'For me, spirituality is the ability to be awed through your connection to creation, to know your purpose, and to be of service — all to find faith, hope, and inner peace. This is the very heart of what I call 'soul communion.' I knew that, on its face, this sounded esoteric and mystical, but it was already threaded into the fabric of most people's lives.

'After all, who hasn't prayed to a loved one who has died, talked to them, and asked them for emotional and spiritual guidance? Our stumbling block is that we talk, say a quick 'Amen,' and never wait around to listen.

'Soul communion is teaching ourselves how to wait around and listen. We believe in the spiritual realm, yet at the same time we shut ourselves off from it. We pray for help and then don't allow it to help us.'

-From Chapter 17

In God, the Universe, and Where I Fit In, Laurie Ann Levin, Psy.D., shares her extraordinary life story and illustrates how we can tap into the divine guidance that is always available to us.

As a child, Levin knew she was psychic. Still she stifled her gifts, dimming the divine aspects of herself in order to be accepted by conservative parents, her friends, and her husband. As a rising Hollywood agent, making connections with stars like Madonna and Michael Jackson took precedence over making connections with the other side.

When her career bubble burst—as many of them do—her mother was losing her battle with cancer. By calling on her intuitive gifts, Levin helped her mother transition to the other side and, in the process, experienced a psychic awakening. She embarked on a spiritual odyssey thatblew apart everything she thought she knew about God, the universe, and where we all fit in—in this life and the next. Through her incredible journey she found true love in an unlikely way and pioneered a new approach of healing that bridges psychology with spirituality.

For those who feel like they are wandering through life aimlessly, or that events are random rather than related, Levin makes clear that the universe is full of connection and that a crisis or a change can be viewed as a cosmic wake-up call to a new way to live.