I read lots of experiences of people in meditative retreats experiencing uncontrolled body movements, hallucinations, energetic sensations, strange pressures in the head or around 'chakras,' rapid body temperature changes, voices and other auditory hallucinations, body dysmorphia, strange smells, and so on. In Buddhism they seem to define it as makyos, or Mara tempting one to turn their attention to him/it. In India, they call this same thing the Kundalini and worship it like a God/goddess, inviting it in and 'following' it, allowing it in, seeking it, etc.
What I find interesting is that gurus who 'worship' or condone Shakti have the ability to awaken this energy in others, which is another subject altogether, but may simply be due to an excess of this energy streaming out of them through the electromagnetic fields and into people of 'lower' vibrations. Qigong masters also can transmit this energy and enliven others chi.
What interests me is the apparent ability of this phenomenon to actually appear to be something 'other' - to form a personality using a person's own energy/thought constructs. This is probably what happens to those who are schizophrenic and talk to voices, people who channel spirit guides, ghosts, incubus/succubus, aliens, and so on. It almost seems like an animating force that plays the game of appearing within a person and pulling rabbits out of the hat of a person's subconscious - therefore showing them their own face. It almost appears as if this chi/shakti/prana stuff is alive! and intelligent and separate from our own 'selves.'
It seems like it really could be a force that could be used to educate 'oneself' (or lack thereof

) if one realizes that all of the manifestations come from subconscious constructs. By animating the constructs, it enlivens them and can send one on a merry goose chase, or bring up traumatic memories, and so forth.
It is interesting that of the two paths - Buddhism tends to view it as mere phenomena, whereas Yogic practices view it as a real being which teaches us about ourself in a way. I can see value in both: just watching the phenomena and letting it pass, as well as following it with the wisdom eye fully open to see what interesting things about self nature it could lead one to. I think that if one follows it too far though, it is the equivalence of watching a spiritual movie (delusional at that) unfold in the mind, unless one is prepared and ready to accept that they are simply being entertained.
I am still not convinced that it is not an 'other' - some of the things it can do are basically amazing and seem out of reach of a normal intelligence - especially some of the grand energetic fireworks, hallucinations, etc. unless it is simply another part of the mind that is separate and controlling the scene. If that is true it is like the subconscious is a separate intelligence. What really blows my mind is when it does something totally unexpected - having no relation to what I was thinking about - nothing related to associative memory processes, etc.
I have experienced this from Kundalini, without seeking it:
-full body orgasm without moving, self-touching or sexual imagery
-creation of amrita nectar in large amounts
-microcosmic orbit, and other bioenergetic effects that I had nothing to do with (consciously)
-all kinds of spontaneous qigong, gongfu, dance, movements, etc.
-having music of the spheres inserted into my head - music that I had never heard before, that doesn't exist on earth as far as I know.
-divine smells and tastes..resembling the best incense, etc. I have ever smelled.
this is all pretty normal Shakti stuff - it is easy to see how it is done - simply electrically stimulate certain parts of the brain and one can experience emotions, feelings, bliss, sounds, smells, etc. This has been noted in schizophrenia for hundreds of years. I am thinking that there is something else out there stimulating us is what I am getting at. Perhaps we are all being led down the path of mind evolution? By an energetic being so intelligent that shapes our selves without us knowing it.
This is a science I am very interested in.
I am wondering why Buddhism rarely addresses this issue? Maybe in Vajrayana they talk about it more, but generally it almost seems like its never talked about. They try to label it as such and such and keep people from thinking about it too much. Just let it do its thing and you do yours?
Personally I like to interact with it, instead of pretending its some part of my subconscious energy manifestations. I think it's real and in us all, looking out through our minds at us, shaping us, making us smarter, more intelligent.
It makes us who we are, which is no one at all.
Gaia? Earth-mind? Mother-matrix? Overmind? Supersoul?
I am still not sure if it's real, or whether it is all (not)self...one giant Self? billions of little energetic beings linked together creating a supercomputer? Are we all part bot-nets?
My confusion is yours to dissect.