I hope you are well. I recently spent a few days alone in the Lake District, one of my favourite parts of the UK. I went for a lot of walks in the mountains and swam in some of the lakes. I find swimming outdoors really wonderful – to feel the cool water invigorating and massaging my body and to look up and see a sublime landscape of woods and mountains and sky. It feels so natural, like coming home. Once I’m in the water, I feel so at home that I find it difficult to get out, despite the cold. 

When I spend time in nature, I always have the feeling that the landscape is a living being, with its own kind of consciousness. All natural phenomena – including the sky and clouds – are both individually sentient and part of the overall consciousness of the landscape. That gives me a sense that the landscape should be treated with respect and reverence. I think the world’s indigenous peoples perceived the natural world in this way, but that most modern people have sadly lost this awaerness. 

I feel especially connected to the Lake District because of it was home to one of my favourite poets, William Wordsworth. He made the area famous, and wrote many beautiful descriptions of its sublime spiritual power. I wrote a couple of poems while I was there too – I’ll insert one of them at the end of this newsletter.

Time Expansion Experiences

I’m nearing the end point of preparing my upcoming book Time Expansion Experiences, for publication. One of the last parts of the process is collecting endorsements for the back cover and web pages. I usually publish a book every year, so every year I think, “Who am I going to ask this time?” Obviously, I can’t ask the same set of people each year! But my fellow authors are always so generous  I feel humbled by their positive regard for my books. Here are some of the endorsements I’ve received so far:

"A mind-expanding and deeply researched exploration of those moments when time slows down or stands still, and the tantalizing implications they might have for the nature of reality."
– Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks

"An absolutely essential read for anyone interested in understanding how our grasp of time is linked to the deeper meaning of our existence. Once more, Steve Taylor being the game changing author he is, has written a time travelling psycho-spiritual classic."
– Theresa Cheung, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Dream Dictionary from A to Z

"This fascinating book brings together years of research and expertise, throwing brilliant new light on the mystery of time. Highly recommended read for those interested in unusual states of consciousness such as Near-Death Experiences and psychedelics."
– Pim van Lommel, cardiologist, NDE-researcher, author of Consciousness beyond Life one

"This exciting and mind-opening book explores many facets of the role time plays in understanding the nature of self and of your relationship with the universe at large, and how you can improve your life by actively exploring your perception of the passage of time — by becoming more aware of its variable modes of expression. Highly recommended!"
– Eben Alexander, MD. Former Harvard Neurosurgeon and author of Proof of Heaven, The Map of Heaven, and Living in a Mindful Universe

If you’re interested, the book is available for pre-order here in the UK, 
and here for the US.

DisConnected 
 

Two weeks ago I went to the annual conference of the Scientific and Medical Network, just outside in London. It was a great experience - I met so many inspiring and interesting people. I was honoured to receive a Book of the Year award for my 2023 book DisConnected (see the certificate below). I gave a talk about the book. It was a challenge into fitting a 300 page volume into a 30 minute presentation, but the talk was well received, 

The Adventure Online Course 
 

Many people have written to me about the Adventure online course, disappointed that they missed it the first time and asking if I’m going to run it again. So I’ve decided to run the course again, beginning on 22nd September 2024. All sessions are recorded, in case you can’t make the actual time. 
 

You can view the course here 

Poem

As usual, let me finish this newsletter with a poetry. This is one of the poems I wrote in the Lake District recently. Hopefully I was channelling the spirit of William Wordsworth!

The Spirit of the Landscape

You can’t impose yourself on a landscape 

tear across her soil at breakneck speed

pound on her rocks with heavy boots

immersed in your thoughts or in conversation 

while barely acknowledging her presence/beauty

and expect her to embrace you straight away.

You have to slowly attune to a landscape

and allow her to attune to you. 

You have to tread gently across her fields

step lightly over her rocks and streams

as if she’s asleep, and you’re afraid of waking her. 

You have to pay respectful attention 

to every tree and stone you pass. 

You have to listen intently 

to the roar of waterfalls and the rush of the wind

and to the deep silence that falls on sheltered hills. 

And soon, once you’ve gained her trust,

and established a rapport with her

the landscape will open herself to you. 

You’ll sense her benevolent sentience 

reaching out to immerse you.

She’ll offer you the strength of her ancient rocks

the freshness of her fields and forests

the radiance of clear spring mornings

and the stillness of deep winter nights.

And once formed, the bond between you will never break. 

You’ll always feel her spirit inside you, as your spirit. 

And you’ll always be part of the landscape 

alongside her rocks and trees and streams.