of the Kundalini experience. Click here to sign up for the book launch list and go into the draw to win one of THREE print copies.
Editor’s Note: We are no longer accepting comments on these posts. If you are seeking guidance on your Kundalini Awakening experience, please contact Kara-Leah Grant to book a Skype Session.
More Articles on Kundalini Awakening:
What is a Kundalini Awakening and have I had one?
By Kara-Leah Grant
The following information is not gospel – it’s just my reflections and my understandings based on my own experience of Kundalini Awakening. As always, don’t believe a thing I say unless it resonates in your heart and works for you. Except maybe the bit about checking in with a medical professional if you have any physical symptoms – do that regardless! So… what is Kundalini? Kundalini is the feminine, creative, evolutionary force of … [Read more…]
When Kundalini Awakens. Now What?
Recently, I sat down cross-legged to do my daily Kashmir Shaivism Tantric* practice as I have done every day for the past 150+ days. More if you count my first attempt at hitting 1000 Day Practice, when I got up to Day 338. This practice has become very familiar to me. However, unlike my asana (posture) practice, it is still something I am intellectually imposing upon myself. I am executing the practice – which consists of pranayama, chanting, visualisation and meditation … [Read more…]
Suggestions on what to do if you’ve had a Kundalini Awakening
By Kara-Leah Grant
It can be scary, disorientating, dislocating and downright awful when Kundalini awakens. Sometimes a Kundalini Awakening will look like mental illness, physical illness or emotional difficulties. It can be difficult to figure out exactly what’s going on, all you know is something freaky is happening. My own awakening began in 2000 and proceeded more or less unnoticed by me, except for strange jerkings of the body and poppings in the … [Read more…]
Lawrence Edwards on The Divine Power of Kundalini Awakening
by Kara-Leah Grant Meet Lawrence Edwards, a neurotherapist, psychotherapist, and an expert in Kundalini Awakening. Lawrence is unusual in this field because he has a deep grounding in both Eastern and Western traditions, and applies them both to his work with Kundalini. Join Lawrence and I as we explore Kundalini awakening in the modern world: why it can be so freaky, how it is connected to mental illness, and the trials and perils of finding an authentic teacher.
My third eye’s a’twitchin’ – does that mean she’s awakening?
By Kara-Leah Grant
My third eye has been twitching all afternoon, a sensation which started during my recent trip to LA for teacher training with Shiva Rea. The last time I can remember it doing this I was sitting in a Wellington restaurant with my Aunt, who’s a straight-up, salt of the earth, farmer and local government politician turned Minister of Parliament. I’d just flown back from Canada, about a week after having two psychotic episodes, being committed to the Acute Psych Ward of Lions Gate Hospital, … [Read more…]
Editor’s Note: We are no longer accepting comments on these posts. If you are seeking guidance on your Kundalini Awakening experience, please contact Kara-Leah Grant to book a Skype Session.
Hilary says
Hi kara-Leah,
I have just found your website. I hope that you are still recieving e-mails. I had a Kundalini awakening 5 years ago. It has been a VERY INTENSE, DISRUPTIVE and fascinating experience. which has shown me and taught that we are energy and that we are created from an intelligence/understanding far far greater than what most people have. The intelligence of the process is extraordinary., like you my body does yoga to. incredible actually. But also, it has been a very issolating experience, I have longed to connect with others who have had a similar experience. I have some amazing experiences with it and continure to do so. I dispare at times that my life will ever be normal again as it has disripted my career and other aspects of my life. But I have had some wonderful healing from it to.
