THE ART OF BEING HAPPY

Jun 20, 2022 - 06:44 Leave a Comment 2717 views

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THE ART OF HAPPINESS

(HOW TO BE HAPPY MORE OFTEN)

God shows mercy to everyone, loves everyone, and wants to make everyone happy forever.
Emanuel Swedenborg1688-1772, Swedish philosopher, seer and scientist

Recently, I took an evening walk along a river in a natural park nearby and felt very happy and content. The new leaves of the trees and shrubs still smelled fresh, the birds were singing, the ducks were swimming, and the deer were grazing; everything was perfect just as the sun was about to set.

As I thought about what brings happiness and what takes it away, I decided to record whatever came to mind. So, over the next twenty minutes or so, as I walked along, I dictated a few ideas into my phone on how to turn things around to become happy when not in a happy mood.

A good place to start is to remember a phrase from A Course in Miracles, ‘only your thoughts can hurt you.’ If this is true, perhaps it’s also true that only our thoughts can make us happy.

So, we must ask ourselves, what are we thinking? That’s what it comes down to. Happy thoughts or unhappy thoughts. We get to decide. Will it be happy, loving thoughts or low-calibrating thoughts of dread and fear?

It’s helpful to remember that there are two polarities in the universe… that of love and that of fear. Out of love comes joy, courage, peace, gratitude, service, etc. Out of fear comes anger, despair, cowardice, victimhood, greed, vengeance, and other not-so-good stuff.

Throughout our world, many don’t feel as happy as they wish and yet have little understanding of what to do about it, other than perhaps expect someone or something to make them happy.

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 I suspect it’s probably not far off.

So, why do we spend much of our time in this negative funk? What happened to our childhood joy and innocence? What happened to the magic and celebration of life that made us feel happy? Most importantly, how do we get it back?

As noted above, Emanuel Swedenborg, the Swedish scientist, seer and philosopher of the 17th Century who purported to visit the spiritual realms for over 30 years, stated God shows mercy to everyone, loves everyone, and wants to make everyone happy forever.

If that's the case, perhaps we need to find ways to move our frequency up the spectrum from unhappiness to happiness, unconsciousness to consciousness, from egoic illusions to being the divine light we are. Our soul’s natural ‘resting point’ of love makes us happy, and the ego’s unresting point of fear makes us unhappy.

Before we examine how to be happy more often, let’s look at what causes us to think unhappy thoughts. According to The Couse of Miracles, it’s the ego.

Yes, the ego has its place in the domain of self-preservation and assertion. But to remain in an imaginary state of fear will not allow us to be happy, and who doesn’t want to be happy all the time, even when we know that’s probably not possible.

First, we should be aware that it’s not in the best interests of our ego to allow us happy thoughts. Even when we most wish to be at peace, less than happy thoughts can intrude in the most unlikely places and occasions, such as meditating or enjoying time in nature.

Seemingly, out of nowhere, thoughts of resentment, vengeance, anger, pity, regret and victimhood arise in our consciousness to sabotage our peace, contentment and happiness. Every negative emotion that the ego can conjure arises without our engagement or might do so often when we most want to have happy thoughts.

After paying six hundred dollars for a special hotel room overlooking the ocean, suddenly we find we can’t keep from thinking about something negative such as someone who wronged us and how we’re going to find a way to get back.

So, what do we do to counter these machinations of the unhappy ego-mind? Again, we must become aware of what’s going on so they don’t have their way with us by bringing us down to their level. We are not powerless; we have a will to exercise by making conscious decisions not to indulge in these thoughts but instead evict (or exorcise) them as soon they come into our awareness.

Then, as A Course in Miracles advises, we need to CHOOSE AGAIN and keep CHOOSING AGAIN until we have chosen to be happy.

By choosing positive thoughts over negative thoughts, we exercise our sovereignty to go from being disempowered victims to empowered victors. Even wealthy and influential people feel miserable when they submit to their ego flares and tantrums. This is often on full display in Hollywood among those the public fawn over the most.

But, if we’re not aware of what’s happening in our minds, we can refuse to identify with thoughts that bring us down. That’s how we take back control of our lives.

