WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

For more ELYSIUM’S PASSAGE Blog Posts, go to https://digitalbloggers.com/arts-and-entertainment/ep-blog-posts or https://digitalbloggers.com/articles/elysiumspassage 

What if we, as adults, could recapture this same innocence of pure joy, just as these children in the picture express... as many of us hopefully did in our earliest years? If we think we can’t return to this happy state, then why not? It appears Albert was having a good time.  

A recent survey in North America revealed that the average adult lives with negative emotions 70% of the time. I hope that’s not true, but it’s probably not far off. So, why do we think we need to live in a negative funk most of the time. What happened to the magic and celebration... along with all the gratitude, joy, love, peace and everything that made us feel happy? And how do we get it back? Perhaps we need to understand who and what we are before we speculate on was happiness is.

First of all, it's important to recognize that we are spiritual beings living our lives as material beings under the dubious guidance of a reactive ego-self. But we are far more than this false ego-self that presumes to be us. If we believe that's all we are, we deny our birthright to happiness. Ideally, joy should be our true default state of existence, but unfortunately, it seldom is. Some religions call this our fall from grace.

If that's the case or something perhaps like it, we need to find a way to move our frequency up the spectrum from unhappiness to happiness, unconsciousness to consciousness, from egoic illusions to the divine light we are created to be.

One way we can tap into the magical wonderment of who and what we are is to be present. As Lao Tzu stated, if we hear and see as children, we will be wise because we are in the zone to receive grace and happiness. Einstein knew that, which is why he was often playful, enjoying his bike rides (as shown in this picture) when not watching soap bubbles pop while bathing. (He once said this was when he had his greatest scientific epiphanies).

For most of us, living in this world full of gratitude, happiness and play might not seem so simple while being distracted by our adult responsibilities and worries. Often it seems difficult to relax long enough to open our hearts and mind to the inner peace that allows us to experience true happiness. That's why, if we are to rediscover our childhood joy, we must learn to live in the flow of the moment just as we did then, rather than become ensnared by the egoic worries of the future and regrets of the past.   

A time of meditation is essential to take some time to remove all the noise and fear that keeps looping through the mind by laying everything aside to relax and sink into the sweet Presence of 'Beingness'. This is the divine You some call the Kingdom of God. But it's also your Kingdom. Can you access it? Of course, you can; however, it might at first seem a bit of a steep slope to get up the Summit when you’re out of practice. Meditation takes practice, discipline and time to master. That’s because the ego will do all it can to run interference as you ascend.

But once you make the divine connection with your Self, you will emerge aware, giving mindful attention to your life, others and all of nature. If you give loads of love to yourself, you will have lots to give everyone and everything in the world... the world you once feared. As it's stated, "Perfect love casts out fear."

There's also something else to this. Recognize that you don't need to take anything from anyone once you understand you are only able to receive when you give. That’s the law of love. So, why would you even want to take rather than receive? There's a big difference... taking doesn't bring happiness, but receiving does, just as giving does. In this spirit, giving and receiving become a seamless cycle of reciprocity.

That's how the magic is restored. No fear, no lack, no judgment, no taking... only sharing and receiving in love.

But be aware... you have an enemy. We all do, wherever we find ourselves on the spectrum of consciousness. Until we regain control, it will attempt to take back its unhappy territory. What is it?

As Pogo said: “I have seen the enemy, and the enemy is us.” And yet, it's not actually us; rather, the enemy is the imposture within us. Again, it's the ego programme we keep defaulting to when we're not aware of what's going on within us. It fears, worries, envies, judges and is hateful, full of hubris, bringing nastiness into our lives. It has a selfish drive to be unfaithful and unappreciative. Rather than caring for wholeness, it separates, refusing to recognize we are all bound and united in One divine love. 

The good news is that the ego is not real. But we that make it real to us by identifying with it. In truth, it exists only as a programme in our mind... a necessary part of the adolescence/adulthood experience that challenges us to grow by contrasting our happiness. Through it, we find what we don't want, so we might one day come to freely choose what we do want. After (and sometimes during) childhood, the ego has a way of kicking in permanently unless we learn how to become disassociate with it. For example, if we suffer enough, we might finally twig on to how we're making unhappy choices.

