Official Interview: Paul Davies

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ALynnPowers
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Official Interview: Paul Davies

Post by ALynnPowers »

I’m back with another interview with author Paul Davies regarding his book Training Your Mind to Realize It’s Potential, which is the second book in a trilogy that “conveys the benefits of spiritual practices in our daily lives.” Check out the official review by @Eatsleaves by clicking here.
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Q: Tell us about yourself and your background.
A: Thank you for this interview, I was fortunate at a young age to have been introduced to spiritual teachings and philosophies that have shaped my life, particularly my Aunty Hilda's spiritual teachings from infancy, the teachings of the Shaolin priests at age 8 with a TV programme entitled Kung Fu which was aired in the 1970's and in particular my Father's introduction at age 18 in various motivational and spiritual studies. By age 21, I resolved to write a book by my 40th year based on the principles that I had benefited from and set out in the 2nd period (between age 21-40) to be successful in every project I undertook which would act as proof of the practicality of the theories primarily based on spiritual principles.


Q: What are you hobbies?
A: Everything that I do has a purpose, there are three main interests which are Business, Martial arts and Music, each one I have used to share a message of possibility of living an enriched life. There is a deep interest in Esoteric teachings and occasionally I say playfully that my main hobby is contemplating the meaning of the universe.


Q: When did you first decide to become a writer?
A: Through an inner guidance just after my 21st birthday to write one book, however shortly before my 40th birthday there was an inner guidance to write a trilogy based on the evolution of human consciousness using the Zen 10 ox herding story broken down into three parts. All of the 6 titles for the books were received within 5 minutes, each Book has a title within the title.


Q: What all have you written?
A: The 1st book was released in 2006 entitled 'The Joy of Hard Work' with a title within the title 'Neurosis of the human condition and the failure of materialism'.


Q: Which of your books was the most fun/interesting/memorable for you personally?
A: Each book was written in a state of Joy and Inspiration as there was inner guidance throughout, Book 3 is presently being written in the same way. There is a statement which may convey what I mean i.e. "It is written through you not by you". It might be best at this point to explain what I mean by an inner guidance.
As a victim of violence through most of my teenager years by bullying I had by the time I was age 17 issues due to low confidence, repressed anger and I struggled with the mass of negative thoughts that would enter the mind which also at times caused physical pain. I had at this time what I believe was a brief awakening which is described in Zen as 'Kensho'.
I had decided I had had enough of the beatings which were given by a gang of thugs in North Wales and I knew I couldn't take it anymore and there were only two ways to go with this. I decided to go with the option of making a stand even if I died trying, in that moment I overcame the fear of death and this took me into a transcendental state and received a tremendous surge of inner strength.
I conveyed a message to the friend of the main perpetrator that there would be consequences if I was attacked again, a few days later I was approached by this individual who said "Let's call it quits" and he shook my hand, there were no further beatings, I shortly after began training in Shotokan Karate and also began an earnest study of personal development and spiritual studies and practices.
After nearly 3 years of studies and training between age 18-20, I had a struggle mentally with the break up of my 1st serious relationship and resolved one evening to stop allowing the negative thoughts that were coming into the mind, through an intense inner meditation of focusing one pointedly as well as intensely concentrating every time the mind tried to wander I had unknowingly worked through layers of the mind and entered once again into a transcendental state the intense concentration is described in Zen as 'Joriki' or in Yoga as 'Dhyana' whereby you forget the self and enter a super-consciousness state sometimes described as 'Satori' in Zen or 'Samadhi' in Yoga.
I was in a state of bliss for a number of days after this and what happened a few days later when I was out for a drive with some friends in the country has shaped everything I have done in over the last 30 years and will continue for the rest of my life. We were driving down a narrow country lane, there were five of us in the car, my friend was driving and I was in the front passenger seat, I was in a place of Oneness and the only thought when I saw a car coming in the opposite direction was for us to reverse the car so as to avoid any conflict or distress, there was a man and woman in the other car. I asked my friend to reverse but he refused.
The man started shouting, my friend starting shouting, they both got out of the car and a fight broke out immediately. I only remember opening the car door and then went completely blank and felt that my body was taken over and felt both a surge of strength and Peace through the body. when I came round I had the man in a headlock on the ground, I apologized immediately and explained that this was our fault as we should have reversed and that when I released him I would reverse the car so he could get passed, although he was still angry, in our discussion he eventually calmed down and we eventually shook hands, I immediately reversed the car and he drove passed.
The journey since that time at age 20 has been to work for the greater good in everything that I do and it is an actioning of the inner instructions given be it through Business, Martial arts, Music, writing, community work, citizens arrests or aid work.
I have discovered there are basically 5 levels of human existence, using the metaphor of a building the 1st level is unconsciousness which is the basement the next 4 levels are stages in the evolution of human consciousness. The unconsciousness level is based mostly from a negative standpoint and lives at the mercy of external conditions and can have destructive consequences, the encouragement in the book is that if you want to get out of the basement then get out of debasement.
The ground floor is the 2nd level: This is the level of turning negative thoughts and actions into Positive, utilizing in particular
material phenomena such as goal setting and visualization primarily for one's own aggrandisement.
The 1st floor is the 3rd level: This is an evolution whereby those who recognize that material success however great the success can never bring Inner Peace can move up to and begin to look within for there happiness which is sometimes called 'The Shift' or the commencement of the quest. There is a sticking place however for those who use a material mindset of adding too on their spiritual journey which cause them to oscillate between the ground floor and 1st floor as until it is recognized that the spiritual path is a journey of taking away not adding to i.e. the path of renunciation then they are eligible to become a novice and also eligible to move to higher levels.
The 2nd floor is the 4th level: This is normally the level occupied by the monastic however if a layperson truly understands the path of renunciation they too can occupy this level, this is the level of the serious spiritual seeker dedicated with a full commitment to spiritual studies and practices.
The 3rd floor is the 5th and final level: This is the level whereby the seeker becomes the finder, when they have gone beyond teacher, teachings and methods and return to the source and discover their inner teacher and guide. Using a Business metaphor it is when they have cut out the middleman and opened a direct account. The book trilogy is to show how we can move onward and upwards floor by floor until eventually we return to the beginning, this is the paradox, it is not an end point, it is a journey to who we once were before a material conditioning took hold, it is a process of going full circle.