I would love to share some of my experiences with you. I reall appreciated you warning to be cautious with yoga teahcers. I havae very recently started doing Kundalini Yoga because I tought it might help… it is helping stir things up!!! but I was dissapinted with some of the instructors because they denied the kundalini awakening but worst of all they told me it was nothing… which is not true… its a very big deal when it happens to you and I felt very .unsupproted and felt they tried to discount my experience or own it by defining it for me and telling me what it is and so forth…. I felt my reall experience so discounted and negated by people who I thought would be interested and supportive. I found their definitions of my experience to be very small with out any reall understanding of the experience at all…. Anyway, am finding the yoga practice very beneficial so I will stick with it… even though my body can do it’s own!!!!!! my body gets a little crazy sometimes in class.!!!!! but I realize deep emotional stuff is being activated to be released…. it is so uncomfortable…. and sometimes I cry a lot! I have had a lot of very different ‘symptoms’ which i realize are quite something to have experienced. I have regained the full mobility of my hands/fingers that were painfulf from arthritis, I have regained the mobility in my hips from dance injuriies. I no longer walk with a limp or need any painkillers. And recently I realize I don’t feel the intense anger I had carred around for so long. I tried to deny it all whille I was at University over the last few months because it was busy I could keep the kundalini at bat… for awhile…. I became bound and so phusically and emotionally uncomfortable I had to let it work…. so I started going to yoga classes to help loosent it up again and let it flow…. and to accept it and learn more about it rather than try to deny it…. even though it works all the time!!! I got depressed and feeling crazy because people don’t believe me or think I ‘m crazy so I started feeling so out of place and issolated… I needed to find someone who has had the same experience… Hence your website. i hope your .website is still going and your are still at the other end of this e-mail. The woman I was working with thgough the experience kept telling me I should write a book and shere imy experience…. but I doubted anyone would be interested…especially since the respoinse from Kundalini instructors… most of the female ones interestingly. the two male ones I had were interested because my body was so busy in their classes they couldn’t deny it.
I have had many of the sympotms of the physical kind that i have read about on websites.,
I hope you get this, or anyone else who has similar experiences
Have a great day!
Hilary.
Kara-Leah Grant says
Hey Hilary,
Yes, I am still running this website, and I still get the comments that come through. I’m glad that my articles continue to be of value to people like yourself in realising that you’re not alone, and you’re not crazy.
In my experience, few yoga teachers have real experience with Kundalini – even those who teach Kundlini Yoga!
Sometimes, it does help to write down your experience, whether or not that material ever becomes a book. It can be a vital tool for processing everything and helping to keep one grounded.
Many blessings,
Kara-Leah
Teresa McLaren says
Hi Kara-Leah,
I came across your website today while trying to get evidence that this cartoon http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/how-to-open-your-chakras-explained-by-a-childs-cartoon/ wasn’t really an appropriate way of preparing children for a kundalini awakening. I’m amazed at how much we have in common. I won’t go into my story right now but it’s very similar to yours. I also did spontaneous yoga like poses but my biggest release was always art. I have only recently accepted my experiences as part of a spiritual awakening through readings of ecopsychologsts, transpersonal psychologists and those who have learned from traditional shamans. I also have a preschooler and a baby as well. I’m finding I want to prepare them better than I was prepared, if it happens to them.I’m doubtful that meditation is good for children as they are still so absorbed in the moment (as I agree with you, it is probably not good when you are on the edge of psychosis) I have been finding Waldorf/Steiner’s theories very practical. Just wondering if you have had any thoughts on this.
Kara-Leah Grant says
Hey Teresa,
Thanks for the link – I’ll have to take a look. I’m not familiar with Waldorf or Steiner’s theories so can’t comment on those.
Bridget says
Teresa,
The cartoon ‘Avatar: the last air bender’ does quite well to explain opening the chakras. Ang goes to the air temple to meditate and eat banana and onion juice. It has a silly aspect but the imagery is lovely.
Bridget
Deb says
Hi Kara-Leah,
This is an interesting article and I just found your site. I was trained in kundalini yoga in the 3ho tradition from Yogi Bhajan and have had a lot of blissful experiences from the various kriyas. He said that doing specific sequences that strengthen the nervous system and balance the glands won’t result in extreme bodily reactions. I think your point about how if people already have done some work on themselves, it is a smooth experience is true. However, I’ve found people new to kundalini yoga don’t freak out, but feel very balanced after doing the poses and breaths too. Sometimes though insights can be very scary and result in strong somatic reactions.
Kara-Leah Grant says
Hey Deb,
This article isn’t about Kundalini Yoga at all, but about what happens when Kundalini awakens, or partially awakens.
