Appendices

Similar Works and Further Reading

The Path of the Dragon weaves ancient wisdom, modern science, and embodied practice into a unique tapestry. While drawing from many wells, it stands apart through several key aspects:

This section offers curated recommendations for further exploration. Each work has been selected for its alignment with key themes from The Path of the Dragon, providing context and depth for your journey. We have consciously sought to include diverse perspectives to enrich your understanding.

Integration of Science and Spirituality

Fritjof Capra – The Tao of Physics Relevance: Explores parallels between quantum physics and Eastern mysticism, echoing the book’s synthesis of science and spirit by linking microcosm and macrocosm, aligning with explorations in Part II.

David Bohm – Wholeness and the Implicate Order Relevance: Introduces the concept of the implicate order, aligning with the Entangled Firmament’s vision of an interconnected, holofractal reality discussed in Part II.

Melanie Mitchell – Complexity: A Guided Tour Relevance: An accessible introduction to complexity science, mirroring the book’s exploration of emergence, feedback loops, and pattern formation within the Entangled Firmament in Part II.

Bruce Rosenblum & Fred Kuttner – Quantum Enigma Relevance: Investigates the role of consciousness in quantum theory, enhancing the book’s view of observer-participation as a fundamental aspect of reality explored in Part II.

Frank Close – The Void Relevance: A physicist’s exploration of emptiness, connecting scientific and mystical perspectives on nothingness, deepening the book’s cosmological themes (Part II) and the concept of the Void as source (Part VII).

Embodied Transformation

Carl Jung – Man and His Symbols Relevance: A foundational work on archetypes and the unconscious, supporting the book’s depth psychological framework (Part I) and exploration of inner patterns (Part III).

Bessel van der Kolk – The Body Keeps the Score Relevance: Connects trauma to the body and brain, complementing the book’s somatic emphasis (Part IV) and its view of the body as the primary locus of healing and integration (Part V).

Resmaa Menakem – My Grandmother’s Hands Relevance: Explores embodied racialized trauma and resilience, offering somatic practices in line with the book’s inclusivity, trauma-informed approach, and focus on collective healing in Part V and Part VI.

Christopher Wallis – Tantra Illuminated Relevance: A scholarly yet embodied guide to classical Tantra, aligned with the book’s sacred sexuality teachings (Part IV) and its perspective on Eros as a vital energetic body (Part I).

Babette Rothschild – The Body Remembers Relevance: Adds depth to trauma theory through somatic memory and regulation strategies, complementing the book’s focus on the body as a crucible of change and a repository of wisdom in Part V.

Cyndi Dale – The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy Relevance: A comprehensive guide to energy anatomy, complementing the book’s approach to subtle energetics (Part IV) and the framework of the Five Energetic Bodies (Part I).

Kenneth Cohen – The Way of Qigong Relevance: Explores traditional Chinese energy cultivation practices, complementing the book’s focus on the Eros body (Part I) and somatic energy work in Part IV.

Mythopoetic and Archetypal Exploration

Joseph Campbell – The Hero with a Thousand Faces Relevance: Outlines the monomyth (Hero’s Journey), which the book reframes through the non-linear, recursive dynamics of the Spiral Path (Part I, VIII).

James Hillman – Re-Visioning Psychology Relevance: A cornerstone of archetypal psychology focused on “soul-making,” resonant with the Dragon’s symbolic terrain and the importance of psyche and imagination in Part III and for the Soul body (Part I).

Taschen – The Book of Symbols Relevance: A visual and mythic lexicon of archetypal symbols—including the Dragon—supporting the book’s imaginal depth and engagement with universal patterns in Part III.

Martin Shaw – Mythteller: Field Notes for the Return Relevance: Invites deep engagement with myth as a living source of wisdom, enriching the exploration of archetypes and their relevance to the Soul body (Part III).

Malidoma Patrice Somé – Of Water and the Spirit Relevance: Offers a profound perspective on ritual, community, and navigating the spirit world from a Dagara elder, resonating with the book’s exploration of archetypes, altered states, and community dynamics in Part III, Part VI, and Part VII.

Systems Thinking and Consciousness

Donella Meadows – Thinking in Systems Relevance: Offers foundational tools for system-level awareness, echoing the book’s interconnected worldview as depicted in the Entangled Firmament (Part II).

Humberto Maturana & Francisco Varela – The Tree of Knowledge Relevance: Explores autopoiesis (self-creation) and cognition in living systems, foundational biological concepts underpinning the participatory nature of the Entangled Firmament (Part II).

Ken Wilber – A Brief History of Everything Relevance: Presents Integral theory as a map of evolution and consciousness across multiple domains, complementing the book’s synthetic, multi-layered approach to wholeness (Part I).

Stanislav Grof – The Holotropic Mind Relevance: Explores transpersonal states and the architecture of the psyche beyond the ego, supportive of the book’s views on altered states, non-ordinary reality, and deep integration in Part VII and Part III.

