A wide-ranging guide explores unseen forces at play in daily life.

“We are spiritual creatures in a wholly spiritual environment,” Broach declares repeatedly in this slim work, often addressing his readers directly: “You are composed of energy. Your body, your thoughts, your memories, and everything in the universe is energy.” As such an assertion makes clear, the author’s narrative employs a certain amount of highly figurative language as Broach takes an extensive survey of both cosmology and spirituality and the intersection between the two. The author vigorously claims throughout his work that spiritual energy pervades all of reality and especially animates human beings. These claims are made arm-in-arm with some inaccurate or questionable statements across a wide spectrum of subjects: “Each cell is actually composed of spiritual energy”; dark energy is composed of spiritual energy; “electrons have no mass.” These statements tend to drown out the author’s uncontroversial comments about “psychic vampires” and beneficial observations, such as “Research indicates that being happy reduces our stress, thus contributing to overall health and well-being.” Broach presents detailed claims for which he offers no proof (“When we transition to a purely spiritual state we carry with us our ability to communicate, process information and feel,” for instance), always in the context of his broader assertions about the spiritual element of existence. “Our physical life is a wonderful opportunity for us to develop the spiritual strength necessary for us to experience varying degrees of love, joy, and happiness,” he writes. The author provides some intriguing, thought-provoking insights into the nature of spirituality. But they are sometimes undercut by his contentions that a large variety of scientifically verifiable phenomena is actually spiritual in nature.

An energetic but muddled inquiry into the spiritual nature of life.

This exhaustive guide aims to teach readers the essential pillars of spirituality.

Debut author Broach, a trained library science professional and realtor, began doing research on metaphysics during his studies at the University of Kentucky. Many religions throughout the world, he notes, hold the belief that there exists a “higher power,” whether it be God, Shiva, or another deity; Broach asserts that these higher powers are examples of spiritual energy and help people to recognize this same energy within themselves. The author writes that, because there’s so much suffering and turmoil in the world, it can be difficult for people to exist in a positive state of being; instead, many pursue the idea of heaven for the promise of future happiness. But Broach argues that, by drawing on spiritual energy, people can create a similarly harmonic state on Earth. His book seeks to answer questions on how to live a spiritual life, including what it means to be a spiritual being: “We, as spiritual people, are part of God,” the author says. It also addresses how spirituality and organized religion are related and how affirmations are connected to one’s spiritual nature; indeed, readers who come from mainstream religious backgrounds should expect to have their worldviews frequently challenged. Other topics include how to embrace a spiritual lifestyle and use familiar spiritual tools, such as meditation and manifesting. Overall, Broach succeeds in creating a comprehensive guide for those who may be new to these spiritual ideas and eager to explore them. Occasionally, the book’s layout feels a bit disjointed, but the author’s clear storytelling talent makes up for this. Some of the concepts that Broach addresses in this book, such as auras or soul mates, are complex and may require patience from readers who are unfamiliar with them, but he supplements his research with engaging personal anecdotes.

A detailed handbook for those looking to learn about and connect with spirituality.