This Brutiful Life

I know that the spiritual world can be a divisive topic these days, but it is a topic that I have been exploring in greater depth over the last few years (see the How Do You Do It? blog post). If you are someone who likes to learn about a variety of topics, and the spiritual world is a topic of interest, here are a few books/podcasts you might enjoy:

1) The Awakened Brain, by Lisa Miller, PhD — This book was published a few years ago and is about the new science of spirituality. It is “science-y” and requires focus, so it is best read if you have the time and energy to think deeply.

2) The In-Between, by Hadley Vlahos, RN — I read this New York Times bestselling book in August 2023. (There is another book out there with the same title, so take note of the author’s name.) Hadley is a hospice nurse, and part of her purpose is to help people feel less fear about dying. Despite the topic, it was a really uplifting book. It is written for people of differing faith traditions and spiritual beliefs and also for those who don’t believe.

3) The Telepathy Tapes podcast — I recently heard about The Telepathy Tapes podcast from both Luvvie Ajayi Jones and Glennon Doyle. I didn’t know what the podcast was about, but I decided to give it a try since I heard about it twice in one week. After the first episode, I was intrigued even more. Both Luvvie and Glennon indicated that I needed to listen to all 10 main episodes to get the entire point of the podcast, and that was true. It made me think about my spiritual beliefs and reassured me that I am on the right track in my spiritual life.

4) The Oprah Podcast episode “Oprah and a Doctor Explore What Near Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond” — This podcast episode was recently released, and it was interesting to watch on YouTube. Oprah interviewed Dr. Bruce Greyson, M.D. who has been studying Near Death Experiences for over 30 years. If you find the interview intriguing, then you might also enjoy Dr. Greyson’s book, After.

5) True and False Magic: A Tools Workbook, by Phil Stutz, M.D. and Elise Loehnen — This book discusses the unavoidable universal domains of uncertainty, the need for constant work, and pain. Stutz is most known for teaching famous people about harnessing their Life Force and tapping into the unconscious.