Great book! The author who is an NPR journalist explores the intersection of science and religion; is it possible to believe in God while scrutinizing the evidence or lack thereof with science. She addresses topics such as brain chemistry and DNA, near death experiences, the impact of a personal god on lives, the power of prayer, and many others. For the author this is both a personal journal and a more general search. I found this to be a powerful and intelligently written book that provokes much thought. ( )

Like 60% of Americans, as Barbara Bradley Hagerty informs us, I have had my own mystical and transcendent experience. Mine left me searching in the Religion and New Age section of bookstores for years (places you would normally have to drag me into) trying to figure out exactly what had happened to me. I was obsessed for many years by altered states of reality. I really did think I was going just a little bit crazy.

So I was fascinated with this somewhat personal account of Hagerty's own search for meaning in her personal experiences. There is science here to some extent, although mostly of the anecdotal variety. It is hard to force someone to have a spiritual experience in the MRI scanner. But, of course, in the end there is not much you can say. Yes, we have these experiences. Yes, they profoundly affect the way we see ourselves and our lives. Are they the fingerprints of God? Or brain chemistry run amok? Or maybe both? Who knows. The experiences are real enough, and at least for me, convincing enough that I've forever after had a strong connection to and a believe in the Eternal Mystery of the Universe. ( )