Q: Tell us about your book Training Your Mind to Realize It’s Potential.
A: 'Training your mind to realize it's potential' is the 2nd book in the trilogy with a title within the title 'Used to be an overachiever but I'm alright now'. This book took about 3 months to write however the editing and working with the editors took a lot longer and after the reviewer mentioned the grammatical errors, I have gone through the book again and we are having all the errors that were found amended by the publishers.
Using the Star Wars metaphor Book 1 is the Luke Skywalker book, Book 2 the Obi Wan Kenobi book and Book 3 the Yoda book. It has been reported that the Star Wars movie is based on an old Japanese Samurai movie by Akira Kurosawa. As an exponent of the Japanese Martial art of Shotokan Karate it was noticed when watching the film that the teachings of the Jedi are similar to the Japanese Samurai code of 'Bushido'.
The trilogy also equates with the Zen 10 ox herding story, most of the Samurai of Japan were practitioners of Zen Buddhism and the name Samurai means "to serve". The target audience is for anyone interested in finding freedom and Inner Peace, it is not designed for any particular group but it obviously might have an appeal for those interested in Business or Spiritual development, I do wish for the book to reach those who are struggling with negative thoughts that might cause harm to themselves or others particularly those in Prison to show another possibility.
There are three main intentions for the writings: Firstly using a variation of a J. Krishnamurthi quote: The concern is to share how Men and Women and Boys and Girls can set themselves absolutely and unconditionally free. Secondly and thirdly to share a message regarding World Peace and the Redistribution of wealth.


Q: I see that this is the second book in a trilogy. Does this work as a standalone book? What makes this book stand out from the others?
A: This book can be a standalone book as it covers in different degrees the five levels of human existence although it would be probably better to work through the trilogy, it would depend on which floor you’re on when you read it. There is a point made by an author Charles F. Haanel in his book 'The Master Key' that it is difficult for the mind to understand an entirely new idea because we do not have a corresponding vibratory brain cell capable of receiving the idea. Mind development is most beneficial when developing stage by stage particularly beneficial is if we keep an open mind and apply courage when exploring the unknown, this can bring inner growth and a change for the better. The author Catherine Ponder once wrote "Change indicates that your growing is showing".
This book might be a stand out book in this particular field as it has taken 30 years of inner work, study and preparation before writing, it comprises 20 years of Success in the Business/working life and almost 10 years of going into and coming out of a spiritual retreat.


Q: What was your inspiration for this book?
A: As mentioned previously, the inspiration comes from an inner guidance of being In Spirit. There is a faculty described in the book 'Think and Grow Rich' by Napolean Hill called "Infinite Intelligence", this was discovered in my early 20's and has been the guidance for just about everything that I have done for over 30 years. To be in this place it is necessary to recognize we are not the doer and the evolutionary journey is a gradual moving from the container of "My will be done" to the container of "Thy will be done".


Q: What kind of message do you hope to send out to readers with this book?
A: The message is to show a possibility and a potentiality and to share that there is a place we can live which is so much more than the material consciousness which is a place of Joy, Bliss and Inspiration. In essence the message can be conveyed in two sentences: Our purest potentiality is when we become a manifestation of spirit and with no mind you align with the divine, in Japan no mind is described as Mushin which can be realized by a dedication to Meditation practice.


Q: What kind of feedback have you received about this book?
A: The feedback for the book has been favorable as people know the intention comes from a place of service and sincerity.


