In response to a radio interview that I did about my new book, A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness, with Dan Burke and Melissa Elson of Divine Intimacy Radio, we received this testimony from a woman who believes her experience with the New Age and mindfulness caused her years of suffering.

She writes:

Thanks to a novena I did last March to Our Lady of Sorrows, I realized suddenly that my decision to read Oprah recommended Marianne Williamson's books in 1995, led to serious problems for 20 yrs. It led to me being in a psychiatric ward for 3 weeks on two separate occasions where I was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia and placed on psychotropic drugs. This led to a plethora of problems including massive weight gain and daily suicidal thoughts........and the decision of my psychiatrist to put me in weekly support meetings with the local hospital where we started each session with 20-minute mindfulness exercises.

As a result of getting in touch with you, I did prayers of renunciation, as I encountered demonic oppression for 20 years. Ironically, these were the years when I was being the best Catholic I could be with fasting, Adoration, daily rosary, frequent confession, etc., but included Marianne WIlliamson's prayer theory into my life, too. Never knew it was based in the occult.

I bet a lot of other single women who bought her bestsellers, "A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principals of A Course in Miracles," and "Illuminata: A Return to Prayer" may have experienced blowback, too, never realizing the source.

I slowly came off of my meds and my life came back-- as well as a priest praying for me and a woman with cancer offering her sufferings in part for me! (They put you on those horrible meds, telling you that it is like diabetes where you will be on it for the rest of your life even though you can't function or get off the couch!!)

I applaud YOU for all you do to help us heal after decades of spiritual rubbish which was taught to us. Please continue to get the word out on the problems of Eastern spirituality. And I hope priests can become more well versed in this as well.

The prayer that we provided her is a simple prayer of personal renunciation that should be made by anyone who was involved in the New Age and the occult and wishes to repent of those practices. For example, "Jesus, I repent of all the involvement I have ever had in the New Age or the occult. I renounce these practices and ask for your forgiveness." If you are Catholic, you must also go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and confess this involvement to a priest.

For more information about the dangers of A Course in Miracles, click here.

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