I'll jump in on this one.As these posts indicate there is a lot written on location of chakras, which varies based on whether you consider Indian or Tibetan sources (or New Age folks too I suppose though the latter seem pretty metaphorical).And the posts that preceed this one, share a lot of hear-say information about who thinks what about where the chakras are, and if they are metaphorical in say the Heart being "Divine Love" or "I Am" or something else. Some people think chakras don't exist at all and some think that you can just do meditation, and ignore them entirely. So there is all kinds of comments and beliefs about them. I hope you won't consider me totally full of baloney if I make some comments about some direct, personal, recurring, probably mystical or psychic perceptions of the chakras. I do not speak from having read this or that about them. I just know them and would like to share some of that information if you will bear with me...As far as perception, there is what may be considered a mystical level of visual perception of the various chakras, if you are of psychic disposition. We are all so very different, that it's reminiscent of the blind men describing what an elephant is like(it's like a rope if you feel it's tail, etc.) "It's located here, no it's behind that one, no its big, no it's little, no it's just the perception of divine love, etc"
So there is another way to look at it, as a direct visual psychic or mystical perception.. I think this is how the whole concept of individual energy vortex centers originated in the first place. So I thought I might add when and how I percieve the chakras. It occurs just at the time of awakening from sleep in the predawn hours. The one in the chest is a large spiral of a golden thread, that fills the chest entirely front to back, hums sweetly, like a little electric motor(you might say it "sounds" like MMMM or HUMMM), and sometimes will suddenly expand outwards. That humming can continue for a long time within perception. Then when you are fully awake the perception ends.
The abdomenal chakra is likewise a very large spiral of a gold colored thread, also wound clockwise, and totally fills the abdomen from below diaphragm to suprapubic area. These two chakras(chest and abdomen) are the largest, except for the Crown chakra which is a display of different colored lights, that seems to go out to infinity. (On one occasion, something different occurred in the Crown area: there appeared to be a large gold spiral with a planetary sphere here and there, like individual sworls of the golden thread in those locations. This latter perception only occurred once,while on a retreat, but it lasted several minutes, long enough to look it all over thoroughly. At the time I assumed to to be a Sahasrara manifestation, but perhaps was Soma Chakra, which I understand is a large chakra at the base of the crown, above Ajna.) However the recurring perception, which is always the same perception, of the Crown chakra, in my experience, is that described above of a field of different colored points of light, seemingly a limitless number of points on a black background. It seems like looking out into the Cosmos.)
All of these perceptions occur for just maybe 15 to up to maybe 60 seconds, and then disappear because by then the clouds of ordinary waking consciousness blocks their view. These have occurred every few nights, or a week or two apart at times, for a number of years.
Incidentally someone was wondering in a post above about a chakra situated between Anahata and the Throat chakra. That one is called Kala chakra. His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, is the lineage holder for the Kala Chakra mantra, it having been passed down from H.H.,The Buddha Himself; and when it is recited daily, is said to bestow the siddhi of understanding Time. (Not in my case, I'm usually 5 minutes late.) I practice the kalachakra mantra, endorse it's use whole heartedly,find it to be a very potent energetic practice for Kala chakra development and the entire system at large, and incidentally relates to Shambhala(long story). I would be happy to share the mantra for Kala chakra with whoever might be interested. Sorry for this diversion regarding Kala Chakra and it's mantra.
Anyhow, I think these observations I am describing, are not particular to just myself,nor some isolated imaginary, subjective experience, because I have gone into researching this out, within the esoteric literature, to find that the same imagery is described by others, in both the yogic and theosophical literature. Thus, verified by others.
So a question I have, is, why do some of us have perceptions like these, and some of us don't (though we all do the same meditative practices, which I assume has something to do with these visions happening?) My theory is that we are all different and have different aptitudes. Some of us are psychic or have mystical propensities or potentialities that we can learn to develop, and have that potential because of having been born that way, others of us have other inborn aptitudes, (all given to us for unknown reasons) like the different flowers in the field. That's all part of the Mystery! I realize this is just one level to consider, regarding perceiving the chakras and there undoubtedly are much more subtle refined perceptions than these. You can take this or leave it, or view me as nuts. I hope this might interest someone.