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The Seven Stages of Power and Healing

There’s a difference between curing and healing, and a difference between being healthy and not being sick.

Caroline Myss, a firm believer in energy medicine, explains both in “The Anatomy of the Spirit.”

And uncovers the structure of the seven stages of power and healing – tentatively present, in her opinion, in all major religions, and illustrated through three great traditions: Kabbalah, Christianity, and Hinduism.

Who Should Read “Anatomy of the Spirit”? And Why?

Energy healing is not everyone’s favorite cup of tea.

However, if it is one of yours, then be sure to read “Anatomy of the Spirit,” something of a Bible in the sphere.

About Caroline Myss

Caroline Myss is an American author, medical intuitive and a mystic.

She is one of the most famous practitioners of energy medicine and has appeared several times on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” explaining what energy healing is and what it isn’t, as well as the basic premises of its philosophy.

In addition, she has written numerous books on the subject. Six of them have gone on to become “New York Times” bestsellers: “Anatomy of the Spirit,” “Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can,” “Sacred Contracts,” “Invisible Acts of Power,” “Entering the Castle,” and “Defy Gravity.”

Find out more at https://www.myss.com/

“Anatomy of the Spirit PDF Summary”

According to the Catholic church, there are seven sacraments instituted by Jesus.

According to a well-known tradition in Hinduism, there are seven chakras, i.e., focal points arranged along the spinal cord.

And, finally, according to the sacred wisdom of the Kabbalah, even though there are ten emanations, there are actually seven branches of the Sephirot.

Notice a pattern?

Well, about two decades ago, Caroline Myss did:

The universal jewel within the… major religions is that the Divine is locked into our biological system in seven stages of power that lead us to become more refined and transcendent in our personal power.

Afterward, she tried to create a map of the human “energy anatomy” by overlapping these three religious traditions

What she came up with was something more: a philosophy of disease:

My particular insights… have shown me that emotional and spiritual stresses or diseases are the root causes of all physical illnesses. Moreover, certain emotional and spiritual crises correspond quite specifically to problems in certain parts of the body.

So, in other words, a disease is a deviation from the God who is embedded within our bodies and biographies.

Consequently, a cure means going back to him, reestablishing the original equilibrium.

So, Myss dedicates a chapter to each of the body’s seven centers of spiritual and physical power, revealing, as she says, the seven sacred truths of our existence.

Each chapter includes the parallels between the above mentioned religious concepts, the related body parts, and potential illnesses, and a list of 10 questions for self-examination.

Let’s have a look at them all!

#1. The First Chakra: Tribal Power

Location: Base of the spine.

An analogous Christian sacrament: Baptism.
Parallels in the Sephirot/Judaist tradition: Shekhinah (The Feminine Spirit), “the spiritual community of all humanity.”

Primary strengths: tribal identity, a heightened feeling of belonging to a group, physical safety of the family, a sense of law and order, the ability to stand up for yourself and those around you.
Primary fears: fears of abandonment, loss of order, fears of physical survival.

Related body parts: the legs, the spine, the bones, the feet, the rectum and the immune system.
Related health issues: depression, immune disorders, sciatica, chronic lower back pain, varicose veins, rectal cancer, rectal tumors.

Sacred truth: All is One.

Some questions for self-examination: “What belief patterns did you inherit from your family? What superstitions do you have? List all the blessings that you feel came from your family. Describe the tribal characteristics within yourself that you would like to strengthen and develop.”

#2. The Second Chakra: Power of Relationships

Location: Lower abdomen to the naval area.

An analogous Christian sacrament: Communion.
Parallels in the Sephirot/Judaist tradition: Yesod (Foundation).

Primary strengths: financial independence; sexual prowess; the ability to take risks; the power to rebel; creativity and control; ethics and honor in relationships.
Primary fears: fear of being controlled and dominated by someone else (impotence, rape, betrayal, addiction…)

Related body parts: the hip area, the pelvis, the lower vertebrae; the large intestine, the appendix, the bladder; the sexual organs.
Related health issues: pelvic and lower back pain; urinary and sexual potency problems.

Sacred truth: Honor One Another.

Some questions for self-examination: “Do you consider yourself a creative person? Are you comfortable with your sexuality? If not, are you able to work toward healing your sexual imbalances? Do you use people for sexual pleasure, or have you felt used? Are you strong enough to honor your sexual boundaries?”

#3. The Third Chakra: Personal Power

Location: The solar plexus.

An analogous Christian sacrament: Confirmation.
Parallels in the Sephirot/Judaist tradition: Hod (Majesty) and Nezah (Endurance).

Primary strengths: trust and fear; self-esteem, self-respect, and self-confidence; care of oneself and of others, sensitivity to criticism and personal honor; responsibility for making decisions.
Primary fears: fears of rejection and failure to meet expectations; fears of physical imperfectness (baldness, aging, obesity); fears that your secrets will be discovered.

Related body parts: the abdomen area (the liver, the spleen, the kidney, the stomach, the upper intestines, the gallbladder, the pancreas).
Related health issues: arthritis; colon and intestinal issues; gastric and duodenal ulcers; pancreatitis, diabetes; anorexia, bulimia, and indigestion; hepatitis.

Sacred truth: Honor Oneself.

Some questions for self-examination: “Do you like yourself? If not, what don’t you like about yourself, and why? Are you actively working to change the things about yourself that you don’t like? Are you continually wishing your life were different? If so, are you doing anything to change it, or have you resigned yourself to your situation?”

#4. The Fourth Chakra: Emotional Power

Location: Center of the chest.

An analogous Christian sacrament: Matrimony/Marriage.
Parallels in the Sephirot/Judaist tradition: Tiferet (Beauty and Compassion).

