Caroline Myss
Encyclopedia
Caroline Myss is an American medical intuitive
and mystic
as well as the author
of numerous books and audio tapes, including five New York Times Best Sellers
: Anatomy of the Spirit
(1996), Why People Don't Heal and How They Can (1998), Sacred Contracts (2002), "Invisible Acts of Power" (2004), and Entering The Castle (2007). Her most recent book,"Defy Gravity," was published in 2009.
She has also been on the The Oprah Winfrey Show
, several times, since her first appearance in 2002, and in 2001 she hosted a TV series, titled, "The Journey With Caroline Myss", at Oxygen (TV network), co-owned by Oprah Winfrey
, exploring the spiritual and psychological roadblocks of life in an intimate workshop setting, apart from that she has also done TV Specials, "Three Levels of Power & How to Use Them" and "Why People Don't Heal & How They Can," based on her work.
, and grew up with her parents, and two brothers, one elder and one younger, in the Melrose Park, Illinois
neighbourhood near Chicago
. Caroline was raised a Catholic, and attended the Mother Guerin High School
, River Grove, Illinois
, run by the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
. She completed her Bachelor of Arts
degree in journalism
from the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
in Indiana
in 1974, and started her career in journalism in Chicago.
During the course of her career, she interviewed Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
, M.D., the author of the famous book, On Death and Dying, which inspired her to pursue a Master's degree
in theology
from Mundelein College
, Chicago
, which she completed in 1979.
She started giving medical intuitive
readings in 1982 and co-founded a small New Age
publishing company, Stillpoint Publishing in Walpole, New Hampshire
, where she also worked as an editor in 1983, next she began consulting with holistic doctors, which in 1984, led to her extensive collaboration with Dr. Norman Shealy, an M.D.
schooled at Harvard, and the founder of the American Holistic Medical Association, with whom she later co-authored, "Aids: Passageway to Transformation," in 1987, followed by "The Creation of Health: The Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Responses that Promote Health and Healing," in 1988. Deriving from her practice as a medical intuitive
, she started writing books, in the field of energy medicine
, and healing
, all of which became New York Times Best Sellers
. Starting with Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing
(1996), which overlapped seven Christian sacraments
with seven Hindu
chakras and the Kabbalah
's Tree of Life
to create a map of the human "energy anatomy"; this was followed by Why People Don't Heal and How They Can (1998), which explored the reasons people do not heal through her concept of "woundology." Her next book, Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential (2002) dealt with the issue of finding "Life Purpose," while describing Sacred Contracts as "a set of assignments that our soul had formed around before incarnation". She has since appeared on the The Oprah Winfrey Show
numerous times.
By 2000, she discontinued doing private medical intuitive
readings, and began teaching how to do them through her workshops, seminars, radio shows and guided tours. She tours internationally as a speaker on spirituality
and mysticism, and lives in Oak Park, Illinois
, near Chicago
. In 2003, she started the Caroline Myss Educational Institute, with Wisdom University in San Francisco.
Her 2007 book, "Entering the Castle" draws upon the writings of Saint Teresa of Ávila
, a 16th century Carmelite nun, who wrote her most important work, The Interior Castle (1577), towards the end of her life.
: Anatomy of the Spirit (1998), Why People Don't Heal and How They Can (1998), Sacred Contracts (2002)
, "Sacred Contracts" around 2005, at Hay House Radio
, a Internet radio
site, run by Hay House
publishing, where she gave online intuitive readings to callers. Then in 2009, the show was renamed "Defy Gravity" after her book by the same name was released in October, 2009.
's book The Skeptic: Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience, he says "Caroline Myss offers no tangible evidence to support any of her claims. Her hypothetical energy system cannot be detected, her intuitive diagnostic abilities are unproven, and her holistic philosophy is riddled with inconsistencies and unsubstantiated judgments."
Joe Nickell
, sometimes referred to as the world's leading paranormal investigator, says, "Myss provides no proof of her alleged abilities. She intuits, of course, her intuitive power, offers only hearsay testimonials and anecdotal evidence as support." He has also described Myss as having "many of the traits associated with a fantasy prone personality."