Richard Prestage says
hi my name is Richard,38. I have had spontaneous full blown kundalini and felt nirvana through mediation plus many more spiritual experiences, I feel blessed. its nice to see, I’m not alone….would be willing to share more i know how i did it like self healing and willing things to happen 100% in Gods hands take care one love Godbless. RP38
Selin says
Hi Richard,
When I read your post, I was amazed!
I had exactly the same experience!
OMD it feels great to see there are others having similar experience
God bless
Michael Marsh says
Was your experience spontaneous or were you a seeker ? Mine was initially associated with a cool feeling on the centre of my forehead and then a cascade of other sensations culminating in a Presence that directed me to teach the correct spiritual path to follow in life. It was a challenging unexpected psychological experience that took several years of research through the literature to understand the neuropsychological basis of these spiritual experience.
lisa says
I’ve had a near death experience through alcoholism and drug addiction which left me in liver failure, hep c, hypothyroidism, e coli, and many other ailments.After an out of body experience, many gift we’re revieled to me such as clairvoyance, I see energy, angels,spirit and much much more. Within the first 6 months I’ve had what I know today as a full kundalini awakening. I had only a curiosity with the spiritual world actually in truth, it was a fear. Today, 2 yrs into this, I believe all this was perfectly orchestrated but I am finding that with my history this is very hard for many to accept. I’m a 51 yr old women living in the Berkshires not knowing where to turn. Can someone please help me. I’m on disability, have no drivers license and am feeling very lonely in my journey. I know I’m not crazy, there is way to much evidence and proof in my life to deny this. Any suggestions?
keyvan says
Hi Kara
I started meditation with Mantra ..4 months ago but I have had different experiences. .my body started moving automatically. .gradually I realised that they were Indian movements I searched the Internet and realised that they were yoga movements. .I continued and the movements increased suddenly I realised that I was in a world without dimension also before this I had made a Cobra on my head without any information about kundalini …I decreased meditation times and numbers to 10 minutes and 3 times in a week ..but gradually I read and realised that my movements connected to kundalini .. surprisingly I had had its alarm ..like shaking hardly or feeling energy movements near to my second chahkra …now I have no teacher do you think I am in danger if continue meditation?
Kara-Leah Grant says
Hey Keyvan,
I can’t answer specific questions about people or their practice because I don’t know you and you’re not studying under me. I would suggest finding a teacher you can work with close to where you live.
jimmy says
u need guidence of kundalini how it work
Selin says
Hi Keyvan,
Do you happen to live in Vancouver?
NANAK says
The awakening is true and connects you to almighty GOD keep praying consistently people will call you with many names even say you have gone nuts etc but keep praying we act weird at times but it’s OK it’s a part of growing keep meditating on the name of GOD like ALLAH , JESUS CHRIS , WAHEGURU , RAM, HAR , HARE , HARI and it will make the journey to the destiny easy pray on the name of GOD makes the process easy
Chihuahua says
Come on, you all taking this (life and death) far too serious. You are taking yourself too serious…laugh about yourself in a nice, humorous way…and even laugh about your gods or dogs or frogs…hahaha…go outside and look around…nature will teach you,, it humbles you down! Searching, searching and more searching,,,what are you all looking for is right there, right here…hahaha are you all blind and creating drama where no drama was at the first place??!! Influenced by everything that comes across you such as a form of a ‘new’ or (that sounds even better) ancient healing techniques in order to find “it”. (“It”= the dog, the frog, the god, the fart, the orgasm…whatever you choose). Man, hahahahaha….beyond words….!
Cheers, Chihuahua
Shyaaam Menen says
Nice information but it is impossible to awaken the Kundalini without any form of meditation or self awareness. A desire to awaken the kundalini is the first step to have spiritual and mystical experiences. For going into a deep state of meditation visit innerengineering.com
Best wishes
William says
I don’t agree with that. Right before mine activated by its self out of nowhere. I had no idea what it was, I’d never meditated or done yoga. I actually beleived that spiritual people where crazy and wasting there time. If anyone is interested in hearing my story and helping me through what’s happening. Feel free to contact me 61449166865 ask for billy or william
Kyser Sosay says
I have experienced all of the above symptoms for a few years now. I have attributed them to some sort of nervous breakdown or P.T.S.D. or multiple other mental or physical disorders. I have no prior knowledge of yoga or anything of that nature. I do have something else I cannot explain, probably unrelated. There have been a few times in my life with different “individuals” that i have been told that my eye’s where emitting a very noticable light.It was very real to the point that each individual was ” freaked out”. I have searched all over the internet. I have found nothing to explain what the cause maybe. I am a skeptic, but am very spiritual by nature. I hope that you can shed some light on this for me.
