Spiritual Energy Explained
You, Your Soul, and the Universe
Examining the chronology, practices, and successes of spirituality, Spiritual Energy Explained is a diverse and engaging philosophical introduction.
Walter E. Broach’s metaphysical survey Spiritual Energy Explained places spirituality within the contemporary religious and scientific landscape and anticipates future religious advances.
Asserting that spirituality is as old as human beings and has evolved along with them to help them “become happier, more successful, and loving people,” the book contrasts it with organized religions, whose authority figures mimic deities, existing separate from but standing in judgment of human behavior. Spiritual people, Broach says, assume responsibility for their own actions; their ultimate rewards are present states of joy derived from divine intimacy.
The book draws connections between science and spirituality, too, saying that Einstein’s discovery that matter and energy are the same supports spirituality’s understanding that humans (matter) and divinity (energy) are one. And it positions spirituality as a philosophy, divergent from but not exclusive of religion, with a loose set of rubrics that people are free to follow. It traces spirituality’s credibility to the concurrent development of notions of freedom, contemporaneous to the Magna Carta.
With guided meditations and instructions for finding psychic healers, as well as stories showing Broach’s acquaintances practicing spirituality in everyday contexts, this is a book that is designed to persuade general audiences. It suggests that spiritual exercises are for everyone and benefit all, as spiritual energy can transfer between people and has the power to change the direction in which the world is headed. Indeed, it cites COVID-19, nuclear threats, and divisions caused by dictatorial governments as problems to which spirituality is an antidote. And a section on uncovering and healing from emotional damage is used to suggest that spirituality has far-reaching personal ramifications too.
Broach’s language is colloquial, engaging, and contemporary. The book does an able job of describing chakras, auras, and the differences between twin flames and soulmates. However, its experimental tone invites some suspicion, as does the fact that its arguments are made sans citations or footnotes. It emphasizes individual authority among spiritual people but also shares chapter-closing thoughts that represent definitive takeaways. And in doing work such as setting spirituality over and against religion, which it depicts in general, dismissive, and even argumentative terms, the book undoes some of its persuasiveness. Better executed are its efforts to contextualize spirituality within scientific progress, wherein spirituality is positioned as a transformative force.
Spiritual Energy Explained advertises spirituality as a tool for confronting disasters awaiting the world.
Reviewed by
Mari Carlson
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
