An exclusive interview with Award-winning author J.M. Harrison who talks about his new audiobook, LISTEN TO THIS: A CHRONICLE OF AWAKENING.

What’s your new book about?

It’s an autobiographical compilation of spiritual and metaphysical episodes that took place in my life over the past 50 years. What’s unusual is that the book, the memoirs of awakening are supported by original songs, music, and mystical poetry, so it’s a bit of a sound fest for spiritual seekers!

Who did you write your book for?

Over the years I kept a journal of the weird and wonderful events and peak experiences that took place so that one day my two children could read what their Mum and Dad experienced over the years. I never intended to turn it into a book. In the back of my mind, it was something private I wanted to pass on to my children. But a series of coincidences changed all that.

It begins with childhood paranormal experiences and follows my life (including a brief stint as the lead singer of the 80s UK band FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD) and follows my exploration of consciousness. It contains a wide variety of topics and experiences; creativity, healing, channeling, psychic and mediumistic phenomena, prophecy, trance, and altered states, and a mystical death experience that took place in France in 2007. At the end of the day, this book maps out a path for self-discovery, but there’s helpful guidance and advice in it for any listener who’s seeking to question, explore or understand the truth of who they really are.

Revealing the details of a spiritual awakening is considered taboo so why did you decide to publish the memoirs?

I’m aware it’s not the done thing to share your spiritual awakening. Doing so could be a way of trying to advertise how enlightened you believe you are, or a ploy to seek praise from others or wanting confirmation of your experiences, and so on. In my case, the audiobook was a natural consequence of life. It was, as the saying goes, meant to be. As an author and musician, I am living my awakening as I have lived my life, for I’ve always written, so it’s what I do; it’s how my soul breathes.

Yes, it’s also not normal for an audiobook to contain songs and music, what can you tell us about these?

The songs and music played an important role in my spiritual development as writing (in its various forms) has always played a sacred role in my life. Music is a wordless language, a secret form of communication, and a powerful tool for healing and transforming human consciousness. When you think about it, life is musical. We seek to be ‘in tune’ and ‘in harmony’ with life and music is one way of realizing that.

How and why did you become an author?

The call to begin writing took place following a mystical death experience. I collapsed on the floor at our home in France. As I looked down at my lifeless body, I knew I existed beyond the body, and I was more than a brain. In those dramatic and sacred moments, I experienced life as consciousness outside of my body. The book I wrote following that event was called WE ARE ALL ONE: A Call to Spiritual Uprising. The mystical death experience was shocking to go through, and yet it was the natural catalyst for me to become an author. So I guess you could say I used that experience to begin writing, but perhaps it’s truer to say that that experience used me to write.

Do you have a website?

Yes, you can visit the book site at: http://www.listentothisbook.com

Above all, I hope listeners enjoy the experience and get something of real value from the experience.

LISTEN TO THIS: A Chronicle of Awakening by author J.M. Harrison is available now at the following major distributors:

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