LET IT GO

You can heal your soul by listening to your heart, according this warmhearted self-helper.

Okumus probes a wide range of psychological and spiritual issues, arguing that egotism, fear, alienation, and social media erode our connections to others and ourselves. She begins with an extended dialogue between herself and God touching on many topics, including extraterrestrials (they exist); communications (the internet will be phased out in favor of books and telepathy); a looming period of war and political chaos; the guardian angels, ascended masters, beings of light, and ancestors who watch over us; and the reasons for suffering and death. God’s overarching lesson is that we need to let go of control, trust in the processes of the universe, reconnect with nature, downplay rational thought, and let feelings and love rule us. Later chapters offer more advice in Okumus’ own voice. She discusses the cultivation of chakras; the importance of women embracing their feminine natures; self-acceptance (she recommends mirror-work with the mantra “I love you, my beautiful imperfection, and thank you for coming here to teach me the most important thing, self-love and love in general”); finance (“remember, money will come when you trust yourself and let go of the need to control”); and, more controversially, the psychic aspects of disease (“the reality is that cancer is simply a manifestation of emotional blockages in the body”). Mixing Christian precepts with New Age mystical themes, the author explores many of the great mysteries of religion, being, and self-awareness. Her vivid, intense prose evokes both the searing anguish of life and the strength and wisdom it brings (“I thought I would not survive it. But I did. And I want you to know that even if this moment feels like the end, it is also the beginning”). Readers beset by trauma, grief, or anxiety about their place in the world will find nourishing food for thought here.

A luminous meditation, full of hard-won insights and reassuring advice.