THE DESTINY AND SIGNS OF GOD

A psychiatrist explores the connection between spirituality and science in this nonfiction work.

“I wasn’t prepared to write books,” the author notes, adding, “the guidance of the Universe forced me to do it.” This sense of divine mission sets the tone for a book that is largely a memoir in its first section, in which the author describes his upbringing in the Soviet Republic of Moldova and the disconnection he felt between his cerebral, spiritual sensibilities and those of his more carnal teenage classmates. Rotaru discusses his marriage and journey through medical school, blending in the story of his early premonitions (“Subconscious Signs of God”). While not the primary focus of the book’s narrative, the author’s belief that his community “lost [its] bearings” following the collapse of communism is a major throughline. (The resulting economic and social instability forced Rotaru’s family to emigrate to Romania before a final resettling in Canada.) Transitioning from memoir-like vignettes, Rotaru, a trained psychiatrist, centers his attention on the connection between spirituality and science. While some readers may balk at the author’s frequent claims of divine ordinance, his spiritual takes, combined with an informed perspective on neuroscience and psychoanalysis, are fascinating. Rejecting a Western dogmatic approach to religion, Rotaru frequently references the writings of Neale Donald Walsch (specifically, his Conversations with Godseries), which incorporate Eastern spirituality. (Human energy chakras, a focal point of Hindu and Buddhist meditative traditions, are described in detail.) The book also dabbles in esoterica like numerology, often citing dates and other numerical data as signs from God. Translated into English from the original Romanian text, this is an accessibly written work in which the author is earnest about his spiritual belief system but never preachy. At over 465 pages, the text is at times repetitive, but Rotaru’s down-to-earth prose is accompanied by an ample selection of diagrams, images, and other visual elements. For the scientifically minded reader, the book draws on a firm foundation of psychiatry, though a more formal approach to scholarly citations would be appreciated.

An intriguing and eclectic—if not always convincing—exploration of spiritual psychoanalysis.