Men Scryfa says
Hi
That is Chi being spontaneously emitted from your eyes in a way that produced light.
This can be a by product or consequence, just as the tingling sensation in the body marks the flow of chi through the body but is not itself chi. It is simply the sensation that alerts you to the flowing of chi.
Be careful with these abilities. Dedicate yourself to the study of GOD and serving His will.
I hope this helps. I will return here to study some of the other interesting comments.
Men Scryfa
Sherry Congdon says
Hi
My son has had a Kundalini Awakening. He was sent to a psyche ward and put on strong anti psychotic meds. He was in another state and we had to fly him home. I have been researching this on my own and feel lost. I understand it but we need proper help for him.. He has been set up with counseling at a local community facility but I doubt if they understand this. Any suggestions? Thank you, your website has been very helpful.
Kara-Leah Grant says
Hey Sherry,
Oh I’m so sorry to hear that! It must be very frightening for you. I can’t really suggest any more than I do in articles – best bet is to find a trained and knowledgable specialist to work with. That might be a Swami or local ashram, some kind of shaman, a psychologist who understands spiritual emergencies, or some kind of healer. Keep researching and asking around until you find someone with a great reputation who you trust.
I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, but without knowing more specifics and details I can’t really offer any other suggestions.
Many blessings,
KL
Historybuff says
Hi Kara-Leah!
I hope you are able to access my e-mail address. Please e-mail me, I have some insights for you.
Thank you!
Historybuff says
Hi Sherry Congdon,
I hope you are able to access my e-mail address. Please e-mail me, I have some insights for you.
Thank you!
Dr Michael J. R. Marsh says
Sherry, I suggest you read the transcendental spiritual experiences of Carl Jung, Richard Maurice Bucke and Emmanuel Swedenborg on Google to gain some understand of this psychological process. I have developed a community on Google + called Spiritual Transcendence and Gnosis that may be helpful. I am happy to discus any queries you might have,
I’m afraid most Psychiatrists have little knowledge or understanding of this process and tend to label such individuals as psychotic. Best wishes, Michael
Amanda Roberts says
Thank you for this. I’m currently in-process, and supported by a beautiful healer who has also been there. But it’s certainly a very individual road. I’m grateful for this article. <3
Dominick Herrera says
Hi, My name is Dominick. I was told at a psychic reading that I have been awakened. I told this psychic strange stories all the way back to my child hood, and she said it sounded like I was born awakened. I am now 20 years old, and I have realized I am empathic, I am a healer, I know instantly if there is a foreign energy around, I can preform rekki (I have never witnessed rekki until I took a class recently.), and I might be missing some more. My issue is that it seems like the energy inside of me is getting stronger day by day. I need help learning how to control it. I am looking for a mentor or teacher of some kind to help me on my journey. I live in the Bay Area, CA. If you have any info or can help my email is dominickalanherrera@gmail.com
Gopinathan says
Some comments only..after awakening of kundalini, it slowly passes through all the seven
chakras,,You attain the sidhis (super natural powers /total 8/by the time it reaches and stablizes
in the 5th chakra)..you get this powers only if it was a self effort..if it is through a Guru,it is upto
the Guru to bypass the powers and you won’t get it..Lord Krishna as well all the SadhGurus are
unanimous in their opinion that a person should not avail of these powers as it can lead you astray..
divert you from the original path of spiritual realisation ..you different sounds in your ear..right ear
for women and left for men..the sound pertaining to each chakra as kundalini stabilzes in each chakra..
even after reaching the 7th chackra it has to return to the 1st chakra when your realisation is complete..Can’t give all the experiences as not fully realised..