That’s not to say we don’t need an ego at times. Obviously, it can come in handy as a survival mechanism. But that's when we use the ego, rather than it using us... which it will every time it has the chance, even if we consider ourselves ‘enlightened.’ 

So, how do we dislodge this insane programme from corrupting the happiness of our inner self? Again, we must dial things down by finding ourselves in the ‘present.’ It's in meditation that we find our divine Self. As the Psalms states, "Be silent, and know that I am God." That’s the gate where we become reacquainted with our true Self, our genuine state of our being when we entered this world.

Once we silently enter into this inner sanctum of peace, we naturally access the divine essence of our heart. It’s the portal to our happiness and all we are designed to be. The mind must surrender because, on its own, it's always confused, easily co-opted by the insane delusions of the ego, which attempts to be happy by pursuing unhappiness. (Like I said, it's pretty insane).

However, when we subordinate our unhinged minds to the guidance of our divine heart, we are on our way to sustained happiness. Yet we must remain vigilant to remain in this state by discerning the voice in the head (ego) from the divine voice of the heart.

For more on the ego, see the post on this blog called The Ego Mask. https://digitalbloggers.com/relationships/the-ego-mask  

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SUMMARY OF ELYSIUM'S PASSAGE: THE SUMMIT

 
 
The Summit is the first in a series of five Elysium narrations regarding a young British philosopher named James Phillips who finds himself living in an altered state of reality while still remaining on earth.  

After experiencing a near-fatal fall while climbing to the summit of a remote mountain in the Andes, James awakens in a new dimension. He soon encounters two mysterious beings who provide him with a very different perspective on the nature of his existence. Over the next year, before his body recovers from the coma, he is challenged to re-examine his understanding of life’s meaning and purpose far beyond anything he previously believed or could believe.

An engaging and sometime surreal adventure with intimations of impending romance, the narrative explores the most important questions about life, death, reality, and our ultimate destiny. 

The Plains of Elysium (Champs-Élysées) was described by Homer, Hesiod, Virgil, and many other poets as the paradisiac afterlife realm reserved for heroes. As the title suggests, this is about a journey through a passage that leads towards Elysium’s exciting realm of existence.

To read a sample press review at: https://www.prweb.com/releases/2018/05/prweb15515775.htm   

 

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ELYSIUM'S PASSAGE: READER REVIEWS
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The following comments are excerpts from among the first readers including a number of Amazon five star reviews. To read the full reviews, go to READER REVIEWS on www.elysiumspassage.com or directly at https://digitalbloggers.com/arts-and-entertainment/reader-reviews  

"A delightful mix of fantasy, reality, conjecture and humour; Mr. Meyers draws the reader into the story with a gentle narrative that captures the imagination, leaving one anxious to get to the next page drawing you into his exceptional world.”

"Quietly, gently, and without imposition, the Author unfolds the pages, creating an intricate, interlocking bridge spanning the chasm between mind and heart. Renewing, refreshing, restoring. In my bereavement, it was vigil and light…"

“Excellently written with an exceedingly deep understanding of this world and the next. The characters are very well written and engaging. I can't wait to complete this book!"

“Takes the reader on both a philosophical and spiritual journey, a journey that at times is both disquieting and tranquil. James, a British Philosopher can be irreverent and caustic, traits that should have left me cringing, but instead made me laugh out loud. Elysium’s Passage is a fun, enlightening and remarkable book.”

“This is a masterful fantasy, becoming a real possibility, as the reader is drawn into the story. The Summit leaves you anxious for the next book in the series, yet also leaves you totally satisfied with the world you have just visited. Genius! An exciting, yet calming, experience that is not to be missed."

"There was hardly a page on which I did not find at least one sentence worthy of hi-lighting for future reference. In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed the main character, James, whose personality and passionate verbal exchanges with the other characters, kept me coming back for more. I am reading the book for a second time while I wait for the next one in this series to be made available."

 “N.G. Meyers has clearly put a great deal of research and thought into what the afterlife may look like and I like his perspective. It’s an altogether welcoming and exciting vision. The book gives one a great deal to think about and a reassuring confidence that the end of our lives is truly the beginning of life in the next. I highly recommend it."

"I am really enjoying your book, it’s fantastic! It is so incredible and diversified that I can’t really explain it to other people, so what I say is just read this book. Thank you so much for the blessings that you’ve given the world!"