Unfortunately, some prefer to wallow in their unhappy thoughts because it gives them a perverse delusion of superiority. Anger, regrets, resentments… wherever the ego wants to take them to feel special in its toxic swamp of entitlement and victimhood, all counterproductive to our happiness.

Unless we wish to remain stuck in this pit of despair, we should most desire happy, positive thoughts because, as the proverb states, As a man thinketh, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)

So how do we go about this when we wish to choose again? Do we just will ourselves not to have negative thoughts? We can try, although that’s probably not going to work, as I’m sure we’ve all experienced.

We may try doing something that will distract us from our negative thoughts to give us some relief. But this won’t work to sustain our happiness. Instead, we must desire and choose to be happy by taking positive action. It might be necessary to orally say, ‘negative thought, you are dismissed; you’re about to be replaced with happy and joyous thoughts.

So, where do we find these happy thoughts?

An excellent place to start is to consider what makes us happy and do it. That’s simple! Or is it? Perhaps it depends on how serious we are in making some changes to our attitude. It might be nothing more than simply going out for a fine meal, visiting friends, being intimate, watching a humorous video, inspiring music or a peaceful stroll in nature, etc. There is no limit.

However, this might not always do the trick in displacing negative distractions deeply rooted in toxic, self-loathing thought patterns, especially when we’re unaware of defaulting to old habits. After all, we are repositories of a lifetime or lifetimes of innumerable thoughts, many very unhappy and entrenched.

That’s where we need to consciously choose happy thoughts rather than default to past regrets and failures. It’s all too easy to forget about the joyous memories because we’re so occupied replaying the old negative thoughts that have become habitual to our thinking. Yes, they ossify in our psyche because that’s what the illusory ego-mind wants, lest its existence be threatened with happy thoughts.

Remember, the ego is an illusion of the mind that can only exist in unhappiness. That’s why ‘it’ doesn’t wish to lose control; its very existence, as illusory as it may be, depends on keeping you down in your place... as far as it can.

It's good to remember that after living several years, we have a vast reservoir of happy thoughts to draw upon, provided we take the initiative to bring them to the surface to enjoy once again. We just need to be aware of all the spoiler thoughts waiting to run interference. This is where it might be helpful to recall some of the happy times we’ve had with others.

There’s a good chance they may not have given much thought to these, but in discussing the past, we could be surprised what happy memories we can come up with after burying them in the sands of time.

It might require time and conscious effort to think about occurrences such as when, for example, you had young children and all the happy things you did together (before they became teenagers).

For some, old photo albums of happy memories might help revive feelings of what we celebrated while attending marriages or even celebrations of life for those who inspired us before their departure.

Every happy thought in the past is still there for us even when we haven’t thought about it in a long time. No one can take away our precious memories. Some may say this is just about sentimentality, and maybe it is, yet if it gives us some context and meaning to our lives, that’s not so bad.

For example, how did it feel when we were in love, maybe returning to the days of our youth? Who did we love, and what was it like? Even if things didn’t turn out, can we re-experience these happy moments by bringing magical thoughts to life again? Why not? It might even help to recall what made us happy in a past romance, regardless of whether we were jilted in the end.

And, don’t forget about all the happy times we might have had with friends who moved away long ago. Sometimes we can rekindle these happy relations by becoming reacquainted through Facebook. Over the last few years, I have connected with several friends I forgot about after high school and university.

For me, that’s a long time, but after some of them contacted me again, it’s like we picked things up from where we left off. Except, of course, we have decades of history to talk about with all that happened in our lives between then and now. For all its faults, Facebook can be a treasure trove for making new old friends.

Another approach to bringing happy thoughts back into our lives is by taking some time to write these memories down. Even though it might take a little effort and discipline, it might be well worth the effort to recapture these carefree times. Make them real again, especially when having difficulty letting go of persistent negative thoughts.

By writing a list of everything we can think about in our past that brought us happiness, we gain control over our ego-mind with its agenda. Over time, this could turn into hundreds of happy memories that we can turn into ammunition against negative thoughts.

