A review of “Yes to Both – A Scientist’s Journey from Skeptic to Psychic” by Jolee Mougey, MPH

Normally, I wouldn’t buy a book that has anything to do with “psychic powers,” or the like. But this one caught my attention because the author’s a bona fide scientist.

Oregon author Jolee Mougey has a Master's in Public Health and a background as a researcher, yet here she is, in her debut book, writing a memoir about becoming a psychic (including a Reiki Master). How do those seemingly divergent worldviews come together?

Very well, as it turns out.

This is one person’s story about who we can become when we keep an open mind and allow ourselves to discover the different ways our minds and bodies interact, both with each other and with the seen and unseen world around us.

Bear in mind that this is no journey to what the author calls “coo coo land.” She’s very clear that what many see as “alternative” healing practices, such as Reiki and Western medicine, are complements, not incompatibilities. In addition to her own scientific background, she’s married to a medical doctor, so she knows the value of mainstream medicine.

Each type of healing has its place – “yes to both,” a theme that cleverly reappears in various contexts throughout the book.

The author has a breezy, relatable writing style. You feel like you’re having a conversation with a friend who wants to share a growth experience rather than tell you what to do. The story flows.

I admit I was skeptical myself when I first saw the title, but I’m definitely far less so now that I’ve read the book. After all, we should never poo-poo something just because we don’t understand it.

If you “accept, adapt, and allow,” as the author puts it, you just never know what you might do or who you might become, psychic or otherwise.