Your book reveals a process of growth and maturation that ultimately leads to joy. What was the greatest insight that paved the way to joy in your life?

For me, joy came once I accepted that the happiness and fulfillment I was looking for could never be found through our many human skins—our roles, jobs, titles, and other identities. This is contrary to what we’re taught, when, even as children, when the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” really means, “What identity will you slip into to keep yourself safe and happy in the world?” As we become adults, the question changes to, “What do you do for a living?” as if our job title is all that matters about us.

These seemingly harmless questions implant in us the false belief that there is an identity for each of us that will provide a happy ever after. It sets us up for the disappointment that befalls many of us (and is too often dismissed as a “midlife crisis.”) I realized that while human skins offer things such as accomplishment, pride, knowledge, and relationships, none could provide lasting inner joy. Then, it was as easy as opening myself up to receive the natural joy that is, I believe, our birthright as human beings.

Your mentality as a competitive runner seemed to stick with you throughout much of your life—to the point that you even viewed the process of healing and increased consciousness as a race to win. How were you finally able to relinquish this view of life?

The basic philosophies taught to runners—never quit, push through pain, winner takes all—are the same ones taught by our culture at large. Being a runner just amplified this cultural message for me. It took me a long time, and some hard lessons, to realize that you can’t rush emotional and psychological healing.

I don’t know that I have completely relinquished this view on life; it’s simply that now I am aware and conscious of it (most of the time)! That means I can see it for what it is—a tactic that will only keep me in the endless cycle of wanting and needing more. As with any ingrained belief, the more we understand about what we’ve absorbed or accepted as truth, the more we can discern truth for ourselves.

In your book you not only talk about your soul, you actually give her a name—Serene Voyager—as well as a personality, dialogue, and a journey all of her own which progresses alongside her human/ego partner. It’s clear that you consider the soul as more than just an abstract concept. What do you think our souls are, and why did you detail your soul in such detail?

To me, our soul is our purest, deepest, and most essential truth and sincerest self. Her personality, then, is what I consider to be my purest and most essential self and her questions and dialogues are the very ones that I have longed to ask but didn’t know how.

Our soul is the part of us that is eternal, that is choosing this life for reasons that may or may not be entirely conscious to our human self. Through detailing my soul’s journey, and particularly her time “before the beginning,” I was trying to understand her particular reasons for choosing this life. I learned it is largely about her search for the Great Truth. Even as she knows the Great Truth is not graspable or knowable, the search itself satisfies her—and by extension, me. Knowing this about my soul gives me great comfort as I move through this life and realize that so many of the events and life situations my ego would feel were letdowns or even failures, my soul was simply watching, serenely, for the lessons and wisdom.

What is your definition of an embodied soul? Aren’t we all souls living in a human body?

I believe that there is a huge difference between the soul incarnation that occurs at the beginning of our lifetime and a conscious choice to embody one’s soul during our lifetime. Many people live out an entire lifetime never actually acknowledging the truth of their soul, let alone choosing to cultivate an ongoing relationship or even dialogue with it.

To embody our soul means to claim our truth and live in alignment with that truth—which is no small feat in a world run on façades and image! Embodying our soul is a lifelong process (not a one-time event.) A path of living as an embodied soul is not an easy path, but neither is living a lifetime without our soul ever being acknowledged in the world.

Does A Return to Wholeness imply that we were all once whole?

Exactly! As children, many of us had an opportunity to express ourselves from our wholeness. We were not afraid of our emotions—we simply expressed them. We didn’t mind being different; we just knew what we felt and what we wanted. While of course there was an immaturity to these expressions, there was authenticity. But over time, we all get “cultured.” Unless we consciously choose differently, most of us find a way to fit in as we are taught. We find ways to not accept or address our emotions—especially anger, fear, or anxiety. And many of us discredit the wisdom and bravery available from our souls, the highest voice of truth and integrity we will ever know. Meanwhile, our sense of self-worth, personal power, and our alignment with own integrity is stripped away.

There is, in fact, a way to reclaim our wholeness. We do not need to hold down the messy, sidelined, and undesirable emotions. With them, instead of despite them, we can find the humor and connection we crave and deserve.