Since our life does not exist apart from our thoughts, choose whatever happy thoughts will make you happy rather than unhappy. Whenever we feel the intrusion of negative thoughts, we must not identify with them as ours but consciously rise above them.

By displacing what you don’t wish to think with what happy thoughts you CHOOSE to believe, you become the master, not your ego.

The best way to deal with intruding thoughts is to become aware of them as if we’re a fly on the wall. Observing them, we distance ourselves from their negative energy and no longer identify with them. They are no longer ours, and we are set free. Russian esoteric philosophers GI Gurdjieff and PI Ouspensky spoke at length about this technique in awakening our consciousness.

We might wish to make fun of these thoughts, calling them out for trying to bring us down to their vibe to make us miserable. The ego hates being disrespected by being relieved of its power, so it will slink away if we don’t play its game.

If a thought causes us to be angry and upset, then detach from it by saying, ‘Oh, isn’t that interesting… IT is having a hissy fit. However, I’m CHOOSING to have happy thoughts. Take that… you have just been declared redundant and displaced. Have some fun with this; after all, you are the Captain of your ship.

To up our vibe, remember what the New Testament states:

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

Yes, excellent advice!

In thinking about these, we might be surprised with what happy memories surface… favourite hikes, road trips, mountains, sunsets, big cities, small towns, farms… what impressed and inspired us? Maybe it’s time to live and do some of these things again.

Another significant factor and indicator for experiencing happiness is the extent of our thoughts of gratitude. The more thankful we are, the happier we are. Plain and simple. If we’re not happy, we’re probably not that grateful for what we have.

Practising gratitude brings contentment while filling us with peace. We might find we become that much happier after honestly examining all we have to be thankful for, no matter how large or small.

Another way to displace unhappy thoughts with happy thoughts is to get creative. We all have it in us as co-creators with the divine. It doesn’t matter how good we are at something; what’s important is what gives us pleasure in creating. The possibilities are endless, so find what it might be; crafts, painting, decorating, writing poetry and stories or inventing the first anti-gravity car.

I, for one, attended a class on building a willow chair a few decades ago and never stopped constructing everything willow, from tables and arbours to birdfeeders… it’s always absorbing, creative and fulfilling.

Another example from my life is when I fell into writing novels... even without intending it. That’s often how it is with creativity; it comes to us when we give it a chance. As with anything we create, Yes, they take a life unto themselves once we breathe our creativity into them, just like God did to Adam in the Creation Myth.

Whether it’s a project that takes only a few hours or a few years, think about the satisfaction and don’t forget the sense of accomplishment when completed… if you ever are. Why not bring it back and do it again? Whatever was there is still there; it just needs to be rebirthed and reclaimed.

No matter what bad news is going on out there, and there is plenty, creativity can put us in a happy, higher, altered reality that is meaningful and fulfilling. In my case, I don’t have to claim it; the stories claimed me!

What else might put us into a higher vibe? Think about the kinds of music that make us happy. Why not listen to these again, or go to whatever inspires you, anything or place that points beyond itself to something higher beyond the dreary ego.

If not music, what books inspire us? Maybe we need to reread them or discover new ones of the same genre. Perhaps, it’s favourite verses from sacred scripture or inspiring poetry such as Rumi, Hafiz or Blake (my favourites).

Ask what moves us forward in discovering new interests. Perhaps it’s simply joining an organization that shares similar interests, such as hiking or a book discussion group. I mention these since that’s what I did.

I belonged to such a group for almost 25 years where we met for breakfast and bantered for a few lively hours every Sunday morning. That was a great source of joy and happiness while discovering new concepts and ideas I still carry with me.

To move forward, we sometimes need to honestly identify the impediments to our happiness and what might remain lodged there from the past. Possibly, it has to do with abuse, anger, guilt, resentment or whatever else holds us back.

Negative thoughts may not even originate in the past but are what we often indulge in while watching MSM and reading social media posts. Some channels and sites are so contaminated with hate, lies and judgmentalism we feel we need to shower to wash it away.

