The ancient lands of Indonesia -where myth, spirituality, and nature merge- have long served as a crucible for seekers of deeper meaning. For Dr. Miles Neale, a Buddhist psychotherapist and spiritual teacher, Bali and Java did more than offer stunning landscapes and cultural encounters; they became sacred mirrors in a personal journey through the shadows of suffering into the light of awakening.
In his compelling new book, Return with Elixir: Four Maps for the Soul’s Journey Through Death and Rebirth, Neale explores not only his own transformation but also weaves together wisdom traditions from East and West. At 400 pages, the book unfolds like a pilgrimage itself—demanding presence, rewarding curiosity, and calling readers to look inward while walking forward. With Indonesia etched into its heart, it serves both as a travel memoir and mystical roadmap.
From Inner Crisis to Sacred Ground
For Neale, the inspiration for Return with Elixir came not from a moment of triumph but from collapse. Burnout, depression, and spiritual disillusionment ignited a descent into what he calls the “dark night of the soul.” But it was precisely this crisis that became the catalyst for a greater journey—both inward and outward.
Drawn to places that held the energy of transformation, Neale found himself on a pilgrimage across Southeast Asia. It was Bali, with its living traditions of ritual and reverence, that opened a vital door. Here, in sacred forests, smoky temples, and healing waters, he experienced firsthand what Balinese healers and Hindu priests have long known: healing is a whole-body, whole-spirit event.
“There’s something profoundly medicinal about Bali,” Neale writes. “The island is not just beautiful; it is awake.”
Bali’s Sacred Web of Life
The Balinese concept of sekala and niskala—the seen and unseen dimensions of reality—resonated deeply with Neale’s Jungian and Buddhist framework. Unlike the dualism so often found in Western psychology, Bali offered a model of integration. Good and bad, light and dark, visible and invisible—all were part of a sacred balance.
His interactions with local practitioners such as Tjok Gde Kerthyasa, founder of Tirta Usada Holistic Health in Ubud, grounded these realizations in embodied experience. Kerthyasa, a respected Balinese healer, praises Neale’s book for its sincerity and cross-cultural respect. “Miles masterfully weaves this universal quest with Balinese traditions, alchemical lore, and the search for the True Self,” he notes in the book’s praise section.
Neale didn’t just observe ceremonies—he entered them. Participated. Listened. Fasted. Prayed. Purified. It’s this immersive humility that makes his narrative so powerful. Whether bathing in the sacred springs or watching a trance ritual unfold under moonlight, Neale allowed himself to be undone and reassembled by the island’s invisible hands.
The Borobudur Mandala: Java’s Monumental Initiation
While Bali nurtured the soul with its fluid grace, Java brought initiation through structure. A pivotal chapter of Neale’s journey takes place at Borobudur, the 9th-century Buddhist mandala built from stone. As a literal and symbolic path, circumambulating Borobudur allowed Neale to externalize his inner journey.
Patrick Vanhoebrouck, resident anthropologist at Amanjiwo, wrote that Neale ascended the temple’s levels not merely as a tourist, but as a pilgrim tracing a map of enlightenment etched into stone. Reflecting on this profound journey, Vanhoebrouck notes: “Amidst the collapse of civilization’s past, Miles revives these sacred teachings—from circumambulating the Borobudur mandala to channeling the serpent energy within our subtle body nervous system.”
Java’s vast plains, silent stupas, and mystical geometry reminded Neale of the importance of lineage, structure, and the timeless teachings embedded in sacred architecture. Borobudur became a visual metaphor for the journey back to the Self.
Four Maps for the Soul
Structured around “Four Maps for the Soul’s Journey Through Death and Rebirth,” Return with Elixir serves as a practical guide to transformation. These maps are not mere models—they are lived, sweat-drenched, tear-marked terrains that chart the process of disintegration and renewal.
The first map navigates the Call to Adventure—that inner tug toward something more. The second deals with Descent, echoing the painful unraveling of ego and identity. The third map, Initiation, aligns perfectly with the rites and rituals Neale experienced in Bali and Borobudur. The final map, Return, speaks to the gift one brings back to the community after transformation—the “elixir” of compassion, clarity, and purpose.
These stages parallel Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, yet Neale infuses them with Tibetan Buddhist psychology, Jungian archetypes, and sacred geographies, making them uniquely his own.
Healing as Pilgrimage
What makes Return with Elixir so moving for Indonesian readers—particularly those in Bali—is the way it affirms what has always been quietly known in these islands: that healing is relational, that spirit and matter are not separate, and that sacredness is a lived experience, not an abstract concept.
In Bali, daily offerings made from coconut leaves and marigolds are not gestures of superstition, but acts of balance. In Java, temples align with stars not just for grandeur, but as cosmic invitations to awaken. Neale’s journey highlights the potency of these lived wisdoms in a way that honors their source, rather than appropriates.
A Guide for the Modern Pilgrim
In a time when digital distractions and global anxieties pull us away from ourselves, Return with Elixir offers a roadmap home. For readers in Indonesia, particularly in Bali, the book is a reminder of the sacred traditions that still thrive—and a call to protect and cherish them.
As Tjok Gde Kerthyasa notes, the book “is invaluable to seekers on the journey to find the elixir of the True Self.” And for those who have walked the jungle paths of Ubud, bathed in holy water, or gazed into the eyes of a temple guardian, the journey Neale maps will feel achingly familiar.
Perhaps the greatest offering of Return with Elixir is not just the story of one man’s transformation, but an invitation for all of us to remember the ancient paths beneath our feet—and to walk them with courage, humility, and reverence.
Published by Inner Traditions, “Return with Elixir: Four Maps for the Soul’s Journey Through Death and Rebirth” is available in both print and digital formats. To learn more about Dr. Miles Neale and his work, visit milesneale.com.
