The Third Level of Existence

 by Geea

When NigelBlackthorne joined the staff of The Voice I was honored.  I knew he had previously written for the Motu Eagle and I read his work, so having him join the staff was a major score.  What I didn’t know at the time was that he was also just finishing up his first book in real life.  It goes to show, you really never know who the person is behind the Avatar.  The Voice is extremely honored to have a published author on staff and felt an article about the Third Level of Existence should be done.  Even though the book is not about There, there is still a connection to There behind the scenes.  While doing research for his book Nigel found There.  As he became part of the There community he met up with another Therian who in her own right is an extremely talented artist, DreamWeaver.  DreamWeaver took on the challenge of designing the cover for the Third Level of Existence.  So we now salute two members of our world NigelBlackthorne in real life known as Steve Brock, and DreamWeaver in real life known as Holly McKimson. 

What is the book about? 

“Basically there are two main characters in the book, Steve, a semi-autobiographical character and Tor Kamersgaard, a Danish immigrant who becomes Steve’s friend and teacher.  Tor teaches Steve the little known mystical secrets of life though a series of experiences.  These experiences are induced by Tor using the ancient yogic practice of shaktipat, which transfers spiritual energy between the teacher and student in order for the mystical experiences to occur.  Through these experiences, Steve’s view of life is transformed and his eyes are opened to the vast scope of his existence through time.  So the book explores life from a very mystical point of view.  In philosophical terms, it talks about the metaphysical, epistemological and cosmological aspects of existence.  All of this takes place in Western Washington State and the Oregon Coast.”   

How long did it take you to write it? 

“I began writing it in 2002.  Seems like a long time for a short book but with the complex subject being covered in the book and work and family obligations, it just took that long.” 

So, is this book fiction or non-fiction? 

“That’s a very difficult question to answer.  The reason is that some of it is fact…things that did occur and some were added to illustrate a point.  All of it is based on what did occur or what could occur…it’s all possible.  Some of the people in the book are real people with their real names used, some names have been changed and a few don’t exist but were used to facilitate the story line.  So as to what exactly is fact and fiction…I’d have to write another book to explain all that…lol” 

Are you planning on writing another book? 

“This book opens the door for another book or books but I have no plans right now to write another one.  Right now I am working on getting the word out about this book.  Another one would be off in the future.” 

What do you think of There from a philosophical point of view? 

“Interesting question.  As a matter of fact I found There when I was doing research for the book.  One part of the book deals with the development of other worlds and the future of the media.  Projecting forward it makes sense that virtual worlds will provide a matrix for media communication as well as interpersonal communication.  I had no experience with virtual worlds and really didn’t know if they even existed but decided to check and finally found There.  I found it totally fascinating and am still digesting the philosophical implications of the metaverse.”  

DreamWeaver (Holly McKimson) designed the book cover, how did she get involved in the book project? 

“I knew that Dream was involved in graphic arts and she is one of the sweetest people I have met in There…so I asked her if she would be interested in doing the cover.  I sent her a copy of the manuscript, which she read and was very excited about doing the book cover.  Over the course of last summer we emailed back and forth, changing this and that until we had it.  It was a pretty exciting process and she was so understanding with all the changes.  I think it is spectacular and there’s a lot of symbolism…there are lots of things that relate to the story in that image.”  

I asked DreamWeaver how she came up with the design for the book cover.   

“I read the book (It was glued to my hands and eyes--lol---I could not put it down), and the inspiration came to me through the reading, how I felt, plus Steve’s input throughout the design process.”  

Nigel (Steve) told me that DreamWeaver had written her own book and I asked her about it. 

“My book is a poetry/prose book called, "From My Heart to Your Heart."  The poems evolve from my teen years through my adult years--a span of nearly forty years!  Oh my gosh, am I really THAT old?!  Some of the writings deal with what I saw others experiencing, and some were about what I was seeing and feeling through my own eyes and heart.  They are a potpourri of ideas, thoughts, and emotions that most of us have experienced at one time or another.  I haven't received a date as of yet as to it's release. However, I will let you know when it is due on the book shelves.”  

Is Third Level of Existence available in bookstores or online?

“It will be available in a couple of months through bookstores, Amazon.com, Borders, Barnes and Nobel’s and Walmart.com…but right now is only available through the publisher’s own site.”  You can buy it now at:  http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/description.asp?ISBN=0-7414-2317-0

From the Infinity Publishing website:  “With the backdrop of the beautiful Pacific Northwest, The Third Level of Existence is a journey through the experiences of Steve, as he is taught the mystical secrets of life by his teacher, Tor.  Through a special transference of energy, Tor takes Steve through a series of experiences that expose him to past lives, past loves, other worlds and universes, and ultimately a peek at the nearly infinite vastness of existence.  The experiential knowledge that Steve gains, prepares him to receive the teaching of “acceptance”, and the transformation that it will bring to his life.  What happens next can only be described as shocking and beautiful.”