garded as a mythological symbol (frequent also in
dream life) for the libido that introverts itself and enters the perilous
interdicted precinct of the incest wish (or even only the life shirking
tendency); and especially (though not always valid) is this conception in
place, if the snake appears as a terrifying animal (representative of the
dreaded mother). So also the dragon is equivalent to the snake, and it
can, of course, be replaced by other monsters. The phallic significance of
the snake is, of course, familiar enough; the snake as a poisonous
terrible animal indicates, however, a special phallus, a libido burdened
with anxiety. Jung, who has copious material with which to treat this
symbolism, calls the snake really a "negative phallus," the phallus
forbidden with respect to the mother, etc. I would recall that alchemy,
too, has the symbol of the snake or the dragon, and used in a way that
reenforces the preceding conception. It is there connected with the
symbols of introversion and appears as "poisonous." The anxiety serpent is
the "guardian of the threshold" of the occultists; it is the treasure
guarding dragon of the myth. In mystic work the serpent must be overcome;
we must settle with the conflict which is the serpent's soul.

Also the mystic yoga manuals of the Hindus know the symbol of the serpent,
which the introverting individual has to waken and to overcome, whereupon
he comes into possession of valuable powers. These serpents [kundalini]
are considered by the Yogi mystics as an obstacle existing in the human
body that obstructs certain veins or nerves (the anatomy of the Hindu
philosophers is rather loose here), and by this means, if they are freed,
the breath of life (prana) sends wondrous powers through the body. The
main path in the body which must be freed for the increased life-energies
is generally described as the susumna (as far as I know, it is not yet
cleared up whether the aorta abdominalis or the spine has furnished the
anatomical basis for the idea of the central canal), and is the middle way
between two other opposed canals of the breath, which are called pingala,
the right, and ida, the left. (Here, too, note by the way, appears the
comparison of opposites.) I quote now several passages on the kundalini
and its significance at the beginning of the mystical work.

"As Ananta, the Lord of Serpents, supports this whole universe with its
mountains and its forests, so kundalini is the main s