Steve Taylor's October Newsletter
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Dear
I hope you are all well. I had a great experience earlier this week. One morning I was in the living room having breakfast and my wife Pam shouted from the kitchen, "They're talking about you on the radio!" We always listen to BBC Radio 4, and they were talking about my book on the 'Thought for the day' segment. The presenter was saying “In his book Extraordinary Awakenings, Steve Taylor
talks about how suffering can sometimes lead to spiritual transformation…” It was quite surreal, as I had no idea they were going to discuss the book. You can listen to the programme that I heard at this link
There has been a lot of interest in the book and I’ve already done numerous interviews with radio stations and podcasts, mostly in the US. The book has only just been published in the UK, and there have been issues getting the book in stock, due to shipping and transport problems. But now it seems to be safely available – for example here
A couple of days ago I received some further good news about the book. A producer at BBC World Service told me that they have commissioned a half hour documentary about it, for their 'Heart and Soul' series. They're going to interview me at length and several of the 'shifters' who are featured in the book. How exciting! The world service has an enormous reach all over the
globe.
Here’s a short “Q & A’ I did about the book recently
UK Launch Event for the Book
On Monday November 8th. I’m holding an online launch event for the UK book. As well as talking about the book, I’ll be leading a meditation or two and reading a couple of poems. You can sign up here
New Articles
On another note, I'm pleased that my article 'The Problem of Pathocracy' is featured on the cover of The Psychologist magazine this month. People are sometimes surprised that I’m interested in this topic, but to me it’s about investigating the polar
opposite state to spiritual awakening. If wakefulness is a state of connection or oneness, pathological states are states of extreme separation.
In particular, I'd really like to start a debate about the obvious problem of ruthless, amoral people - many with psychopathic and narcissistic traits - attaining positions of power. Put simply, malevolent and narcissistic people are strongly attracted to power, whereas benevolent people usually aren't...If you don't believe me, take a look at the present UK
government!
My Next Book
In the midst of all of the interviews about Extraordinary Awakenings, I’m pleased to say that I have signed a contract for my next book, provisionally entitled Disconnected: The Roots of Human Evil and How Connection Can heal the World. I have now written 11 out of 13 chapters, so I should finish it quite soon. The book is a return to the social and cultural themes I addressed in my book
The Fall. It should be published in the second half of next year.
A few days ago I was working on my new book in a cafe, writing chapter 11, which is about altruism. As I left I realised that I had lost my phone. I retraced my steps and went back to a shop but couldn't find it. Then I saw an email from my wife saying that the phone had been handed into the reception of a nearby museum. I found out later that the person who found the phone had dialled my
friend Gary, who phoned his wife, who phoned my wife…So I went straight to the museum to collect the phone. A lovely simple example of altruism! Very small, but it still brings a warm glow to the heart.
New Poem
As usual, let me finish with a poem.
None of this is Now
None of this is now:
your fears about the future
your guilt and bitterness about the past.
None of this is now:
the obstacles that seem to lie ahead
and the failures that seem to stretch behind.
Only this is now:
your moment-to-moment experience
of the world and of your being in the world
and of the other beings who share your world.
And only the now is real.
An unreal past can’t hurt you
as a shadow can’t burn the ground.
An unreal future can’t hurt you
as a reflection can’t break the still surface of a lake.
Only your mind can hurt you
when it wanders away from now
and loses itself in restless thoughts
of unreal times and places.
All best wishes and blessings, Steve
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