Starhawk – The Spiral Dance Relevance: A guide to spiral transformation through pagan spirituality and ritual, echoing the book’s recursive, mytho-ritual framework and cyclical understanding of growth via the Spiral Path (Part I, VIII).

Thich Nhat Hanh – Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism Relevance: Articulates the principle of interconnectedness (“Interbeing”) grounded in Buddhist ethics and practice, deepening the understanding of the Entangled Firmament (Part II) and Ethical Responsibility (Part VI).

Practical Applications and Thematic Deep Dives

Shadow Work

Robert Bly – Owning Your Own Shadow Relevance: A concise, poetic guide to shadow integration, a central practice in Path of the Dragon for reclaiming fragmented parts of the self in Part III.

Connie Zweig & Jeremiah Abrams (Eds.) – Meeting the Shadow Relevance: A powerful anthology offering diverse perspectives on confronting and integrating the shadow aspects of the individual and collective psyche in Part III.

Tiyo Saimo – The Unwritten Book: The Journey to Reconceiving the Self Relevance: Explores shadow integration and identity formation through a post-colonial lens, offering a nuanced perspective on reclaiming the self relevant to Part III and Part V.

Ethics, Sexuality & Power Dynamics

Clarissa Pinkola Estés – Women Who Run With the Wolves Relevance: Reclaims the wild feminine archetype and embodied spirituality, resonating with the book’s embrace of primal energies (Eros, Part I), intuition, and archetypal wisdom (Part III).

Dossie Easton & Janet Hardy – The Ethical Slut Relevance: Explores sexual freedom, consent, communication, and sacred play, echoing the book’s tantric erotic ethos and emphasis on conscious relating in Part IV and Part VI.

Julie Diamond – Power: A User’s Guide Relevance: A nuanced exploration of power dynamics, leadership, rank, and ethics, especially relevant to the book’s theme of wielding influence responsibly (Ethical Power) in Part VI.

Bayo Akomolafe – These Wilds Beyond Our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home Relevance: Explores complex systems, relationality, and decolonial perspectives on belonging, enriching the understanding of the Entangled Firmament (Part II) and ethical relating within community (Part VI).

Trauma Healing

Peter Levine – Waking the Tiger Relevance: Introduces Somatic Experiencing as a method for trauma resolution by working with the body’s innate responses, aligning with the book’s emphasis on accessing the body’s wisdom for healing in Part V.

Deb Dana – The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy Relevance: Provides accessible tools based on Polyvagal Theory for nervous system regulation and trauma healing, supporting the book’s focus on embodied safety, resilience, and co-regulation in Part V.

Eduardo Duran & Bonnie Duran – Native American Postcolonial Psychology Relevance: Explores the psychological and spiritual impacts of historical trauma on Indigenous peoples, offering frameworks for healing that align with the book’s trauma-informed perspective and focus on reclaiming the Soul in Part V and Part III.

Neurodivergence

Steve Silberman – NeuroTribes Relevance: Offers a history of neurodiversity and a call for inclusion, aligned with the book’s trauma-aware, pluralistic approach embracing diverse ways of being discussed in Part V and Part VI.

Jessica Fern – The Neurodivergent Woman’s Guide to Spirituality Relevance: Offers a grounded yet expansive map of spiritual growth tailored for neurodivergent individuals, complementing the book’s inclusive philosophy and adapting practices for different needs throughout the Spiral Path.

Devon Price – Unmasking Autism Relevance: A personal and practical guide to navigating neurodivergence and societal expectations, deepening the book’s relevance to themes of identity, authenticity, and self-liberation in Part III and Part V.

Psychedelics and Integration

Michael Pollan – How to Change Your Mind Relevance: A balanced exploration of the history, science, and potential of psychedelics, reflective of the book’s nuanced and ethically-grounded stance on consciousness-altering tools explored in Part VII.

James Fadiman – The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide Relevance: A practical resource for safe and intentional psychedelic journeys, which the book views as potential catalysts for insight and integration within the Spiral Path, particularly relevant to practices in Part VII.

Jack Kornfield – After the Ecstasy, the Laundry Relevance: A guide to integrating profound spiritual experiences and awakenings into the fabric of daily life, mirroring the Dragon’s emphasis on post-initiation embodiment and grounded presence in Part VIII.

Luis Eduardo Luna & Pablo Amaringo – Ayahuasca Visions: The Religious Iconography of a Peruvian Shaman Relevance: Offers insight into the cosmology, symbolism, and healing potential associated with traditional plant medicine practice, providing cultural context for the exploration of altered states (Part VII) and symbolic integration (Part III).

The Path of the Dragon serves as a contemporary expression of timeless wisdom, bridging science and spirit, psyche and soma, shadow and sovereignty. These recommended works offer rich contexts for further exploration and deepen the dialogue this book invites you into.