Not only does your book alternate between the Earth Realm and the Soul Realm settings, but there is some time travel on the part of your soul involved as well as she observes Keri in different scenarios. Are you suggesting that the soul can travel in time?

It’s important to remember that time is an invention made by and for humans. But even in the Earth Realm, there was a time before time was the measurement of a life. So yes, neither the soul nor the Soul Realm is subjected to constraints of time or space. Like I say in the book, though, trying to help our egos understand this concept is like a butterfly trying to explain its access to a third dimension to an ant!

Your emotions are personified in this book as snakes, and they have dialogue and conversation with each other and with you. Why did you choose to present your emotional landscape this way?

I’ve always been a highly emotional person. To me, my emotions are not peripheral to my life; they are central to my life. And even if we don’t know it consciously, we all are having conversations with our emotions all the time. For instance, we try to cool anger down, we negotiate with fear, we court joy. I found this technique of personifying my emotions in the various situations to be a profoundly truthful way of sharing my internal dialogue and processes. After so many years of not letting them matter, I felt that sharing their voices, characters, and unique perspectives was the least I could do by way of apology!

Your soul’s guide in the book, Rasa, is the soul who imparts wisdom to your soul in the Soul Realm, the same way your soul Sëri imparts wisdom to you in the Earth Realm. Is Rasa based on any one person from your life? Or is she your assigned soul guide? And what does her name mean?

Rasa’s wise voice and advice is a compilation of the many women I’ve had the opportunity to work with or study with over the years. She is also the wise woman inside of myself. Her personality—light and fun—is the kind of energy I often find helpful when trying to digest my life, as I tend toward serious and introverted. She is a soul guide in a sense, too, but one who has her own path and journey. I view our relationship as cyclical, not hierarchical. Hierarchy, like time, is an Earth Realm invention.

Rasa’s name is an acronym that stands for Rights Advocate for Soul Animals. The reader gets a glimpse of her work rescuing soul animals and attempting to reunite them with their human partners. But also, “rasa” is a Sanskrit word, which means the “taste” of something. As she guides Séri through a review of her life situations, she doesn’t focus on whether something was good or bad, right or wrong. She asks, essentially, what was the taste of that experience? Was it sweet, salty, bitter, astringent, sour, or pungent? In Ayurvedic philosophy, it’s understood that in order to feel satiated, a meal must satisfy all six of these essential tastes. I think Rasa understands and teaches that life, too, must satisfy all six tastes in order to satiate us as souls.

What are you currently working on?

I have recently begun a podcast entitled, Awaken Your Power. To me, awakening one’s power goes hand in hand, and is perhaps the next step, after a choice to embody one’s soul. I believe the growth and increased consciousness we gain through a healing ought to be put to work in the world, rather than kept to oneself. If we have brought more light into our own lives, it is our human duty to bring more light to the world of others. We can do this in many different ways, according to our own constitution, but it is crucial that we not remain on the sidelines when the world needs us the most. Awakening one’s power, the podcast, begins with defining and understanding what power is really about, how it is claimed, wielded, used and abused. There are so many kinds of power to explore—some false, some authentic—that I believe there will be much to talk about!

How can someone purchase your book?

Embodying Soul: A Return to Wholeness will be available for purchase at embodyingsoulbook.com.

1.  The word authentic is used a lot nowadays but it is in your title twice. Why is this an important premise of the book?

The title was the most difficult part of the book and I didn’t want to name it after my Blog “Building a Conscious Society.” The book emphasises the importance of examining everything we’re told, in order to gain authentic knowledge and not just follow convictions of old beliefs that barely ring true in our modern world.  Secondly, I also touch on meditation because in a world where Social Media dominates our time, we need to realise it is not authentic reality, while time spent on mediation of the mind is. For instance, we look at hundreds of photos which are photoshopped, and sites where followers and likes are bought, so none of it is really authentic. Yet if we cannot discern that, we easily lose sight of reality and believe the inauthentic to be real.   So the world can be an inauthentic place. But if we are aware of this, seeing the facades and conditioning, we can put ourselves back in touch with our true inner natures. That’s where authenticity lies. An awareness of consciousness and awakened self to what is real.  It’s easy to get pulled into the big show out there that everyone puts on. 

