The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death [Paperback]

J J Semple (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2009

For anyone wishing to connect the dots between the various aspects of meditation science, this book is a must. The author analyzes meditation practices across cultures and throughout the ages, demonstrating decisively that the backward-flowing method is the Secret of Life. For the first time ever, a book dares to reveal the secrets of the world's most influential meditation method - a series of techniques originally compiled in the 9th. Century masterpiece of Chinese alchemy, The Secret of the Golden Flower. One-by-one, the author reveals the techniques behind the book's secrets, providing clear instructions on how to use them. Not even Richard Wilhelm, the translator, or Carl Gustav Jung, the famous psychologist, who wrote the original commentary to The Secret of the Golden Flower, were able to plumb the depths of this method. Why? Neither Wilhelm nor Jung practiced the method. Now JJ Semple shares his many years of first-hand practice with the sacred book's meditation system.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

JJ Semple has worked as a film editor for NBC with TV producers Stuart Schulberg and Ted Yates, and he edited "Assassin," an independent feature film, for Rod Bradley's Streetlight Productions. In the 1970s and 80s he lived in France, where he directed his own training school, Arazon, a company that prepared managers for negotiation and problem solving. After attending a French business school, he established a subsidiary of UNILOG, a leading French software company, in the US. He returned to Paris to work for Apple Computer Europe, designing multimedia programs. He also taught a multimedia course at the American University in Paris. It was during this period that he began writing feature screenplays. His screenplay, "Everyone Wants to Make Movies" (co-written with Mark Richardson) won the Telluride award in 1997, and their screenplay "Little Dan" won first place at the Telluride Independent Film Festival in 2000. Semple's formal education includes studying English Literature at the University of Pennsylvania and George Washington University, and a master's degree in marketing from Hauts Etudes de Commerce in Paris. His personal education involves yogic practices and spiritual exploration, inspired by a wide variety of teachers, writers and philosophers, including Gopi Krishna, Milarepa, and Lao Tse. However, his worldly accomplishments pale beside his thirty years of investigating workable methods for activating the Kundalini. JJ Semple is one of the foremost authorities on the activation and application of Kundalini. Says JJ Semple, "My work is inspired by a variety of teachers, writers and practitioners, including Gopi Krishna, Milarepa, and Lao Tse. "After many years of practicing Yoga and meditation on my own, I realized my self-reliance had provided me with the knowledge to create a method of my own-a method for self-learners. It's called restorative Golden Flower Meditation (GFM), a method I learned through extensive study of The Secret of the Golden Flower. I now use it with students all over the world. Every Yoga teacher and meditation instructor should know about GFM. Even if they don't use it, they should have the techniques in their toolkit. I'm talking about the ability to teach students to self-monitor and make necessary adjustments. If you really think about it, success in anything comes from learning to rely on yourself."

Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: Life Force Books (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979533120
• ISBN-13: 978-0979533129
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,155,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JJ Semple has worked as a film editor for NBC with TV producers Stuart Schulberg and Ted Yates, and he edited "Assassin," an independent feature film, for Rod Bradley's Streetlight Productions.

In the 1970s and 80s he lived in France, where he directed his own training school, Arazon, a company that prepared managers for negotiation and problem solving. After attending a French business school, he established a subsidiary of UNILOG, a leading French software company, in the US. He returned to Paris to work for Apple Computer Europe, designing multimedia programs. He also taught a multimedia course at the American University in Paris. It was during this period that he began writing feature screenplays.

His screenplay, "Everyone Wants to Make Movies" (co-written with Mark Richardson) won the Telluride award in 1997, and their screenplay "Little Dan" won first place at the Telluride Independent Film Festival in 2000.

Semple's formal education includes studying English Literature at the University of Pennsylvania and George Washington University, and a master's degree in marketing from Hauts Etudes de Commerce in Paris.

His personal education involves yogic practices and spiritual exploration, inspired by a wide variety of teachers, writers and philosophers, including Gopi Krishna, Milarepa, and Lao Tse. However, his worldly accomplishments pale beside his thirty years of investigating workable methods for activating the Kundalini. JJ Semple is one of the foremost authorities on the activation and application of Kundalini.

Deciphering the Golden Flower One Secret at a Time, a companion piece to The Secret of the Golden Flower, is his first nonfiction work. It describes how he was able to unlock the sacred book's secret meditation techniques, allowing him to activate Kundalini in a benign, permanent, scientifically controlled fashion.