Q: What did your family/friends think about this book? Do you get nervous sharing your books with those close to you?
A: My family and friends mostly listen to what I have to say and smile and laugh as the expression of the work in enthusiasm tends to include some comedy. I have been moved lately with my friends as I had some T-Shirts made from a drawing on Page 231 of the book and gave them to them as a gift which conveys a message of World Peace, a lot of my friends are wearing the T-Shirt. The drawing is of the character in the book 'Toshiro' (The name used is as a tribute to the Japanese Samurai actor Toshiro Mifune). Toshiro is reading a book in the book entitled 'Lessons of mass construction' by Aristotle Lovealottle with the Chapter 13 heading written below 'If there was oneness there would be no conflicts or wars' with another picture of Toshiro holding a piece of paper above his head with the John F. Kennedy quote "Not merely Peace in our time, Peace in all time' which is also a tribute to former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain when he attempted to get a signed Peace treaty from the man who started World War 2. Mr. Chamberlain after his return from Germany in 1938 exited his plane with the document above his head and said "Peace in our time", the Dictator lied about his intentions when signing the document.
I don't feel nervous when sharing the book ideas with people close to me.


Q: Who designed the cover? Tell us about the cover and how it came about.
A: My friend Shane did the all the excellent artwork for the front cover and all the drawings within the book, the drawings convey the 6th stage of the ox herding story, book 2 represents stages 5-6 of the story, the drawing shows the ox herder and the ox being as one which equates to a unity between body and mind.
The lettering in Chinese is basically my name Paul.


Q: What was the publishing process like?
A: The publishing process was interesting, the publishers 'Grosvenor House Publishing' did an excellent job in getting all the drawings, photos and writing to fit, it must have been difficult. The books are self published, I saw an advert on line for their publishing company and inquired if they would be interested in releasing the book.


Q: On your road to becoming a published author, what would you do differently?
A: I will spend as an improvement on Book 3 a lot more time after the manuscript is finished on the grammar checks and editing as there is much improvement needed in this area.


Q: What other projects/books are you working on at the moment?
A: As part of Book 3 I will be conveying my intention of making available an agency for the purpose of offering advice to Governments regarding conflict resolution and international security using the faculty of 'Infinite Intelligence' as an alternative to the Intelligence agencies which exist only with finite knowledge based primarily in the lower consciousness of fear and separation and concern for national security only. This agency will be based on Higher Consciousness with the focus on Oneness, Unity, International security with vocabulary such as "friend" rather than "enemy".The name of the agency is The Exploring Intelligence Effectively in Oneness agency.


Q: Have you ever written (or have plans to write) fiction?
A: There is no interest in writing fiction at this time although a children's book is of interest in the future particularly as we have all the drawings from the books.


Q: What is the hardest thing about writing? The easiest?
A: The hardest part is the editing. The easiest part is the writing.


Q: Which famous person, living or dead, would you like to meet and why?
A: Andrew Carnegie because of his intention to enrich the lives of others through education with his funding and building of libraries all over the world as well as a high regard for his attempts at preventing World War 1.


Q: What kind of advice would you give to new or aspiring writers?
A: To try to write so that it may benefit others in some way.


Q: What’s something you wish everyone knew about you?
A: I wish to make available to everybody how it is possible to live in higher consciousness which has enriched my life and in particular for this subject to reach, resonate and be relatable for those who might be excluded from work of this nature due to their conduct. Spirituality is meant to be all inclusive.
I have sought inner guidance for when Book 3 should be written by, the Number 52 keeps coming up, (I am age 51 now) the place I lived in Wales before London was number 52, my mums new residence is number 52 and many other references to the number which represents writing the book by aged 52. I have however a wish for much more time particularly to age 60 as I wish to spend a considerable amount of time on the grammar and editing checks.
I was guided on November 5th 2015 to watch the 'Back to the Future' trilogy which I have in my attic left over from the Video store business, in the 1st part the significant date is November 5th and the 2nd part they go back and forth in time between 1955 and 2015 the difference is 60 years. (The film was released in 1985)
I wish to continue for the rest of my life a continuation of a message conveyed by two American gentleman, Former President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Wayne Dyer. President Kennedy made a statement in one of his addresses "Not merely Peace in our time, Peace in all time". Dr. Wayne Dyer in one of his talks spoke of "Not only putting an end to war but putting an end to the whole concept of war". John F. Kennedy passed away in 1963, Dr Dyer passed away in 2015 the difference between 1963 and 2015 is 52 years.


Thank you so much for joining us for this interview! Please feel free to ask any questions you might have.

----- ----- -----

The Books

Training Your Mind to Realize It’s Potential by Paul Davies ~ View on Bookshelves| View on Amazon

Being Medusa: And Other Things That Suck by A. Lynn Powers (interviewer) ~View on Bookshelves | View on Amazon
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Post by gali »

Thank you both for the interesting interview!
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Thank you for sharing!
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Post by TrishaAnn92 »

Thank you for sharing an interesting interview! :)
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Post by zero_macabre »

Thank you for the interview!
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Post by Katie Birch »

zero_macabre wrote:Thank you for the interview!
+1!!! :techie-studyingbrown:
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Post by Almasd90 »

Very nice interview
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Post by Sweet Angel »

Very good interview
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Post by ALynnPowers »

Yes! The cover of the book came up! I learned something new with this interview. Well, lots of somethings, hahaha!
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Post by Kourtney Bradley »

Thank you both for sharing the interview with us!
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Post by ALynnPowers »

There was definitely a lot of information. And completely unlike any other interview I've done before.
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