Whatever it is, we need to rid ourselves of whatever prevents us from being happy. As the saying goes, ‘let go, and let God.’ Why wouldn‘t we want to be free of whatever holds us back from finding our resting point? Perhaps it’s pride; still, we will need to let that go if we wish to be happy.

If it’s a relational issue, perhaps it requires forgiveness. This might not be easy, but if that’s what it takes, then do it. What price do we put on reclaiming our happiness? In some cases, this could require professional counselling, with plenty of sincere, prayerful confession and self-forgiveness while seeking divine guidance. For some, this might be what’s needed to liberate the soul from burdens of guilt and blame.

Regarding unresolved conflict with others, we might be surprised to find that person also wants resolution since it might be eating at them too. Yet, if someone doesn’t take the initiative, everyone remains stuck.

How this is done might be less painful than we might think. Even a simple phone call to get caught up on things might sufficiently reconcile matters without having to address the past sore spot. Anything is better than nothing to move forward. Grudges only work in the ego’s favour.

We never know if circumstances might have become rearranged for things to easily get ironed out. It’s only a problem until it’s not. Also, we must not forget we have invisible spiritual powers capable of engineering things to restore mutual happiness.

So, if something needs to be removed before we can move ahead and restore our joy, then we need to do it. Forget the ego. It’s not our friend. Do what’s necessary and be happy.

Having said this, I recognize there are total narcissists out there where little can be done since most don’t even care about reconciling. My advice is to cut them loose; it’s not worth holding on to if it means forfeiting one’s happiness.

Perhaps the greatest secret to ongoing happiness is to find what we can do to bring joy into others’ lives by taking the focus off ourselves and what makes us happy. Gratifying ourselves with another movie or round of golf may make for a pleasant time, but how long does that last compared to making others happy, particularly when they are disabled or disadvantaged.

Bringing happiness into our lives may not require much alteration in our lifestyle. It’s more about altering our attitude to giving rather than just receiving. Bringing some joy to someone can change lives and maybe ours too by giving of ourselves to children, grandchildren, siblings, parents, grandparents, a homeless person or a shut-in who is desperate for company.

Many seniors, for example, would love to have someone visit them or get away for a few hours but have been forgotten by self-absorbed offspring and relatives. It’s really sad to witness. I’ve often observed this among seniors sitting alone while visiting my mother at a seniors’ residence until she passed away last year.

A Course of Love makes the profound observation that we can only receive what we give. In other words, at the most profound and meaningful level of our existence, we can only receive what blessings we offer others. These are often returned to us in unexpected ways, often intangible, although more satisfying.

Though it may seem we don’t receive much for our efforts other than knowing we brought some joy to someone, that is sufficient reward unto itself because our reward is found within. When we are operating from love, and it’s no longer all about us, we experience true happiness.

We understand what happiness we give to others is returned to us by affirming our dignity as conscious humans, living our lives unselfishly as they are meant to be. Which is to say, it’s not about gratifying ourselves but being gratified by what we do for others. It’s not about chasing after happiness but allowing happiness to find us simply by doing what is right. It’s not so much what happens to us but what happens 'by' us.

For happiness to be more than passing scintillations, it must be rooted within the essence of who we are rather than convincing others we are happier and more successful than they are. Money, honour, gratification, power and respect can’t do it because they are external qualities. Only the happiness that derives from our soul is of lasting value.

I trust some of these ideas might inspire us to experience more peace, love and happiness for ourselves and all those with whom we share our light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU

For more on the topic of happiness, go to:

What is Happiness? https://digitalbloggers.com/book-reviews/what-is-happiness

Let Your Light Shine https://digitalbloggers.com/arts-and-entertainment/let-your-light-shine

Raise your Vibe https://digitalbloggers.com/book-reviews/a-higher-vibe

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To illustrate the importance of CHOOSING AGAIN when we get bogged into negative thoughts, I have included a short excerpt from Chapter Ten of Mystical Romance, Book Five of the yet unpublished Elysium’s Passage series.

Julie joined me on the ledge outside, smiling, then stared at me curiously as though picking up on the tone of my thoughts. As far as I knew, she wasn’t a mind reader, but then… she was a woman. Or, perhaps it was just my changed continuance.

