THE SOUL'S JOURNEY: GUIDANCE FROM THE DIVINE WITHIN propels the reader onto a breathtaking visionary quest as the soul's longing to know the Divine is answered by the loving power of Grace. Dr. Edwards uses his personal mystical experiences to gradually unfold the tasks to be mastered and the lessons to be learned as we tread our individual path to the Divine. His wisdom is grounded in both direct experience as well as in the knowledge of Jungian archetypal psychology, Eastern and Western mysticism and mythology. The book presents a rich interweaving of personal trials and challenges, insights from poet saints and mystics, uplifting experiences of the Divine being discovered in everyday life, and lofty overviews of the spiritual terrain from different vantage points. The reader will have the good fortune to find their faith and their enthusiasm for treading their path delightfully boosted by what they encounter in this book. Joseph Chilton Pearce, noted author and lecturer on human development whose books include THE MAGICAL CHILD, THE MAGICAL CHILD MATURES and EVOLUTION’S END: "You have a treasure chest of experience - so rich a story.... The only one worth telling - the only game in town." Dr. Marion Woodman, the highly regarded Jungian analyst, author of numerous works and co-author of DANCING IN THE FLAMES: THE DARK GODDESS IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS: "I find your descriptions of your experiences fascinating. I really feel that blackness - radiant blackness [of Kali] - you describe. Also your descriptions and explanations and in-depth experiences of the chakras are excellent. Many thanks for sharing this with me. I know it can be of value to many who are working so hard to bring East and West, body and mind together." Stanley Krippner, Ph.D., professor of psychology, author of Spiritual Dimensions of Healing and editor of Dreamscaping: "...Edwards' first person accounts are riveting. [His] descriptions of his Kundalini states are eloquent, including colorful descriptions of his imagery (olfactory and tactile as well as visual and auditory) and profound insights into the human condition. …Edwards skillfully guides his readers through a pathway on which he has been an experienced traveler." (AHP Perspective, Sept/Oct 2001)

Maurie D. Pressman, M.D., author of Enter the Supermind; co-author of Twin Souls; Professor of Psychiatry at Temple University and Emeritus Chairman of Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein Medical Center: In this book, Dr. Edwards provides us with a substantial bridge between the teachings of the ancient masters, and explanations of how to live these very elevated lessons in our daily lives. As the title suggests, the book is an adventure. It is an adventure not only of the author’s soul but also that of the reader. In the beginning it delineates his personal journey, and I have found that wherever I have learned from an author, I have learned a great deal more from the journal of the author's life. And so it is here. From the beginning Lawrence Edwards had visionary experiences. Even as a small child he recognized them as real, despite the discouragement of his parents, a disparagement that is so characteristic of our modern time. He retained the truth of the early visit of the Great Goddess, the Mother Goddess, the Goddess Kali. Later in life, when he devoted himself to Muktananda, a remarkable Siddha Master from the East, he opened more fully, with numerous visionary visitations from the Goddess. She instructed him to carry her lessons forward by recording them, and then publishing them. This was his mission ordained by Kali, and this is his accomplishment. Kali told him stories that are adventures in themselves. But like the great stories of the Sufi or the Hassidic Masters, these allegories are entertainment that carry great wisdom. They import the truths from the spiritual heights. Furthermore, the legends from the Goddess become elaborated by comments and explication, which then bring their symbology into life’s practice. This is an adventure of mind and soul. It is an adventure in teaching from the soul and lessons for the soul of the reader. In the tradition of guru to seeker, teacher to student, these lessons from the life and visions of Dr. Edwards become an education in living our own lives with higher spiritual aspiration and higher personal achievement. Dorothy Walters, Ph.D., author of MARROW OF FLAME: POEMS OF THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, UNMASKING THE ROSE: AN ACCOUNT OF A KUNDALINI INITIATION, and A Cloth of Fine Gold: Poems of the Inner Journey, writes: With quiet grace and the impressive assurance that comes from deep familiarity with the path, Lawrence Edwards introduces us to ever deeper levels of Divine Reality as manifested through the Goddess (Kundalini). He achieves what few dare attempt and even fewer succeed in: a profound and convincing revelation of his own inner progression along that journey of spirit to which he has been called. In his account of his personal quest, he includes the full spectrum of what seekers may expect, from the overwhelming bliss of ecstatic union to the terror of unexpected encounters with the Shadow. His learning is based on a deep familiarity with ancient teachings, but he is able to put much material in a fresh perspective; for example, he reminds of the need to keep the feminine principle ever in view, including the importance of allowing the Goddess, which is Kundalini, to direct us as the energies awaken, rather than trying to coerce Her into preset paths and institutional (patriarchal) formulas. Further, he makes a welcome and vivid distinction between that which is literal and that which is figurative in the ancient descriptions. His explanation of the chakras ("wheels") and the "snake" of Kundalini does much to clarify the confusion which has surrounded these images through the years. Although he was a follower of external teachers for many years, he points out that the ultimate guide is the inner, rather than the outer, guru. This book is an invaluable map to all who venture into similar spiritual terrain. It will be most especially welcomed by those who have tasted of comparable experience through Kundalini awakening, visionary revelation, or the soul's dark night. His voice is that of the authentic pilgrim whose many years of immersion into the ancient practices and lore of Siddha Yoga together with his training in Jungian/transpersonal psychology create a uniquely qualified spokesperson. He is both practitioner and scholar, with a rich familiarity with both Eastern mystical tradition and contemporary Western perspective. He is a wise and trustworthy voice, a teacher whose knowledge and counsel will benefit all those fortunate enough to be introduced to this volume. And, for persons undergoing Kundalini transformation who are seeking a more comprehensive understanding of the process, this book is an invaluable source.

Lawrence Edwards, Ph.D. was the assistant executive director of a Jungian psychiatric treatment center. He was honored as a University Scholar at Temple University where he was awarded his Ph.D. in psychoeducational processes. His doctoral research was on the mystical power of transformation called Kundalini in the yogic paradigm. Currently he is a clinical instructor on the faculty of New York Medical College and maintains a private practice in Westchester County, NY and Cincinnati Ohio. He offers retreats and courses on meditation, mysteries of the Divine Feminine, mindfulness, Buddhist wisdom and practices, peak performance training and more. Dr. Edwards is the Founder & Director of The Anam Cara Foundation, a 501 (C) 3 non-profit educational organization dedicated to making meditation practices available to everyone. www.anamcarafoundation.org will take you to the site where there are free MP3 files of guided meditations and written meditation instructions. Dr. Edwards has been the president of the Kundalini Research Network since 2005 and has organized conferences on Kundalini for that not-for-profit organization. The publisher Sounds True has produced a new collection of 6 audio CDs titled Awakening Kundalini: The Path to Radical Freedom (2012). Sounds True also included his work in an anthology on Kundalini titled Kundalini Rising (2009). These are available from soundstrue.com and amazon.com. He is known for his ability to pass on the power of meditation and for his profound love and respect for the Divine, especially the Divine Feminine. He has spent nearly thirty years practicing and teaching meditation. He has run meditation centers and an ashram in the United States and taught meditation at centers in Canada and India as well. For more information on events and resources on Kundalini, meditation, spirituality and more, please visit www.thesoulsjourney.com.