Medical intuitive
A medical intuitive is an alternative medicine practitioner who uses their self described intuitive abilities to find the cause of a physical or emotional condition. Other terms for this practice include medical clairvoyant, medical psychic or intuitive counselor...
and mystic
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
as well as the author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of numerous books and audio tapes, including five New York Times Best Sellers
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
: Anatomy of the Spirit
Anatomy of the Spirit
Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing , written by medical intuitive author, and teacher Caroline Myss, is a non-fiction book which discusses the energy anatomy of human body and spirit....
(1996), Why People Don't Heal and How They Can (1998), Sacred Contracts (2002), "Invisible Acts of Power" (2004), and Entering The Castle (2007). Her most recent book,"Defy Gravity," was published in 2009.
She has also been on the The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, several times, since her first appearance in 2002, and in 2001 she hosted a TV series, titled, "The Journey With Caroline Myss", at Oxygen (TV network), co-owned by Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, exploring the spiritual and psychological roadblocks of life in an intimate workshop setting, apart from that she has also done TV Specials, "Three Levels of Power & How to Use Them" and "Why People Don't Heal & How They Can," based on her work.
Biography
Caroline Myss was born on December 2, 1952 in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and grew up with her parents, and two brothers, one elder and one younger, in the Melrose Park, Illinois
Melrose Park, Illinois
Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a "near-in" suburb of Chicago. The population was 23,171 at the 2000 census. Melrose Park has long been home to a large Italian-American population, though now it is majority Mexican-American. It was the home of Kiddieland...
neighbourhood near Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Caroline was raised a Catholic, and attended the Mother Guerin High School
Guerin College Preparatory High School
Guerin College Preparatory High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in River Grove, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago....
, River Grove, Illinois
River Grove, Illinois
River Grove is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,668 at the 2000 census.-Geography:River Grove is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of ....
, run by the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods are an apostolic congregation of Catholic women founded by Saint Theodora Guerin at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, in 1840...
. She completed her Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
from the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is a Roman Catholic, four-year liberal arts women's college located northwest of Terre Haute, Indiana, between the Wabash River and the Illinois state line. There is also a small village of the same name located nearby...
in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
in 1974, and started her career in journalism in Chicago.
During the course of her career, she interviewed Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D. was a Swiss American psychiatrist, a pioneer in Near-death studies and the author of the groundbreaking book On Death and Dying , where she first discussed what is now known as the Kübler-Ross model.She is a 2007 inductee into the American National Women's Hall of Fame...
, M.D., the author of the famous book, On Death and Dying, which inspired her to pursue a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
from Mundelein College
Mundelein College
Mundelein College was the last private, independent, Roman Catholic women's college in Illinois. Located on the edge of the Rogers Park and Edgewater neighborhoods on the far north side of Chicago, Illinois, Mundelein College was founded and administered by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, which she completed in 1979.
She started giving medical intuitive
Medical intuitive
A medical intuitive is an alternative medicine practitioner who uses their self described intuitive abilities to find the cause of a physical or emotional condition. Other terms for this practice include medical clairvoyant, medical psychic or intuitive counselor...
readings in 1982 and co-founded a small New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
publishing company, Stillpoint Publishing in Walpole, New Hampshire
Walpole, New Hampshire
Walpole is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,734 at the 2010 census.The town's central settlement, where 605 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Walpole census-designated place , and is east of New Hampshire Route 12...
, where she also worked as an editor in 1983, next she began consulting with holistic doctors, which in 1984, led to her extensive collaboration with Dr. Norman Shealy, an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
schooled at Harvard, and the founder of the American Holistic Medical Association, with whom she later co-authored, "Aids: Passageway to Transformation," in 1987, followed by "The Creation of Health: The Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Responses that Promote Health and Healing," in 1988. Deriving from her practice as a medical intuitive
Medical intuitive
A medical intuitive is an alternative medicine practitioner who uses their self described intuitive abilities to find the cause of a physical or emotional condition. Other terms for this practice include medical clairvoyant, medical psychic or intuitive counselor...
