Hey everyone, thanks for all the great posts. It has been a couple months now since I stopped all practices. Most importantly, I do feel much more stable now. In addition to all of the grounding practices I mentioned earlier, I have also had some other fundamental life changes.
I began taking effexor, but found after a few weeks of changing dose that 17mg was the sweet spot, which I believe must be considered a sub-therapeutic dose, or even an irrelevant dose (the average starting does is 75mg and then working up from there). I may discontinue the effexor soon.
I am now further removed from the end of an anxiety provoking romantic relationship, which I believe helps assuage my feelings of panic.
I have also been seeing a Clinical Psychologist who is also a Zen Buddhist, and we have been focusing largely on existential psychotherapy (if you are interested in existential psychotherapy, see "Existential Psychotherapy" by Irvin Yalom, I have found it to be a fantastic help, and a great perspective on the "Witnessing" experience and how it has affected me). This has probably been the best decision I have made in regaining stability. I am now modestly happy and functional, though the kundalini is still very present, especially physically.
The interesting difference between how the kundalini was two months ago and how it is now is that the mental symptoms are what have largely subsided. I still feel burning in my body and have ringing in my ears, but mentally I am much calmer. I am no longer on edge and have not been emotionally overwhelmed for at least a month.
My next experiment will be starting up deep meditation three days out of the week (on days that I go for a run afterwards) in the mornings, starting at 12 minute sits. I am hoping at this point the meditation will help me continue to calm down both mentally and physically.
Thanks again for all of the great participation in the thread and peace be with you.