“The humour interjected into a serious discussion makes me laugh out loud. Totally unexpected....l may be in the presence of at least a master, if not a genius. A fair ride into reality... seeking that which is unseen, yet absolutely real.”

“An engaging story of adventure embracing man's deepest desire to search for meaning and purpose, N.G. Meyers takes the reader on an adventurous thought-provoking journey. This book has substance. It is a perfect blend of adventure and fantasy combined with spiritual philosophy. It ignited my imagination. The author magically weaves a good story laced with wit and humor together with deep philosophical wisdom. This book has it all!”

“An evolution in thought is triggered by many fresh philosophical themes which could inspire readers to re-think their reality and former ideologies that have dictated their lives… the author fires readers’ imaginations to view what could be possible when spirit vacates the body.”

“This is the book spiritual seekers have been waiting for. For me, it granted a great read as well as increased inspiration to live every day with a heightened sense of purpose. I highly recommend it.

“The Summit is capable of hooking readers and luring them to search for Book 2 to discover more about Dr. Philip’s surreal trek into the mysterious unknown universe. This thick book is well worth the read and to share…”

“Mind-blowing statements and speculation (‘…everyone is a non-physical thought form conceived in the Mind of God, preserved for all eternity because God’s thoughts never die…’). Many will find Meyers’ journey up the Mountain intriguing—and possibly even life-changing.” (BLUEINK REVIEW)

“In its effort to grapple with fundamental questions about the meaning of life, it raises questions that have echoed throughout the ages, including about where we come from, where we are going, who we are.”  (CLARION REVIEW)

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AUTHOR'S (ATTEMPTED) INTRODUCTION TO SERIES

 

             

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PENDING PUBLICATION OF ELYSIUM’S PASSAGE SERIES

                                         

Amazon in 2024

 

THE ASCENT: Chronicles of Elysium’s Passage

THE SUMMIT: Chronicles of Elysium’s Passage

QUANTUM LEAPS: Chronicles of Elysium’s Passage

SURREAL ADVENTURES: Chronicles of Elysium’s Passage

MYSTICAL ROMANCE: Chronicles of Elysium’s Passage

THE ELIXIR: Chronicles of Elysium’s Passage

THE RETURN: Chronicles of Elysium’s Passage

 

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1. The Ascent is the first novel in the Chronicles of Elysium’s Passage that’s foundational to everything that happens in the following narratives that embark on an adventure that will surprise and delight the reader like no other book.

It all begins with an extreme adventure of climbing a remote and challenging mountain somewhere in the Andean Mountains. Just as James, the protagonist, is about to reach the mountain summit, he falls into an abyss that leaves him in a coma for almost a year.

After being airlifted by a forestry helicopter and flown back to London, where his body remains for almost a year. Eventually, he learns it was not him but his body that was rescued. Several days later, without understanding what happened, he continues to climb to the summit in an alternate dimension of higher consciousness.

Fortuitously, he meets two adventurers on the summit ridge who are no longer of this world. After that, his surreal life leads him to several new adventures in the subsequent chronicles that include a rich mix of adventure, romance, and fantasy, along with profound discussions of philosophy, spirituality and the afterlife.

 
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2. The  Summit, the second novel in the Chronicles of Elysium’s Passage, carries on where James, the narrator and protagonist, is taught more about a multidimensional reality that he finds difficult to comprehend.

Not only does he find he’s not as clever as he imagined, but his off-world companions on the summit demonstrate that much of what he believed about life was not just parochial but wrong. At first, he finds this difficult to comprehend since their teachings are contrary to his limited understanding of non-material reality.

After being tricked into teleporting off a ledge where he was trapped, James becomes aware of the new reality that makes him capable of far more adventures than could have ever been experienced previously in his physical body back home.

Now, if only he would win over the only woman in this life who matters, the nurse on the other side of the veil, who continually demonstrates her unconditional love toward his healing.

Warning: This book may also open the reader’s eyes to a much vaster reality than most might be aware. As with the other Chronicles, there are discussions of philosophy, the spiritual afterlife and what might seem like fantasy.

 
 

3. Quantum Leaps is the third novel in Chronicles of Elysium’s Passage, where James, the philosopher-protagonist, teleports back to London to visit his body and make contact with the special nurse taking care of it in his absence. Immediately, he feels an inexplicable spiritual bond with her for reasons he remains unaware of.

