"Deciphering the Golden Flower One Secret at a Time is the account of my Kundalini awakening," says JJ Semple. "I don't leave anything out: A childhood accident that robs me of my talents and memory, my slow deterioration and eventual disequilibrium. The young girl in Paris who gives me a copy of The Secret of the Golden Flower.
"How I put the book aside, unaware that it contained a workable method for recovering my lost talents. The lost year before I read it. My initial befuddlement over its arcane wording. The two additional years spent deciphering the text. How I eventually dropped everything to devote myself to the practice of meditation. How this practice led me to discover a safe, reliable method of activating Kundalini, the method I call Golden Flower Meditation (GFM). And finally the twenty years it took me to complete a thorough, practical primer on Golden Flower Meditation for the modern reader — the book that readied The Secret of the Golden Flower for primetime."
Excerpt from Front Street Reviews:
"When I think of memoirs, I am often bored by the thought of reading the machinations of some person's mundane existence. I imagine the story to be amateurish, over-written, and esoteric. Couple that memoir with a critical commentary on a [in]famous philosophical treatise from Chinese spirituality and I expected a full-on yawn-fest. Instead, I was met with a frank, enlightening foray into the depths of The Secret of the Golden Flower from the perspective of a real person, flaws and all. JJ Semple's Deciphering the Golden Flower One Secret at a Time is truly a phenomenon unto itself. This book uses one person's real life to extrapolate the intricacies of The Golden Flower, from pre-discovery to post-discovery, and it is quite a ride.
"At the same time as encompassing the spiritual element, Semple's book also masters the craft of writing and entertainment. He has mastered dialogue in its creative nonfiction element and brought alive through voice the characters of his memories. In addition, his writing is constantly hand-carved – in no instance does it feel over-written or flowery, as though he has kept his language on a leash close to his hip.
"I recommend this book to everyone. Truly, this is the best book I've read in a long time, both in terms of practical application of spiritual practice and market entertainment. This book is a riveting experience."
by Arminta Matthews, June 20, 2008
Excerpt from Top 50 Amazon Reviewer:
"Let me say that this is a superbly written memoir. Semple's narrative command might invoke the envy of a best-selling novelist. And his facility with the language, his ability to effortlessly (or so it seems, without effort) to find just the right word or expression to make his story vivid and engaging for the reader is highly admirable. Furthermore the prose is polished and very nicely edited. The book is pleasure to read and it reads fast.
"The glimpses we get of the women in his life are very interesting. I especially liked Margo and Martine. Semple has the novelist's gift for dialogue and quick description through which these women come to life."
by Dennis Littrell, May 5, 2008
Excerpt from Sentient Times Review:
"JJ Semple's account of the changes he experienced during the meditation practice which led to his dramatic awakening helps the reader understand just how healing an arising Kundalini can be.
"With its empirical discussion of the physiological nature of Kundalini, Deciphering the Golden Flower One Secret at a Time offers a fascinating look into this multi-dimensional phenomenon."
by Deborah Mokma, February/March 2007