Bhavini Bangera says
Hi,
I came through this site when I was doing my research on kundalini awekening. I am not too sure of I can expect a reply here! 🙂 Dont see any action after May 2016.
Ok, so I have this spiritual healer and she suggested a session of kundalini awekening to me…did a 3 hours process but I dint feel or experience anything unusual there…now I dont know how should this ultimately result to…need some help and guidance, since she charged a bomb, but I am not able to know if there has been a difference and how would I know.
Kara-Leah Grant says
You paid a healer for a session that was meant to awaken kundalini for you?
Laura-Lee says
Hello KL, thanks for the article. Can you direct me to resources on a full awakening? As traditional and respected as possible if you know of any (online would be ideal). There is a tonne of confusion about awakenings and full awakenings out here! Thank you :). Great job!
Kara-Leah Grant says
Hye Laura-Lee,
I’m not aware of any off-hand. There’s the book that Gopi Krishna wrote, and there’s videos about him on YouTube. I’m not sure if his awakening was a full one though… that implies total Enlightenment. And yes, there is huge confusion out there about it all!
leelasastry says
KUNDALINI awakening should make one to have unlimited compassion and unconditional love .
anup says
Hi, I would like to know , how do you reverse the process of kundalini awakening ? Apparently I feel I have been dragged into this stuff I was not interested in, and I am uncomfortable with it. Kindly tell me a method to do so.
Thanks.
Kara-Leah Grant says
Hey Anup,
I’m not aware of any way that you can reverse Kundalini Awakening. Once it’s unfolding, it’s unfolding. You can stabilize it, integrate it, better understand it… but reverse it? No.
Kareem jackson says
They tell me I’m going to be the most intelligent Clairvoyant psychic that would ever exist Nd Kundalini has spontaneously Awakening and I can’t stop it I have had bad nightmares bad spirits following me around asking me to join them in to be their Queen they say that I will have some type of alternate power on Earth from God like levitation and moving objects what I’m going through is not a walk on the beach at all I feel like it’s a different test each night the last two nights I had to tell death that I wasn’t going with it Nd i have free will
Kara-Leah Grant says
Hey Kareem,
I’d suggest seeking immediate support from whoever you can. Talk to a friend, get some medical help, speak with family. It sounds like you’re having difficulty discerning between the real and the unreal.
Ntombiyamanzi says
Hi Kara-Leah
I am a shaman for from South Africa. We call shamans here sangomas. The sangoma tradition usually explain this awakening as a calling to be a healer…though most people don’t go on to be healers. I had a kundalini awakening about 3 years ago. Like most people here I stumbled on it by accident. I had read about the amazing health benefits of meditation and accidentally woke Shakti up. My life went into complete disarray health and career-wise and I felt like I was losing my mind. I was tuned into people’s emotions and thoughts and just about the whole energy of the universe. I felt out of balance with the world. So I went to seek help from a experienced shaman and they used herbs, dancing to drums, and a strict diet to get me through the process.
I am healed now…or my energy centres are more aligned. So I’ve been doing some research online to find out how other people explain this kind of experience and I came across your website. Very useful. A lot of the things you say I experienced and I’ve had a lot of stories from who people come to me very distressed by this spiritual awakening.
When Shakti first started moving up my spine I had very traumatic dreams about massive serpents chasing me. I eventually decided to stop running and allowed the snake to coil itself around me. Then after that I could see into the spirit world quite easily. However I could see a lot of water spirits even when Shakti came she came out of a water body like a river or ocean. Can you explain to me what is the relationship between spiritual awakening and water? Have you ever heard anything about water spirits in relation to kundalini awakening?
DivineContact says
Hello,
I live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area in the USA. I had many different experiences and only when I met my guru it became easier. Because of my early difficult times I would simply like to help others and will be starting a support group here.
I have a website if anyone is interested in reading a little about me. – http://www.thedivinecontact.com/
Thanks
My love and blessings to all
Paul says
Keep that Christian fundamentalist fear porn shit out of here. It is not welcome.
Michael Marsh says
It is said many roads lead to Rome. The Holy Spirit is one such path in Christianity but a Kundalini Awakening in verdict faiths is just as important if humanity is to evolve. The Tower of Babel applies to faiths as well as languages.