2.  The book has a section on religion and philosophy.  Is there a reason for this?

Definitely.  I explore each religion in detail. Their historical beginnings, growth, traditions, rituals and practice today, asking the reader to take this into account when they study life and maybe choose to follow the cultural hand they’ve been born into.  There are better avenues to explore for the answers to the mysteries of life and they are a better guide to truth, than old tales that have been handed down over thousands of years. Imagine all the communication mishaps, twists and turns! 

Philosophy was mainly practiced in old times by priests because they could read and write. But  over time and especially during the Enlightenment, learned scholars began to question religious beliefs. Yet they still tried to unravel life’s mysteries and human purpose. When we study life closely we are bound to run into the question of consciousness and philosophers did.  Religion took the easy way out and provided an answer as a cause for our being, but philosophy took a different route.  As it moved away from religion,  it tried to find answers concerning consciousness. It was the beginning of science, where facts were needed to prove or disprove something and compared to religion, philosophy’s route was more difficult, yet both disciplines were searching for the same thing.  The reason for human existence.

3.  The book argues against religion, does this mean you are anti-religion?

Well, I definitely do not believe in any organised religion because I believe they are cultural stories created thousands of years to deliver answers to some of what science can answer today.  As religious tales can be far fetched and I value truth, I do not see their value in authentic answers.  Does that mean I am anti religion? Maybe. It has been the cause of death for many and I do not believe in a super being who would talk to mere mortals, answer prayers or judge anyone. Humans are good at convincing themselves of what they make up in their minds.  Despite that,  I do see the cultural value of how religions build community and how some religious folk do good things for others. However, I question the authenticity, and wonder why people cannot be morally good without the idea of a heavenly reward, answered prayer or perceived protection. I believe we are born innately good, but experience and environment can change those who do not have the strength to resist evil when they are exposed to trying times. For example, criminals who are poor and rob or violent, jealous people who are greedy and want attention and to win all the time. Maybe some of them would turn to religion and become better people. But I believe religion is not needed for that transition if we look at what is true and authentic, not what is made up, manipulated or conjured into something better that what it is actually is. 

4.  What do you hope to achieve with the book?

I truly hope that people who are concerned with life truths have more meat to chew on. Knowledge is power, and when we see how all religions have similar tales except with different language, culture and rituals, it’s clear that wanting to understand life at a deeper level has been a human yearning since time memorial.  Philosophers too had varying ideas so it’s vital to expand our minds and view things with multiple lenses.  After all comparison of differing ideas has been undergone, we always return to the self and its own awareness. Meaning, spirituality is within, not outside in the material world of tales and ego.  Don’t get me wrong, we need an ego to help us survive and stay out of danger, but living to please a distant God, or to serve an ego in constant pursuit of happiness is not the answer to life. I hope after reading the book, that will be clear. Authentic being without our cultures, ideals and beliefs is the true nature of life, not praying to a separate personalised humanlike God that talks and judges in a made up heaven.

5.  Consciousness is a broad and complex topic. Why did you include it in the book?

I did not want to put science and religion in competition with each other because both try to understand the nature of consciousness in their own way.  Consciousness is the huge enigma of life and scientifically, its field of research has gained ground in the last decade.  People think we experience life because God gave it to us, but in fact it is only because we are conscious that we can experience life through thought, memory and emotion. It is a complex field but I believe its time humanity starting understanding more of itself.  For example, Near-death experiences were always explained as spiritual proof that there is an afterlife, yet now with neuroscience, we can understand the mechanisms of such experiences and can even reproduce them in rats. While we can’t all be neuroscientists, a basic understanding of what consciousness is must be essential in understanding ourself, life and the world around us.  It is more authentic than religion because it is real. We experience it every second of our lives, whether we pay attention to it or not.  While religions can be divisive, just as politics, consciousness is not. There are seven billion people out there each in their own subjective experience of it. Being more aware of it deliver a more authentic nature of being.

