The Psychic Healing Book by Amy Wallace and Bill Henkin has been around since the late 70s, with several updated editions released over the decades. This one is the 25th anniversary updated version. Psychic is a cult classic. It’s one of those oft-cited New Age books you hear a lot about. So it was high time I read it for myself.
First, a few interesting updates in this 25th anniversary edition. Wallace explicitly notes that she wishes she could rewrite the book and not mention spirit guides. “[I]f I could do it differently today I would rewrite or delete entirely the chapters pertaining to the use of spirit guides. I have come to believe that spiritism leads to many mishaps and disappointments, and I would prefer not to even dabble in it.”
She also talks about ch’i kung (or qigong) and chakras, and how qigong should be used to strengthen the lower chakras before a practitioner tries to work with the sixth and seventh (or third eye and crown) chakras.
Henkin also offers fascinating new information. “When we use our psychic abilities we enter the same hallowed grounds of the mind or soul that give rise to creativity and psychosis.” I love that line. It’s worth reading over a few times.
Psychic is an easy to read 208-page classic on developing psychic ability. It’s a practical how-to guide formulated after the teachings of Wallace as she learned them from her psychic teachers. Much of it, I found, is in direct line with the spiritual pedagogy of the Berkeley Psychic Institute, a school for psychic development that’s been around since the 70s, on a street in downtown Berkeley I frequently walk on.
A lot of ground is covered in this book, though the authors skate across the surface of these subjects. Animism, Spiritism, the chakra system, the astral body, color healing, auras and reading auras, karma, dream interpretation, contacting spirit guides, ESP, and future telling are all covered, albeit in a few succinct paragraphs per topic. The book is therefore a starting point, not a treatise.
Psychic also covers practical training for developing psychic healing abilities. Whether they work or not, I’m not sure since I can’t report on any successful personal results, but I will say it’s comprehensive in its articulation of how to train yourself in the ways of psychic healing. Specific exercises are provided, visionary techniques, and personal success stories provided by the author on how these exercises and techniques will hone your psychic healing abilities.
For me, it was a fascinating read and I believe one must be open-minded to many perspectives of the woo.
In the spirit of learning many perspectives, The Psychic Healing Book is an incredible read and worth investing in for your personal library.
If you’re intrigued about a course like Psychic Ability 101, then get this book. It’s practical, full of exercises and training techniques, covers a lot of ground and inspires further reading of the individual topics covered, and most importantly, is written in accessible plain English. Wallace and Henkin also offer fascinating personal accounts and stories of psychic work at play.
I’ve heard of this book many times over before finally getting a copy and reading it for myself. Funny enough, I didn’t know it was published by my publisher, North Atlantic Books. The Psychic Healing Book is considered a New Age cult classic and even when you flip through the pages of the book, the aesthetics and design of it is reminiscent of books from the 70s and 80s. If you count yourself a psychic or are interested in honing your inner psychic, then get this book. It’ll easily become one of your favorite go-to resources.
FTC Disclosure: In accordance with Title 16 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 255, “Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising,” I received The Psychic Healing Book from North Atlantic Books for prospective review. Everything I’ve said here is sincere and accurately reflects my opinion of the book.
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