Book excerpt: This memoir of the mid-1990s is the story of a young man's spontaneous awakening of his Kundalini energy-the mysterious serpent power locked at the base of the spine. The author is thrown into a near-psychotic state while on the road, wandering around the western U.S. He spends summers at Rainbow Gatherings in New Mexico and Colorado, going from place to place as he works to integrate this disturbing and powerful spiritual awakening. Documenting the survival of a youth culture that began in the 1960s, this book is a guide to a way of life and a wise and genuine account of a profound spiritual experience.