Now aroused by a renewed interest in matters of love, the beginnings of a relationship begin to emerge as he attempts to reach across the chasm of their worlds. But it’s not until the fifth novel, Mystical Romance, that he encounters her in a way that he finds difficult to believe.

However, before that can happen, there is much about his failed relationships that must be resolved before he is ready to move forward in his new life in Elysium’s Passage. It is during this time he christens his comatose body as the fall guy since it took the fall for him down the abyss so he could learn the lessons he’s now learning.

That will be the next focus of his life, where in his next Surreal Adventures, he is given virtual lessons to release many of his past beliefs about life.

 
 

4. Surreal Adventures is the fourth novel in the Chronicles of Elysium’s Passage, which finds James, the protagonist and narrator, escorted by his companions to a remote South Pacific Island, where he is left to reflect on what he’s learned.

During the next forty days, he battles the demons of his past as he works through some rather painful issues from his early youth. Here, in a tropical storm, he encounters an eery suspended spectre of the one he loved yet still resents for abandoning him as a child.

After this, he achieves peace of mind and is ready to return to his lodge to join his off-world companions on the Andes summit. However, just when it seemed things couldn’t get any stranger, a sixteenth-century sea captain sails his ancient ‘ghost’ ship onto the beach. Together, they sail off on a mystical ocean voyage to a couple of virtual islands supposedly in the South Pacific, where he witnesses and, at times, participates in several important life lessons.

Near the end, these encounters help prepare him for a new challenge within the interior of a mountain, where he falls deep into a dark tomb of fear. After being rescued by a mysterious stranger wielding his Excaliber, he continues on to where his life is about to be transformed in the following chronicle, Mystical Romance.

 
 

5. Mystical Romance is the fifth chronicle in Elysium’s Passage, which will surprise the reader with a romantic twist of how love is expressed in higher realms. From this lofty perspective, everything about intimacy is understood as within, so without.

After escaping his tomb, James, the narrator and protagonist, makes his way through a maze of tunnels until he arrives at a large oak door, which he opens with the golden key he had been given. There, he steps into Elysium’s Passage’s Great Hall, where his life and recent achievements are celebrated now that his eyes have been opened to perceive a fascinating interior world of wonderment… and romance.

To say more might risk diminishing the multitude of delightful surprises as circumstances begin to open to The Elixir, where James is about to re-enter his earthly body’s existence.

 
 

6. The Elixir is the sixth chronicle of the Elysium’s Passage series that prepares James, the narrator-protagonist, to awaken and return to his body in London. Before that can happen, however, his off-worlder friend presents a mysterious equation enshrouded with a light code frequency that will stimulate multidimensional DNA strands within him.

Much of this narration is centred in London, where his nurse unknowingly becomes involved in how the Elixir’s equation finds its way from a taxi cab driver to higher echelons of science. There are many twists in how she unwittingly brings the Elixir to the attention of mathematicians and physicists, after which they eventually discover how to code the equation into a laser ray to stimulate his fall-guy body into full consciousness.

Ostensibly a new Adam, he is destined to return humanity to a higher multidimensional existence. How this happens is filled with intrigue, as is his shocking return to his earthly body.

 
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7. The Return is the seventh and last chronicle in the series where James, the narrator and protagonist, has re-emerged from Elysium’s Passage as he readjusts to life in the third dimension. Many of the events experienced in the previous novels are tied together in an exciting, fast-moving, action-packed narrative over several countries.

 At first, it seems all memories have been lost, with his fall guy’s brain not being aware of what happened to him while in his coma. As a consequence, it takes a while for him to be convinced he had been out of his earthly body for almost a year.

Through some rather unexpected events and evidence, along with his girlfriend’s urging, he is brought to an awareness of much of what occurred. It takes a while for his mind to catch up with the changes made in his heart during his stay in the alternate realm. But after experiencing several harsh realities, he discovers what he became within while out of his body. Gradually, he comes to understand the many challenges that lie ahead for him in fulfilling his future mission on Earth.

This book is filled with adventure, romance and personal intrigue that ties together all six previous narratives of the Elysium’s Passage series.

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CONTACT INFORMATION & SOCIAL MEDIA SITES

 
 

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