His new book entitled, The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death outlines the cosmology for perfecting life on earth as well as preparing for the inevitable--death and takes a fresh look at The Tibetan Book of the Dead. It includes a chapter on Addiction and proposes a revolutionary means of fighting it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A much needed supplement to the previous book., February 16, 2009

By 

Felix M (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death (Paperback)

I've now read both of Semple's books and what sets them apart from most in the genre is their direct approach. Many authors with a major publisher would be persuaded to add much more repetition and fluff in order to expand the book. Semple prefers to keep it fairly simple, which is also how he sees the process he's describing. I felt, however, this book had a little too much quoting from other sources, but it's still more to-the-point than most other books you'll find.

The main thrust of the "backward flowing method" is a breathing exercise to slowly, and safely start a kundalini awakening. As the method is taken from a Chinese source, I don't believe many who've tried "kundalini yoga" will be familiar with it. A reader who is familiar with qi gong might find the backward flowing method similar to preparatory exercises for the microcosmic orbit.

In a perfect world, both of Semple's books would be combined into one work. But regardless, they're both available, affordable and inspiring.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars perhaps as a supplement to the excellent first book, March 23, 2009

By 

cocktail sage "cocktail sage" (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death (Paperback)

As much as I like the first book and like the author, I don't like this book very much. I heard the author speak and he is very impressive.

The information the author is presenting - the meditation techniques - the results he has obtained, and the results he believes the techniques will produce in others - this information is fascinating, and possibly of the highest value.

Unfortunately the book is written in the form of a persuasion, a sales pitch, an argument (?) to convince the reader that spirit and meditation can change the physical body and can change the character of the practitioner. And that there are positive implications beyond that. He also argues strongly that people should consider trying things to see if they work (empirical experimentation) instead of being completely limited by theory (or dogma)

Personally, I already think this is obvious. A large percentage of this small, 133 page book is filled with this dispute, this exhortation. Another large portion of the book is excerpts and reprints from his prior, excellent (IMHO) book. And then there are excerpts from other books. So there is actually not much book here.

The method itself is explained a little more clearly than in the first volume.

The author does not mention if anyone else who has tried his method has succeeded (yet). The method looks quite simple (not necessarily easy) and will take 100 days (or more) of regular practice to get to the point of no return. His personal experience and the experience of Gopi Krishna, [who he cites extensively] were both quite unpleasant, life changing, and temporarily debilitating. Since he has puzzled out important factors - type of diet for example - one wonders if the next wave are having an easier transition - since the author emphasizes that this is a `one way trip'.

Although the realization he has attained is one of my life goals, I have to say that this book and the previous book don't inspire me to follow.

I'm surprised the author hasn't read more of what is currently available in English on Taoist meditations. Having read extensively I would be surprised if many more of the intermediate steps now being published by (for example) Mantak Chia don't correspond to some of the still encoded portions of 'the golden flower', my limited experience with esoteric Taoism is that it is intended to be a 'step by step' process rather than the'leap off the cliff' experience the author had.

I'd agree with the other reviewer who thought this should be a second edition, not a second volume.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A precise method with lasting effect, August 3, 2009

By 

G. Borchgrevink - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death (Paperback)

The Backward-Flowing Method: The Secret of Life and Death

A precise method with lasting effect is what the author JJ Semple offers in his book "The Backward-Flowing Method", a safe way to awaken dormant Life Force for all those who follow his precise instructions. Not only an instructional manual but a well written syncretic historical and scientific essay as well. The way he dechiffers and puts into practise "the old method of The Golden Flower" including diaphragmatic deep breathing which is a part of old chinese medicine qigong practise, the zen meditational method of "blocking out the ten thousand things", learning to control the heart rate and still the breath, perhaps reviving what may have been early gnostic and arian meditaion methods, referring to the bardos in the Tibetan Book of the Dead as well as the old religious tradition of abstaining from sexual activity for a specific amount of time...and reflecting on modern science and the possibility of an individual blueprint in our DNA science, JJ Semple deliveres a highly entertaining book. Leaving this reader curious to follow his example and start practising. But one should not mistake this easy to read for not being serious, because like he says.."once you have made up your mind there is no turning back, you'll be on autopilot for the rest of your life. It will change your life and it will demand sacrifices". In light of aformentioned connections I see no reason as to doubt his claims, when it comes to the power of youth generation, as for karmic intervention I abstain from commenting since the author does point out the importance of practical proof and await his further in depth publishing in this department. JJ Semple shares with us his personal experiences. It is worth mentioning though that he is not alone in this pursuit, references can be made to Glenn Morris and T.Cleary as well as many others including this reader. I see no reason to doubt that this book really shows how to trigger autonomic self-healing mechanisms capable of correcting defeats related to neural degeneration, still addictions, and rejuvenate your body. It makes sense; instead of escaping the imprisonment of the physical plane, would it not be better to improve the world by "knowing thy self"? It's a great contribution to the choir of pioneers attempting to bridge the gap between east and west, religious pracise and scienctific method in addition to being a simple and clear instructional manual for awakening dormant rejuvenating primal energy.