‘Is there something wrong, James?’ she asked. ‘You seem troubled.’

‘No, not at all,’ I said.

‘I don’t believe you; what are you thinking about, dear? I can tell something is bothering you.’

I didn’t wish to admit it; nevertheless, seemingly out of nowhere, resentments of the past had resurfaced. I didn’t know what triggered this, except they represented the opposite of what I had been experiencing since I arrived here. I thought I was beyond all such thoughts, but obviously not… a most sobering thought.

‘Okay, Julie, you’re right. As I consider what’s going on in my mind, I’m aware it has become clouded with vindictive thoughts toward certain colleagues I regard as snakes.

‘So, can you reassess these thoughts that don’t feel good and ask yourself if they are actually true?’

‘I suppose I can, but I’m not sure if I want to. I’ve had to put up with vipers trying to thwart my career, probably because they’re jealous.

‘But what if, James… what if they consider you something worse because of how you react towards them?’

‘Some might consider me a bit edgy when things don’t go my way, but at least I’m not afraid to speak my mind. But then, they’ve never been sailors, so they don’t know how to resolve things like real men.

‘So, how do real men resolve their issues?

‘Obviously, with fists, not whispers.’

‘With fists? Really. Sounds like you’re getting a bit worked up.’

‘I wasn’t speaking literally… unless docked at port,’ I chuckled.

‘So, why don’t you just let go of the past? Wouldn’t that be a lot easier?’

‘I wish I could. I’m surprised and disappointed that I still have such rancorous feelings while in this realm of pure tranquillity. I find it ironic that in this blissful state, I seem most vulnerable to these dragons of the past as if they’re lying-in wait for me when I least expect it.

‘You know, James, there are a couple of phrases that Julianne has recently read and continues to repeat to herself. These are helping her get control of her thoughts, so maybe they will help you too. Everyone needs to learn these, no matter how many lifetimes it might take.’

‘So, what are they; some chant or incantation?’

‘Even better. First, it should be recognised that only your thoughts can hurt you. Upon reflection of our thoughts, I think this becomes rather obvious.

‘The other is: choose again. What is meant by these few words has been spoken of in many different ways by many sages throughout the ages, but nowhere has it been more succinctly stated.’

‘That’s it?’ I asked.

‘As I’m sure you realise, James, the simplest statements are often the most profound. Most on earth don’t realise they have the power to avoid those thoughts that would hurt us. So, everyone must learn to choose which thoughts to accept or reject.

Yes, I agree, this sounds simple, but it’s not always so easy to control the mind. Look at me, a philosopher, yet not knowing enough to not go back to what thoughts will make me angry.

But at least you know it now. That will serve you well, as they do for Julianne when she remembers them. However, she is getting much better at choosing happy thoughts intentionally. Don’t be surprised if this is the first thing she will try to teach the fall guy.’

‘I hope he will listen since it’s most apparent our thoughts can make us happy, unhappy and even hurt us.’

‘So then, James, why do so many choose to think thoughts they already know will make them feel bad?’

‘That’s a good question. Why indeed?’

‘Julianne asks herself this all the time too. But the more she is aware of these unwanted thoughts, the less power they have over her as she refuses to identify with them.’

‘I suppose if I were honest with myself, I’d have to admit I often identify with thoughts of vengeance, which probably say more about me and my judgemental attitudes than about other’s behaviour.’

‘Though your adversaries might have weaknesses,’ she said, ‘so does everyone on the earth, including yourself.’

‘It’s good to remember that,’ I said. ‘As Mo used to say, this is why we return to lower dimensions as on earth; so we might work out our foibles through our relationships with everyone and everything. Maybe that’s why I have colleagues so full of themselves.’

‘Again, what if you’re seeing these colleagues through a prism of dark thoughts you allowed into your mind? Why not choose instead to see through a prism of light thoughts? What would happen if you offered to take these vipers out for a pint sometime, maybe on a Friday afternoon after classes, and find what light might shine through the beer.’

‘That would be a rather interesting sociological experiment,’ I said.