, she started writing books, in the field of energy medicine
Energy medicine
Energy medicine is one of five domains of "complementary and alternative medicine" identified by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States...
, and healing
Healing
Physiological healing is the restoration of damaged living tissue, organs and biological system to normal function. It is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area....
, all of which became New York Times Best Sellers
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
. Starting with Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing
Anatomy of the Spirit
Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing , written by medical intuitive author, and teacher Caroline Myss, is a non-fiction book which discusses the energy anatomy of human body and spirit....
(1996), which overlapped seven Christian sacraments
Sacraments of the Catholic Church
The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are, the Roman Catholic Church teaches, "efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper...
with seven Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
chakras and the Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
's Tree of Life
Tree of life (Kabbalah)
The Tree of Life, or Etz haChayim in Hebrew, is a mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism to describe the path to God and the manner in which he created the world ex nihilo...
to create a map of the human "energy anatomy"; this was followed by Why People Don't Heal and How They Can (1998), which explored the reasons people do not heal through her concept of "woundology." Her next book, Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential (2002) dealt with the issue of finding "Life Purpose," while describing Sacred Contracts as "a set of assignments that our soul had formed around before incarnation". She has since appeared on the The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
numerous times.
By 2000, she discontinued doing private medical intuitive
Medical intuitive
A medical intuitive is an alternative medicine practitioner who uses their self described intuitive abilities to find the cause of a physical or emotional condition. Other terms for this practice include medical clairvoyant, medical psychic or intuitive counselor...
readings, and began teaching how to do them through her workshops, seminars, radio shows and guided tours. She tours internationally as a speaker on spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
and mysticism, and lives in Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
, near Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. In 2003, she started the Caroline Myss Educational Institute, with Wisdom University in San Francisco.
Her 2007 book, "Entering the Castle" draws upon the writings of Saint Teresa of Ávila
Teresa of Ávila
Saint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, was a prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation, and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer...
, a 16th century Carmelite nun, who wrote her most important work, The Interior Castle (1577), towards the end of her life.
Books and recordings
Her first three books have consecutively been on the New York Times Best Seller listNew York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
: Anatomy of the Spirit (1998), Why People Don't Heal and How They Can (1998), Sacred Contracts (2002)
- Aids: Passageway to Transformation, with C. Norman Sheally, Stillpoint Publishing, Walpole, NH. 1987. ISBN 9780913299470. ISBN 0913299472.
- The Creation of Health: The Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Responses that Promote Health and Healing, with C. Norman Sheally, Three Rivers Press, 1988. ISBN 0609803239.
- Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and HealingAnatomy of the SpiritAnatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing , written by medical intuitive author, and teacher Caroline Myss, is a non-fiction book which discusses the energy anatomy of human body and spirit....
1996; ISBN 978-0609800140 - Why People Don't Heal and How They Can, Three Rivers Press, 1997 (paperback); ISBN 978-0609802243
- The Creation of Health: The Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Responses That Promote Health and Healing, Three Rivers Press, 1998 (Audio CD); ISBN 978-0609803233
- Spiritual Power Spiritual Practice, Three Rivers Press, 1998 (audio cassette); ISBN 978-1564556479
- Spiritual Madness, Sounds True Audio, 2001 (audio CD); ISBN 978-1564559029
- Invisible Acts of Power: Personal Choices That Create Miracles, Free Press, 2002. ISBN 0743264258.
- Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential (paperback); Three Rivers Press; 2003. ISBN 0609810111
- Archetype Cards, an 80 Card Deck with Instruction Booklet; copyright 2003; ISBN 1401901840
- Three Levels of Power and How to Use Them, Sounds True Inc., 2004 (audio CD); ISBN 978-1591792352
- Invisible Acts of Power: Personal Choices that Create Miracles , Sounds True, 2004 (Audio CD); ISBN 978-1591791355
- Spiritual Power, Spiritual Practice, Sounds TrueSounds TrueSounds True is a multimedia publishing company based near Boulder, Colorado. It was created in 1985 by Tami Simon. The company has published approximately 1,000 titles, including spoken-word audio recordings, books, music, filmed events, multimedia packages and online educational programs from...
