The Biology of Consciousness: Case Studies in Kundalini examines the notion that consciousness exists outside the body and actually drives evolution by what Gopi Krishna called “the evolutionary impulse.”
Here's what the prestigious Kirkus Reviews has to say about Case Studies in Kundalini:
"The author fleshes out the book with a dramatic section devoted to case studies of different types of Kundalini encounters, showing the different ways that practitioners 'awaken' energies inside themselves, as well as how Kundalini helps people tackle personal challenges. These studies give the work an instantly relatable, human dimension that's often missing from books of this kind and underscores Semple's approachable, ordinary-guy tone throughout. New readers approaching this complicated subject will feel immediately at ease, and longtime Kundalini practitioners will no doubt find details that remind them of their own experiences." Read the full review.
Amazon reviewer, Toro, had this to say: "JJ Semple's third book. The Biology of Consciousness offers in depth accounts of people who have experienced Kundalini Awakening as we'll as JJ's insights into the process of adjusting to life after a Kundalini awakening. I've read all three of his books and there certainly is a progression of information that JJ is revealing, that said, this book definitely provides some of JJ's deepest thoughts on consciousness, Kundalini and the world we live in. With all the misinformation about Kundalini on the web and in yoga classes, JJ is becoming one of the most genuine voices on the matter. Definitely worth a read."
"Female Kundalini is my story — a memoir, an adventure, my journey from Alpha to Omega. I wrote it because I have a spiritual story to tell that I didn’t have to begin with. In fact, spirituality was something that I fell into, rather than a goal I set for myself. As a young girl, turning towards “something” spiritual was a source of comfort in a confusing and bewildering world, but beyond that, I didn’t give it a second thought."
JJ Semple on Female Kundalini: "When I first read Margaret Dempsey’s book, I fell in love, not only with her relentless dedication to self-truth, but also with her spirit of adventure. In her single-minded focus and her honesty in pursuit of self-actualization, she reminded me of a distaff Siddhartha. A steadfast explorer, she has accomplished much in a short time, investigating and practicing many techniques and methods, not as a sycophant, but as an actualizer, a person who tests everything in the laboratory of her body, while remaining true to her ultimate goals, so aptly described in her book."
From Paul Lyons preface: "The inner event that awakens Kundalini remains a mystery. In Margaret Dempsey’s case, years of Buddhist meditation, galvanized by a traumatic contact with an attractive man, triggered the 'uprising of Shakti.' Her honesty in not attempting to glamorize the awakening attests to its authenticity. The author’s real Self, to which Kundalini eventually brought her, is in evidence from page one, as she describes her upbringing in Catholic Ireland, her days in a boarding school run by nuns, her training as a nurse, and her escape to London, New York and India.
"Kundalini is nourished by sexual energy. The fundamental polarity of male and female is at the heart of the cosmos. The polarity of male, Siva, and female, Shakti, is also manifested in the human body, in the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and the left and right sides of the brain, a subject on which Margaret Dempsey speaks with great insight. The polarity is also revealed in her life story. Her father’s favoring her over her mother, a young priest recovering from a nervous breakdown who speaks to the hearts of the teenage girls in his congregation, her meeting with Mooji, and the 'gorgeous' man who rejected her, are a potent male presence, round which the author’s spiritualized womanhood dances. There is a marvelous moment when she speaks of surrender: 'I had no idea what I was letting go of... I couldn’t have surrendered to nothingness. Somehow I knew there was something to surrender to.'
"In Tantra, the male god, Siva is both the 'Destroyer' (of illusion and ego) and the 'Immovable Stillness' of transcendence. The goddess, Shakti, is the energy of creation and manifestation. Kundalini is Shakti’s presence in the human body. The book’s title, Female Kundalini, is therefore apt, not just because it is the document of one woman’s Kundalini experience, but because Kundalini Herself, is fundamentally female, even in men."
~ Paul Lyons, London
One written by a man, the other by a woman, both books illustrate Gopi Krishna's notion of the Evolutionary Impulse — the urge to transcend the world of illusion and material success, in favor of a greater understanding of consciousness and a willingness to explore it first hand.