6.  Did you experience any serendipity when you wrote your book? If so, how?

Actually, yes.  Starting out on the book I was determined to indicate that religion was not the answer to life and I think I did just that. However, at a certain moment, I came to realise and understand that religion has still served societies favourably in the hope it has given people. I put myself into someone’s shoes at the time after Jesus. A leper perhaps, who for no good reason was suffering immensely. Had they heard a story of how Jesus had suffered and how unfairly, but that there was a way out of the suffering through redemption, how comforting it must have been as they lay on their death bed.  I ended up having more respect for religions and the power of culture through the generations. Humans in collaboration can create great good and evil is generally committed by one foul mind or a handful.  Religions have given millions the ability to have faith in something that does not exist and while it might not be based on fact and truth, it has probably reduced suffering amongst many. I was definitely not expecting that.  I knew that humans are born with an innate longing for eternality and spiritual belonging and I had undermined the effect that religion had all these millenniums.  

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You can purchase the book on Amazon by clicking here.

What inspired you to write How to Suffer… in 10 Easy Steps?

One night I walked by my wife who was lying face down on the living room couch. When I asked her if she wanted to go into the kitchen to have a drink, she just groaned (her back was out). I asked again, and she said, “I just want to lay here and suffer. I’m perfecting my suffering.” I stopped, laughed, then said, “Perfect it? Someone needs to write a self-help book on “How to Suffer.” I said it in jest, or so I thought. But a year and a half later, the book was written.

Is the book a satire (roast) of self-help books?

It started out as a roast, but once I dove in, I realized it was a vast subject that needed addressing.

Why “10 easy steps”?

That’s the satire of self-help books that promise the moon and tell you it will be easy. It never is…

What is a Sufferometer?

In the chapter “The Pseudo Science of Suffering” I look at suffering from a very analytical mindset. There are cycles that repeat and charts and graphs depicting the non-linear relationship between pain and suffering. At the end of the chapter I note that any science, even pseudo ones, need a metric to work with. The Sufferometer obtains that metric. There are instructions in the book on how to make and use this device. 

Of course, I was having fun with the idea at first, but soon realized it was actually a valuable tool in externalizing one’s suffering state so that it could be acknowledged and dealt with.

Why do you call suffering “The Gorilla in the Room”?

Because so much of what we all do is motivated by suffering and the avoidance of it. Get rich so you won’t suffer lack. Find love so you won’t suffer loneliness. Furthermore, people rarely address the issue directly. When asked “How are you?” it is rarer than rare to hear someone reply, “I am suffering.” But that is the root internal experience behind pain, loss, frustration… Suffering drives so much of everything, and yet it’s ignored, just like a big gorilla in the room.

Is there anything beyond the 10 easy steps?

I have fun with those 10 easy steps. But after that there are the 6 slippery steps to end suffering. These steps are slippery because they take balance and wisdom to use effectively. As an example: Non-attachment. Being attached can certainly bring on suffering, but there are people who are SO un-attached that they don’t care about anyone, or anything. So, it’s a balance.

What is the most profound concept in the book?

THE FIVE KLESHAS

For my money, the best answer trickling down from the Godhead is from India and the ancient Vedic teachings known as the Vedanta. In that teaching the causes of all suffering are listed in the Five Kleshas:

1. Suffering is caused by misapprehension (or misunder- standing) of the nature of Reality.
2. Suffering is caused by grasping or holding on to what is insubstantial or illusory.
3. Suffering is caused by a fear of or an aversion or revulsion to that which is anillusion.
4. Suffering is caused by identification with the ego or false self.
5. Suffering is caused by the fear of death.

And now the kicker! Causes 2, 3, 4 and 5 are all contained in the First Klesha: all suffering is caused by not understanding the nature of Reality!

Is there an end to Suffering?

According to Buddha – yes, it is possible. He did it! But for most of us it comes and goes. However, whatever you may be suffering about now can end – that’s for sure…

The book has a humorous and satirical tone to it. Why is that?

Well, who wants to suffer through reading a book of suffering!? By using humor, it allows one to approach the subject without pain and dread. Aside from that, a lot of humor arises from ironic views of suffering past, present and future.

How has writing this book changed your life?

