The timeless account of Gopi Krishna’s awakening to Kundalini—the vital spiritual force that lies within us all.

At the age of thirty-four, after years of profoundly transformative meditation, Gopi Krishna suddenly experienced the awakening of Kundalini—a powerful spiritual force latent within every human being that exists like a coiled serpent in the spine—which, once awakened, rises up and finds expression in the form of spiritual knowledge, mystical vision, psychic powers, and ultimately, enlightenment. The story of this transformative experience, and the author’s struggle to find balance amid a variety of powerful physiological and psychic side effects, forms the core of his spiritual autobiography. He describes in vivid detail the dramatic inner experiences and symptoms such as mood swings, eating disorders, and agonizing sensations of heat, until finally stabilizing, with the help of his wife, at a higher level of consciousness. The rawness and sincerity with which he recounts his journey make this one of the most revered classics of spiritual awakening from modern times. This edition also includes the original commentary by acclaimed psychologist James Hillman.