Essence Merging

by Colleen Quinn

292 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2026

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Leonard Voisen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I sat down with Colleen Quinn to record our conversation for Inside Personal Growth, I knew within minutes that Essence Merging came from a real place — and the book confirms it on every page.
It's a spiritual memoir with the pulse of a love story. Colleen takes you through the unraveling — trauma, grief, illness, the loss of the identity she'd built as a psychologist — and then into the opening that followed two near-death experiences, where breath, presence, and a willingness to "be love in every moment" became her path home. Her central insight, that there is no truly separate self and that everything is quietly nudging us back toward love, lands not as doctrine but as lived truth.
This won't be every reader's book; it asks you to sit with mystery and meander a little. But if you're a seeker, a healer, or someone standing at the edge of your own transformation, you'll feel met here. I came away moved and grateful she chose to tell it so honestly.

[Meli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a deeply personal and honest account of trauma healing through shamanic practices. The author shares her journey with vulnerability, offering insight into experiences that are often difficult to put into words.

What I appreciated most is how the book helps normalize spiritual experiences that many people go through but don’t always have the language—or safe space—to explore or share.

This book will likely resonate most with readers who are already open to spirituality, especially those interested in modalities such as breathwork, kundalini yoga, energy work, or plant medicine. It offers a perspective on the transformative potential of these practices, while remaining grounded in lived experience.

[Lori Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sent an advanced copy of this book from the author's PR team, and I really enjoyed it. I have not read a lot of spiritual books, but this one took me along on the author's journey. After retiring, she goes on a retreat and we are along for the ride with her. The journey is sometimes heart opening and other times uncomfortable. But I think that is the point of the book. Can you explore something new and open new doors into your heart and soul that you didn't know existed? I think the answer is yes and the book is a testament to that. Growth can come from discomfort. Well done Colleen Quinn.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quinn's memoir left me reflecting on how healing happens when we turn toward ourselves with curiosity and compassion. Her honest account of self-discovery, combined with her exploration of love in its many forms, offers both inspiration and practical wisdom. I found myself reconsidering my own relationships and what it means to bring more presence, connection, and love into everyday life.

I deducted one star purely based on my personal reading preferences. I tend to struggle with dream sequences, visions, and more dream-like storytelling, and Quinn's memoir includes many of these elements. Readers who enjoy symbolic, mystical, or visionary narratives may find this aspect especially meaningful; it simply wasn't the style that resonates most with me.