Primary strengths: love and compassion, forgiveness, hope, trust, the ability to be a healing presence.
Primary fears: loneliness, emotional vulnerability, betrayal, hatred, jealousy.

Related body parts: Ribs, breasts, lungs; heart and circulatory system; shoulders, arms, and hands; the thymus gland; the diaphragm.
Related health issues: all diseases related to the heart (heart attack, congestive heart failure, mitral valve prolapse…), all diseases related to the lungs (asthma, lung cancer, bronchial pneumonia), allergies, pain in the upper back and the shoulders; breast cancer.

Sacred truth: Love Is Divine Power.

Some questions for self-examination: “What emotional memories do you still need to heal? What fears do you have about becoming emotionally healthy? What have you done that needs forgiving? Which people are working to forgive you?”

#5. The Fifth Chakra: The Power of Will

Location: The throat.

An analogous Christian sacrament: Confession.
Parallels in the Sephirot/Judaist tradition: Hesed (the Love and Mercy of God) and Gevurah (the judgment of God).

Primary strengths: faith, self-knowledge, decision-making capacity.
Primary fears: loss of faith; having no authority; the will of God.

Related body parts: throat and everything around and inside (thyroid, trachea, esophagus), hypothalamus, neck, mouth (jaw and teeth).
Related health issues: throat problems, mouth ulcers, thyroid issues.

Sacred truth: Surrender Personal Will to Divine Will.

Some questions for self-examination: “What is your definition of being “strong-willed”? Are you able to express yourself honestly and openly when you need to? If not, why not? What makes you lose control of your own willpower?”

#6. The Sixth Chakra: The Power of the Mind

Location: Center of the forehead.

An analogous Christian sacrament: Ordination.
Parallels in the Sephirot/Judaist tradition: Binah (Divine Understanding) and Hokhmah (Divine Wisdom).

Primary strengths: intellectual capacity; creativity; emotional intelligence.
Primary fears: an unwillingness to discover your own fears; fear of discipline and objective truth.

Related body parts: the brain, pituitary and pineal glands, the eyes, the ears, the nose.
Related health issues: brain issues (strokes, tumors, hemorrhages, neurological problems); blindness, deafness; learning disabilities.

Sacred truth: Seek Only the Truth.

Some questions for self-examination: “What beliefs do you have that cause you to interpret the actions of others in a negative way? What beliefs do you continue to accept that you know are not true? Are you frightened of the changes that might occur in your life, should you openly embrace a conscious lifestyle?”

#7. The Seventh Chakra: Our Spiritual Connector

Location: Top of the head.

An analogous Christian sacrament: Extreme Unction (Last Rites).
Parallels in the Sephirot/Judaist tradition: Keter (Crown).

Primary strengths: devotion, faith.
Primary fears: “the dark night of the soul”; loss of identity and connection.

Related body parts: the central nervous system, the muscular system, and the skin.
Related health issues: energetic disorders such as depression and exhaustion.

Sacred truth: Live in the Present Moment.

Some questions for self-examination: “Do you bargain with God? Do you complain to God more than you express gratitude? Do you tend to pray for specific things rather than pray in appreciation? Are you afraid of a closer spiritual connection to the Divine because of the changes that it might trigger in your life?”

Key Lessons from “Anatomy of the Spirit”

1.      The Divine Is Locked Within Us
2.      The Three Principles of Energy Medicine
3.      The Seven Sacred Truths

The Divine Is Locked Within Us

This is something most religions believe in: we are created by some God and made in his image.

In other words, our physical anatomy corresponds to a divine scheme.

According to Caroline Myss, the same is true of our spiritual anatomy, which can be sketched if we superimpose the seven Christian sacraments, the seven-branched emanations of the ten Sefirot and the seven chakras.

What we get is the blueprint of a healthy person.

Any deviation from it is a deviation from God – and, thus, a disease.

The Three Principles of Energy Medicine

Caroline Myss is a proponent of energy medicine, i.e., the idea that our physical ailments can be cured if the energies in our bodies are aligned as well as they were in the beginning.

And energy medicine is based on three principles.

The first principle is “biography becomes biology,” i.e., our bodies contain our histories, and “our biological health becomes a living, breathing biographical statement that conveys our strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and fears.”

The second principle is “personal power is necessary for health.” In other words, a patient must generate internal energy to heal himself or herself.

This is closely related to the third principle, which is “you alone can help yourself heal.” Meaning, healing is a bit different from curing, and while the latter can be controlled with medicine, the former (emotional/psychological balance) is your domain exclusively.

The Seven Sacred Truths

There are seven sacred truths you should abide by daily to reach an equilibrium of stability and health.

These are: 1) All is One; 2) Honor One Another; 3) Honor Oneself; 4) Love is Divine Power; 5) Surrender Personal Will to Divine Will; 6) Seek Only the Truth; 7) Live in the Present Moment.

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“Anatomy of the Spirit Quotes”

What drains your spirit drains your body. What fuels your spirit fuels your body. Click To Tweet

We are not designed to be critical of others or ourselves; we think ill of others only out of fear. Click To Tweet

Let me know what I am able and trust that behind all events no matter how painful there is a reason from which truth can come. Click To Tweet

Our lives are structured around power symbols: money, authority, title, beauty, security. Click To Tweet

How can you live without knowing what your spirit is doing and what your spirit is saying to you? Click To Tweet

Our Critical Review

“Anatomy of the Spirit” should prove to be an informative read for anyone interested in energy healing.

However, more often than not, we have a feeling that Myss is stretching out the truth on the three religions she compares so as to make her insights fit her rigid system.

Which, ultimately, may be too rigid for its own sake.

Emir Zecovic

Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.