, 2004. ISBN 1591791499. - Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God and your Soul, 2007, (hard cover); ISBN 978-0-7432-5532-5
- The Sacred Contract of America: Fulfilling the Vision of Our Mystic Founders, 2007, Sounds True. (Audio CD), ISBN 1591796067.
- Defy Gravity: Healing Beyond The Bounds Of Reason, Hay HouseHay HouseHay House is a New Thought and Self-help publisher. It was founded in 1987 by author Louise Hay, when she self-published her books Heal Your Body and You Can Heal Your Life...
, 2009, ISBN 1401922902.
Quotes
- “Intuition is natural by-product of flowering of a mature self-esteem and a sense of empowerment – not power over, but power to be”
- "To love yourself, truly love yourself, is to finally discover the essence of personal courage, self-respect, integrity, and self-esteem. These are the qualities of grace that come directly from a soul with stamina."
- "Whenever you become empowered, you will be tested."
- "The act of forgiveness is the act of returning to present time. And that's why when one has become a forgiving person, and has managed to let go of the past, what they've really done is they've shifted their relationship with time."
- "Keep your honor code between you and God, you don’t break that, no matter who’s not looking. God is."
Weekly radio show
Myss started hosting a weekly Call-in Talk radio showTalk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, "Sacred Contracts" around 2005, at Hay House Radio
Hay House
Hay House is a New Thought and Self-help publisher. It was founded in 1987 by author Louise Hay, when she self-published her books Heal Your Body and You Can Heal Your Life...
, a Internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
site, run by Hay House
Hay House
Hay House is a New Thought and Self-help publisher. It was founded in 1987 by author Louise Hay, when she self-published her books Heal Your Body and You Can Heal Your Life...
publishing, where she gave online intuitive readings to callers. Then in 2009, the show was renamed "Defy Gravity" after her book by the same name was released in October, 2009.
Criticism
In Michael ShermerMichael Shermer
Michael Brant Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. The Skeptics Society currently has over 55,000 members...
's book The Skeptic: Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience, he says "Caroline Myss offers no tangible evidence to support any of her claims. Her hypothetical energy system cannot be detected, her intuitive diagnostic abilities are unproven, and her holistic philosophy is riddled with inconsistencies and unsubstantiated judgments."
Joe Nickell
Joe Nickell
Joe Nickell is a prominent skeptical investigator of the paranormal. He also works as an historical document consultant and has helped expose such famous forgeries as the purported diary of Jack the Ripper. In 2002 he was one of a number of experts asked by scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr...
, sometimes referred to as the world's leading paranormal investigator, says, "Myss provides no proof of her alleged abilities. She intuits, of course, her intuitive power, offers only hearsay testimonials and anecdotal evidence as support." He has also described Myss as having "many of the traits associated with a fantasy prone personality."
Further reading
- Foreword True Coming of Age: A Dynamic Process That Leads to Emotional Well-Being, Spiritual Growth, and Meaningful Relationships, by John T. Chirban. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2004. ISBN 0071426817.
- Made in Image of God - Caroline Myss The Fabric of the Future: Women Visionaries of Today Illuminate the Path to Tomorrow, by Mary Jane Ryan, Patrice (INT) Wynne, Ken Wilber, Published by Conari, 2000. ISBN 1573241970. Page 120-124.
- Online articles of Caroline Myss
- Why People Don't Heal and How They Can - Caroline Myss - Chapter 1 at New York Times
- Foreword to Entering the Castle by Ken WilberKen WilberKenneth Earl Wilber II is an American author who has written about mysticism, philosophy, ecology, and developmental psychology. His work formulates what he calls Integral Theory. In 1998, he founded the Integral Institute, for teaching and applications of Integral theory.-Biography:Ken Wilber was...
- A Gift of Light, A Gift For The Soul... by Caroline Myss
- Caroline Myss articles at The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
- Caroline Myss articles at The Huffington PostThe Huffington PostThe Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
External links
Audio-Video links
- Videos of Caroline Myss talks
- Caroline Myss MP3 audio, from Shift in Action, sponsored by the Institute of Noetic Sciences