The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India

Although author accepts that he did not meet any authentic siddhars, details in this book is a bit impressive. I would recommend this book strongly to anyone who is interested in knowing basics of Indian alchemy and about siddhars.

Seemingly comprehensive look at the fascinating story of medieval Indian alchemy, and its sources and influences.

Good read.

This remarkable book illuminates the "body of light" of yogis, tantrikas, and alchemists. The author traveled throughout India and Nepal, spoke with living yogis and alchemists, and combed the yogic, tantric, and ayurvedic scriptures of Hindu, Nath, Taoist and Buddhist Siddha traditions to reveal their alchemical secrets.White warns readers upfront, in the fifth paragraph of his book, to expect "dizzying multitudinous levels of self-interpretation" from the yogi, tantrika, and alchemist traditions. The notions of the subtle "alchemical" body are complex; they are a morass of myths, beliefs, and rituals developed during three thousand years. Reader beware: "dizziness" is a side-effect of the interpretations of the yogis and siddhis themselves.Did those disgruntled Amazon reviewers expect a self-help book packed with feel-good interpretations?The Alchemical Body is an outsiders view of the subtle body system of yogis, tantrikas, and alchemists: an academic attempt to unpack the mysteries of the traditions of the alchemical body.David Gordon White sees the Yogic-Siddhic alchemist as essentially concerned with the creation and intensification of a "body of light" while remaining yet in the phenomenal world. The beliefs and rituals of the yogin, tantrika, and siddha are meant to transform the gross material body into an immortal, divine portal: a sacrificial "oblation" that directs humans heavenward (samadhi) through control of breath, diet, and sex. The Alchemical Body is a study of the language of mystic experience and expression-the multitudinous symbols, rituals, and doctrines of the medieval siddha, yoga, and alchemical traditions.

Best book on this particular subject if not the only book on this subject

The actual book is interesting as I thought. The problem is the binding. The adhesive connecting the pages to the spine is so weak that pages randomly fall out when reading. When printing a book of this length you would think they would spend more on the binding.

There is a lot of information in this text. And much of it is truly inspired.I just wish it wasn't so damn belabored. What could have been an exciting read full of fascinating subject matter, more often put me to sleep.I went on to read Kiss of the Yogini, and Sinister Yogis. I believe The Alchemical Body to be the best of the three. All three books have great information. And all three have the same academic writing style that present information in its driest, most boring form.

I spent my Labor Day weekend wrapped up in this book... excellent. Despite the frustrating complexity of Tantric ideas, texts, lineages and practices David White does a great job in weaving them together. The very ending, in which he meets a Nath in Thamel, Kathmandu is priceless--very typical of India and I think of esotericism in general, in which years of frustrated study will be summed up and answered by a nonchalant chance encounter... which, of course, only leads to more questions. I'm looking forward to White's upcoming book "Sinister Yogis" quite a lot now...!

Pelo que li até agora o livro é extremamente detalhado

Amazing book on tantra, nath yogis and Siddhas.

this guy is a genius I repeat ,indispensable for any tantric practitioner good as well for further reading references and historical structures

The author has managed to make an interesting and mystical subject really dry, methodical and boring to read ...

Excellent book. Deep content, very well written. It allows us to learn something very important and have a new paradigma In the study of alchemy.