Discovering Your Internal Universe: The Unexpected Good News About Anxiety, Panic, and Fear

by Cody Deese, Rob Bell (Foreword)

A liberating and life-giving approach to making peace with anxiety
 
What if anxiety is not an enemy trying to destroy you? What if anxiety is an unexpected ally trying to save you? In Discovering Your Internal Universe, author and pastor Cody Deese invites readers into this counterintuitive shift in how they understand anxiety. Challenging the common assumption that anxiety is an illness that only ever undermines us, Deese demonstrates how anxiety can be a helpful guide pointing us toward things that need our attention.
 
Revealing his own lifelong struggle with a panic disorder, Deese describes how his anxiety illuminated a path that he needed to explore—a path into his internal universe. The journey brought Deese face to face with unresolved grief, childhood wounds, religious trauma, and personal rejection—and ultimately led to greater self-understanding and acceptance. Through Deese's story, readers will learn how to access their own internal universe, discover the root causes of their anxiety, and find the courage to embark on their own internal quest. Unconventional, practical, and spiritually insightful, Discovering Your Internal Universe is an invitation to listen to the gentle truth behind it is good to be human and it is good to be you.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 9, 2025

About the author

Cody Deese is an author, speaker, and spiritual guide. He holds an MDiv degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and serves as the lead pastor of Vinings Lake Church, an ever-evolving spiritual collective. He is also the founder of Atlanta Becoming, a progressive organization that hosts roundtable discussions with authors and speakers on spiritual topics. Deese is the author of Discovering Your Internal Universe: The Unexpected Good News About Anxiety, Panic, and Fear.

Reviews

[Anna Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Discovering Your Internal Universe: The Unexpected Good News About Anxiety, Panic, and Fear, Cody Deese argues that anxiety is not necessarily something we should try to get rid of. It’s not always something we need to heal from. Instead, anxiety may be pointing us toward the internal things that actually need healing.

For Cody, anxiety manifested as a panic disorder that looked like retching before moments when he was in the public eye—often events tied to the activities that most defined his identity, like preaching, public speaking, or, when he was a child, playing football.

His description of grappling with anxiety in this way was incredibly moving to me. When we hear the word anxiety, it’s easy to dismiss it as common, or as something we think we understand. But what Cody describes is debilitating and all-consuming. It doesn’t just affect the mind; it affects the body and a person’s ability to be a full agent in their own life.

The book traces his struggle and also offers readers a toolkit for thinking about anxiety not merely as something to fix, but as something that can offer insight into parts of ourselves that may need healing. Cody is careful not to offer a blanket prescription for anxiety, acknowledging that everyone’s experience is different.

He is also deeply gracious in how he mines his childhood wounds. He takes them seriously without blaming or shaming the people who may have contributed to them, instead trying to understand what may have been hurting them, too. That compassion and openness felt refreshing—a welcome relief from so many books rooted in therapeutic frameworks that rely heavily on parental blame. This book resists that impulse.

I would give this book to any friend managing anxiety. And honestly, I would recommend it even apart from that—for the vivid storytelling and the fantastic sense of humor Cody brings to the page.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book. I have struggled with anxiety for years and, like the author, I’ve tried many things (therapy, medication, books…). This story is an incredibly refreshing take. I think a lot of us often speak in generalities about our anxiety, but it takes courage to dive into the specifics, like how it manifests in the body, rules your life, and terrifies you. I think many people will feel seen by Deese’s honest approach. He balances deep wisdom and practical advice, with plenty of relatable humor.

As a parent of a teen boy, I’m especially grateful this book exists in a world where they are bombarded with talk of red pills, gigachads, and Tates. There is so much strength in vulnerability. I highly recommend this for anyone navigating anxiety and looking for something deep & nuanced but not preachy.

[Kelly Coldiron · Rating 5 out of 5]

After receiving an advanced reader copy, I couldn’t put this book down. This book is a gentle, loving reminder of what it means to be wonderfully human. Cody’s ability to tell vulnerable, personal stories about his anxiety, make the book so relatable and allows the reader to take a breath. His childhood experiences were so closely related to mine, that as I read, I could feel many of the same feelings and emotions. I laughed and I cried! It also made me feel as though I’m not alone. The part where he focuses on anxiety’s presence in our life without it being our identity really hit home. I think many will find this book to be one of healing and hope. It offers ongoing self reflection and is filled with many helpful resources for further reading. Inspiring read!

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review based on a reading of an advanced copy.
What an incredible book about one man's journey through his experience with anxiety. Cody talks about discovering his anxiety, his first moments of anxiety, his journey to find healing, and ultimately the unexpected befriending of his anxiety in the most beautiful way. He opens and closes the book with a full circle moment, and you feel as though you're having a conversation with him throughout the entire book. This is not a how-to book, but rather an inspiring case study about the discovery and confrontation of the internal universe within us.

[Rodrigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cody’s book is an incredible insight of his life and path on this earth. I enjoyed as it is a rare honest dialogue of what he has gone through as it relates to our internal world, which many don’t talk about. I also loved the lack of formulaic advice for the readers, but instead it just spoke about his individual experiences and what he learned. Many of us also have complicated journeys with our internal lives that can feel daunting, but reading someones’ journey with full honesty and details can make you feel encouraged.

[Amy Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really resonates with me. If you grew up in a fear-based faith or religion and have struggled with anxiety, it will likely resonate with you too. Even if you didn’t, the author shares his journey of uncovering the root causes of his anxiety, panic, and fear, and the healing process that followed. He tells his story with honesty and vulnerability, offering a powerful perspective. If you’ve ever felt ashamed or embarrassed about these struggles, this book will help restore your confidence, and help you consider viewing your anxiety through a different lense.

[Felicia Murrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest. Brilliant. And Beautiful Writing.

Deep sigh. I’m not sure I could love this anymore. This feels like the one we’ve been waiting for. A guide to being human…Cody Deese delivers. Immersed into Cody’s lived experience, heart beating vociferously through vignette after vignette, captivated by the ache, the journey and the clarity gained, every chapter is a call to acceptance, an invitation to come home to every single part of who you are. This is a book you won’t want to set down. Different from conventional platitudes, Cody has gifted us a book that is utterly hopeful.

[Jennifer Jairdullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy and I have to say, this book is one of the best books I’ve ever read! Cody’s ability to articulate his journey through his anxiety is compelling and inspiring. I laughed and cried sometimes in the same chapter. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has ever struggled in life. His story is very raw and very relatable. This book will make a whole lot of people feel less alone and more hopeful about their own lives and possibilities. Very well done!

[Jessi Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I annotated and underlined so many gems in this. Some pages are entirely marked up with highlighted quotes. Poignant read for people who suffer with anxiety and just as much for people with a loved one who does. But remarkably this is a book for any person because at the heart of it, it's not a book about anxiety but about the human experience

[Daryll Dorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting and some great insights, but a little too woo

Some great thoughts and points about connecting with your body and understanding anxiety. Appreciated the narrative, good authors voice, and some great faith points too.

But some was a little too out there former to relate at this point.

[Adam Jarvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very reflective. Descriptive of one’s personal journey through anxiety. Some parts were very ethereal. The Christian integration was minimal and progressive.