This book is a personal exploration of spirituality designed to encourage readers to reflect on their own spiritual state. Its audience is people with a general interest in spiritual matters, in the context of faith or through some other experience, or seeking to know more. The book is not an academic text book; it draws on personal experience which will strike a chord for many people. In addition to addressing what is meant by spirituality and how the soul works, the book looks as the practical outcomes of spiritual living in terms of connectedness, ethics, prayer, creativity and handling pain, suffering and death. It is written in accessible language and includes a set of questions at the end of each chapter to promote reflection and, where appropriate, discussion.

The book is called "A spiritual understanding of life" to contrast it with the material understanding of life which has come to dominate the wealthy western world. Another title could have been "The spirit sets us free" because living in tune with the spirit keeps human beings free to fulfil their potential which is the purpose of our life on earth and free from the propaganda of religion, politics, economics, violence and the media which seek to dominate our lives.