The Spiritual Malady: How to Attain Peace of Mind and Lasting Happiness

Koi (Addiction Prevention), host of the Life in Recovery podcast, draws on his experiences with addiction recovery, spiritual awakenings, and psychedelics to offer 10 lessons for attaining peace of mind. In 12-step programs, Koi notes, “Spiritual Malady” is a state where one sees oneself as fully separated from others, and from this separation comes feelings that one must fend for oneself against the world, that willpower is enough to change, and that coping mechanisms are necessary to survive. Koi argues that by giving up illusions created by the Spiritual Malady, one can connect with the “Higher Power”—consciousness, connection, life as it is—and faithfully conduct self-assessments of one’s history, relationships, and goals. The lessons imparted deal with impermanence, patience, ego-deflation, and atonement, among others, and include practices such as meditation and 12-step–style moral inventories. Koi also shares his life-changing experience with the hallucinogenic ayahuasca, and subsequent psilocybin use, that opened up his subconscious, allowed him to “drop selfishness,” and “become more open and honest in relationships.” Though sometimes circuitous and scattered in focus, Koi’s blend of substance recovery methods and philosophical insights will be of interest to those seeking spiritual intervention. (Self-published)