By bringing awareness into my life about suffering, it has diminished, and when it does land, it doesn’t camp out for nearly as long!

What is the “S” word?

“S”uffering. And like the “F” word, it is a word not used in polite company.

Why do people generally avoid talking about Suffering directly?

They don’t want to admit it to themselves or others. They want to appear all together, in control, at the top of their game (a.k.a. Ego).

In your chapter, The Pseudo-Science of Suffering, you talk about the “Threshold of Suffering.” What is that? 

There is a graph depicting the relationship between pain and suffering. They are not one and the same, but related. The threshold of suffering is the point at which, as pain increases, one tumbles into suffering. The important point for us is – that threshold is under our own control!

And Why call it pseudo-science?

It’s more of the ironic sense of humor about trying to put charts and graphs on the internal state of Suffering.

You coin the word TechnoSuffering. Is it really a new category of suffering?

Oh yes, it is. All these device that are created to make our lives better actually cause our slavery to those devices. And when they don’t work, don’t update, don’t boot, don’t connect, don’t, don’t, don’t… it is frustrating beyond tolerance.

Did you experience any serendipity or synchronicity while you wrote the book or as a result of the book? If so, what?

Nothing in particular. But since writing the book, Deirdre, my wife, tells me I’ve been in a better mood. I’ll take that!

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William Arntz is a physicist, software entrepreneur, filmmaker and author. He wrote simulators for the early Star Wars program,  created software that the Fortune 500 world runs on, created the What the BLEEP Do We Know!? movie and books and co-created the book of visionary prophesies –The (not so) Little Book of Surprises – with Deirdre Hade. His newest book is How to Suffer…. In 10 Easy Steps. www.HowToSuffer.me  

What are the various seasons of the soul according to your book?

According to the book the soul evolves and transforms through the Season of Longing, the Season of Remembrance (faint memory of a forgotten love), the Season of Love, and the Season of Enlightenment.

How did you come with the title of the book?

I had the recurring thought of compiling all my poems and pictures in the form of a book. I did not want to put everything in there at random but was seeking some logical categorization. So, I had to analyze my poems from a reader’s perspective, and I realized that all of my poems were either evoking the feelings of Longing, Remembrance, Love, or Enlightenment. And I could clearly see my soul growing through each of these seasons, and hence the title, Seasons of the Soul.

What makes this book special?

This book is not just poetry. It’s also pictures of poems which have been handwritten on petals of flowers and leaves. I also wanted some sketches in this book, and as opposed to looking for a freelancer, I asked my younger brother Johnny to create the sketches. I had many heartfelt and soulful conversations with my brother during the making of this book and our bond as a sibling became even more stronger. It filled me with immense peace and contentment to have this opportunity to work with my brother on a spiritual level.

How much time did it take for you to write this book?

All the poems in the book were written over a period of two years. It took me another four months to put everything in the right format. I also did the book cover and interior designing on my own.

What is your favorite poem from the book?

it’s the remembrance

that puts me to sleep,

and the remembrance

that brings me back to life again.

a memory that flutters

from one lifetime 

to another.

passing through the 

doors of exquisite yonder.

sometimes i creep

through the cracks

of my own heart and break.

sometimes i seal

the quintessence and stay in.

the breath of your love—

i keep on longing,

beloved.

and die a million times,

just remembering.

Name another poet who would love to read your book.

If Rumi was here, I am pretty sure he would have loved my poems.

When did you start writing poetry?

I wrote my first poem when I was probably stepping into teenage. It was also a spiritual poem, wondering about God and the divine love.

How have you evolved as a poetry writer?

I feel poetry has healed me. All of my deepest emotions come out in the form of poetry. So, I do see a big transformation in myself. I am a happier and a more peaceful person now than I was a few years ago.

Did you experience any serendipity or synchronicity when you wrote the book? If so, how?

Yes, there are many incidents. Especially when I was compiling the book. I needed a picture with a beautiful rainbow and found a gorgeous one right across the lake on a rainy day. 

Also, my trip to the Vipassana mediation retreat earlier this year brought so much clarity and led me into the season of awakening, which is the last section of the book. It also taught me how to embrace the present moment and be content in the “now.”