‘And, wouldn’t it also be a splendid exercise in choosing again; why suffer from dark thoughts if you don’t have to? Don’t happy thoughts feel better?’

‘Of course, but from my experience, the fall guy would rather be right than happy. He prefers justice, especially when it comes to others.’

‘But if he knew better, would he still make that choice?’

‘I hope not; however, as you might guess, he can be rather stubborn.’

‘Just curious, James, but did you see anyone needing to be right last night? I saw only a desire to be happy; how about you?’

‘Yes, indeed; everyone seemed to be perfectly happy with being happy. Which leads me to ask, why is it so difficult for more of humanity back home to experience this joyful state of consciousness?’

‘Maybe, she said, ‘it’s because so many fail to realise happiness is a choice.’

‘Yes, I think Aristotle would agree with that,’ I said. ‘He said happiness depends on ourselves. So simple, yet few seem to understand that, including me.’

‘Yes, but as I said, now you do. You can choose happy thoughts rather than defaulting to the dark thoughts of your ego-mind.’

‘Unfortunately, happy thoughts don’t seem to come that easily in the grit and grim of life. Maybe it’s because we spend too much time thinking about the world’s problems. To make things worse, much of the media have become the pimps and pushers of despair with their diabolical narratives.’

‘Yes, it seems the darkness wishes to amplify its agenda of control. I’m not suggesting it’s easy for Julianne either. But she’s finding the less she’s distracted by fear, the more easily she can practise the art of choosing again. As she does this, she becomes increasingly happy and content, even while contending with concerns such as the fall guy’s recovery.’

‘Hopefully, I won’t be too big a concern for her after he gets reanimated. We often think we need to be right about everything, so I’m not convinced how much fall guy will recall any of this or learn how to choose again.’

‘Julianne will remind him if she has the chance. Be prepared,’ she said as she stepped back inside. ‘I’ll be ready in a few minutes.’

Yes, I thought, if Julie had anything to do with it, Julianne would have much to teach the fall guy. Hopefully, he would put his ego aside to listen to her. I chuckled to myself… if I know me, that might take a while.

I remembered how Mo and Eli often quoted an old proverb: Guard your heart more than any treasurer, for it is the source of all life. They suggested if I would guard my heart more, negative thought patterns would eventually weaken and dissipate. It was important, they said, that I remain vigilant, be it on earth or in other realms. In other words, wherever I was, I needed to guard my heart by choosing my thoughts rather than them choosing me.

While looking towards the range of glistening mountains, I reflected on how privileged I was to experience this foretaste of paradise that had nothing to do with owning gold, silver, real estate or my doctorate. I had finally come to the point where I understood that only love was truly real because it’s what makes everything else real, including me.

It wasn’t long ago I didn’t care to know about these principles of the heart, but now all that was changing. Last night at the celebration, I witnessed how each soul was infused with Elysium’s beauty and how the truth of divine splendour dwells in the midst of loving relationships. Then, I thought of the engraving by the big oak door. Indeed, it was evident; PULCHRITUDO SPLENDOR VERITATIS.

While I remained with Julie in the days and nights ahead, I discovered the essence of all I had been taught on the summit; love’s meaning is in relationships, not words. In Julie, I found God; in God, I found Julie. And not just Julie, but through her, I discovered the divine presence in everyone. No, not all at once and certainly not always, but at least I was making progress.

I went inside. She took my hand as she stood before me the only way she could, befitting the goddess she was.

‘I’m ready now, James. Show me what’s behind the big oak door where you had all your adventures before arriving at your celebration in our great hall.

Yes, I’m excited about sharing all I went through to be here with you. You might be amazed! Yet you were worth it,’ I joked as I smiled and kissed her.

I’m excited too, but after we do that, there’s somewhere I’m even more excited to take you, a place I’m sure you will find very special.’

‘What could be more special than where we already are?

‘Just wait; you’ll soon find out!’

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SUMMARY OF ELYSIUM'S PASSAGE NOVEL SERIES

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This is a seven-part series of Elysium Passager novels 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 sometimes 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 adventures.

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

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 humour 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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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

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.

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.

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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