Healing starts within. By recognising and correcting the sources of negative energy within us, we overcome the cause of our physical disease and find new, divine purpose in our lives.

For many, discovering they lacked the skill to fulfil their career ambitions might seem like the demise of their dreams. For Caroline Myss, it turned out only to be a new beginning – one that would give a far grander purpose to her life. Myss had always dreamt of becoming a newspaper journalist, yet repeated failures taught her a harsh lesson – she did not have what it takes. However, Myss would quickly find she was in fact incredibly gifted, though not in the area she initially thought. After witnessing the ability of Athabasca healers to spiritually perceive illness, she began training to develop the same skill. Soon after, she met C. Norman Shealy, founder of the American Holistic Medical Association, who immediately saw her potential.

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Myss’s fortune would not end there. Before long, she was working full time as a medical intuitive and training others in the practice. Now a five-time New York Times bestseller, Myss’s works have been translated into 28 different languages and sold a staggering 1.5 million copies. Her most acclaimed book, The Anatomy of the Spirit, details the core of her holistic approach and argues that true healing is never purely physical but instead occurs only once we acknowledge the power of our mind and spirit over our lives. Until we mend our thoughts, bodily healing will only ever be temporary.

The Anatomy of the Spirit is divided into two parts. In the first part, Myss outlines the major principles involved in medical intuition. In basic terms, negative thoughts yield negative energy, and these are recorded in our cellular structure, ultimately producing all the diseases that continually plague us. By contrast, positive thoughts produce positive energy and can counteract these effects. A trained intuitive is able to perceive these intense surges of energy, though usually in the form of symbolic impressions. For example, Myss records seeing a patient suffering from a bullet wound through his chest. Upon inquiry, she discovered the man had been betrayed by his partner, which emotionally felt like a shot through his heart. We can all learn to perceive these impressions in ourselves and thereby discover the secret sources generating our various physical ailments.

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But how do we accomplish this task? In the second part of the book, Myss reveals that the core beliefs of the world’s major religions encourage us on this path. Focussing her exploration on three, principle faiths, she argues that the seven chakras align with the seven sacraments of Christianity and the ten sefirot (subdivided into seven levels) of the Jewish Kabbalist tradition. For example, the first chakra, the tribal chakra, corresponds to the sacrament of baptism and the sefirah Shekhinah. Its sacred truth is ‘All is one’ and preaches commitment to family and tribe through the virtues of loyalty, honour and justice. Disorders in this chakra will often manifest in our immune system. Similarly, the second chakra, the partnership chakra, links to the sacrament of communion and the sefirah Yesod. It teaches us the sacred lesson of honouring one another, even when relationships are ‘bad’. No relationship is without divine purpose, and we can learn lessons from all the people in our lives. Wounds here will often result in sexual diseases.

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Similar examinations are performed for all seven levels and for those patient enough to work through their negative baggage, a new lease on life awaits. Myss does not promise this journey will cure all physical conditions, but she does guarantee something far greater – healing of the soul. Once achieved, we find in God the answer to every need, and nothing – not even death – will ever be seen as an obstacle to that purposeful, joyful existence.

While the world seems to be growing ever more interconnected so much suffering still exists, stemming from the constant crises and divisions that separate us from our neighbour. According to Myss, this is a collective manifestation of our universal problem: we are all wounded. We lack the consciousness of the mystic, who sees the unity of all things. The only cure begins with the self. By healing the self, we begin to heal the world, even if it is just one person at a time. Though you may find answers within its pages, these truths promise to heal more than disease; they seek to provide meaning and hope to a broken world.