Propelled to seek answers and find inner peace, author Patricia Panahi tumbled into a spiritual adventure that exploded her concept of reality and opened her to a brave new world where souls talk, trees emitted energy fields, and rocks have life. She eventually found and continues to find God everywhere. Panahi states, "A spiritual life is not about complacency, comfort, and self-satisifaction, but the ability to accept and flow with change." Panahi's rollercoaster ride of a spiritual journey is chroncicled in her inspirational new book, God Outside the Box: A Story of Breaking Free. It is Panahi's hope that her readers will "gain a new understanding of their own search for answers" as she unveils universal truths and shares a rich spiritual path that crosses the boundaries of culture, tradition, and belief.

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Panahi was born to a New Jersey Catholic mother and an Iranian Muslim father. As a child and young adult, Patricia was never quite exactly sure who she was, especially after living for years in Iran with her father. After exploring a variety of religions and traditions, Panahi discovers that none of them truly "speak to her soul." She begins to question if there really is a God at all and, finding no answers to satisfy her, becomes an agnostic. But at 28 years old, Panahi's world is rocked by a diagnosis of cancer. Feeling lost, alone, and afraid, groping through the dark with a weak-willed Persian husband and without a religion or solid tradition to turn to, she begins the search for a spirituality the would fill a large and heartbreaking void.

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Years later, Panahi discovers that her "journey of transformation" has only begun when she makes contact with her inner voice and begins to experience psychic perceptions. It is after a particulary vivid dream that Panahi opened "The Light Spot Bookstore and Coffeehouse" in San Diego. Over the course of her 34-year work career, Patricia Panahi has been a teacher, business owner, workshop coordinator, program director, and, of course, writer. Panahi's short stories and essays have been featured in several publications including Kanilehua, Hilo Sunrise and East Hawaii Observer. She is also the author of The Well Woman Cookbook.  Currently, Panahi lives on the Big Island of Hawaii with her husband and their mischievous cat, Pixie.