<return to Bookstand Archive main page

Interview:
Awakening the Soul trilogy author Bill Missett

Recently, we caught up with Bill Missett, whose Awakening the Soul trilogy is one of the most extensive discourses ever written on the battle for control of our souls by organized religion. Now that all three books are finished with the recent release of Awakening the Soul Book 2: Our Suppressed Spiritual Nature, Bill talked extensively about the books and what the future holds.

WordJourneys.com: You’ve successfully completed quite an arduous undertaking – digging through 2,000 years of lies and deception to remind us of our spiritual heritage and the truths of our souls. What prompted you to set out on such an enormous task?

Bill Missett: I was literally spiritually inspired to tackle this huge undertaking when I began channeling the first portions of what became Awakening The Soul: Book 3: Restoring Your Spiritual Nature in 1993. I had been planning a weekly newspaper column on the emerging personal spirituality, but I knew this information was far more important, universally applicable, and demanded my full attention.
      The soul-awakening instructions began one day in meditation, when a voice clearly spoke to me, and said: “Tell your ego to go into your left brain.” I was then given detailed but simple instructions on how to reprogram my ego so it would no longer interfere with my spiritual growth. (It is a remarkable process, because you can actually feel your ego go into your left brain, which instantly validates the material.) In the succeeding days, I also was given instructions on how to elevate my soul to become my daily guide in all I do, how to create my “inner trinity of being,” and how to connect this inner trinity with my higher divine soul to restore my spiritual body to its original conscious expression. Additionally, ATS3 has been called “the key to the 12th Step” of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step groups, for it provides the necessary spiritual awakening.
      As that section of the manuscript began taking form, I realized that I would also have to convince a lot of people about the reality and extent of their spiritual nature, so they would realize they possessed these same spiritual traits, even though they might be unaware of them. This material became ATS: Book One: Proof Of Our Spiritual Nature, which catalogues and explains more than 70 differing examples of our spiritual traits and abilities, many familiar in our daily lives. The book also details 10 spiritual experiences and abilities in depth, such as reincarnation, apparitions, communication with the spirit world, and the aura. This makes ATS1 a valuable primer for the novice, as well as reminding those with spiritual experience just how pervasive and broad our spiritual nature truly is, whether we are aware of it or not.

Q: Where did your most recent title, ATS2: Our Suppressed Spiritual Nature fit into this?

A: In my original book outline, I planned a few small chapters on how we lost awareness of our spiritual nature. As my research expanded, I kept running across references to how religions suppressed various aspects of spiritual experience or abilities. So I began researching specifically for that suppression, and what I found was absolutely shocking Judaism, Christianity and Islam had all suppressed humanity’s mystics and their mystical experiences. However Christianity, primarily western Catholicism, did the worst damage, almost eradicating our spiritual memory banks. It did so by labeling those who exhibited spiritual abilities as “heretics” and killed millions while trying to eliminate all spiritual beliefs but its own invented dogma. The Church also intimidated science into not investigating humanity’s spiritual consciousness until the 19th Century. This repression directly created science’s current mental block about honestly investigating anything metaphysical in nature or any traits of this vital human experience.

Q: How did your years as a newspaper editor who adhered to the strictest tenets of journalistic integrity serve you as you tried to wind your way through this spiritual labyrinth?

A: I just followed the same principles I required my reporters to follow when working critical stories: Follow the “duck” axiom (If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably a duck), the “say/do” axiom (Don’t pay attention to what they say, observe what they do), require all pertinent evidence to fit the established pattern, and require at least two sources of evidence on critical issues. I also found that my Spirit Guides were providing impeccable guidance as to where to look next, and revealing patterns of developing information. This allowed the voluminous subject matter to stay focused and on point, and to have an understandable, cohesive message.
Also, as a newspaper editor I wanted to make sure that the average American reader and spiritual skeptic would believe what I was reporting, so I wanted to make sure I had enough evidence to convince them without overwhelming them. I think my books speak to the average American and are a good, thorough introduction to the historical suppression of our spiritual nature and the urgent need to reawaken our souls at this time in history, if we are to change the destructive path of war and planetary degradation humanity seems bent upon.

Q: It seems to me that most “spirituality” in this world is practiced from the mind, rather than from the utterances of the soul and heart. Is this your conclusion as well – and when did the focus switch from an inside to an outside practice?

A: My first spiritual awakening occurred in the arms of Mother Nature, while bodysurfing the Pacific Ocean. Although many believe surfing is nothing more than a water sport, it is also a powerful means of activating a spiritual lifestyle. Mother Nature provides a wondrously gentle, non-religious enhancement of spirituality in your life. It’s most easily accomplished through caring for plants or animals. Connecting with Nature is an excellent way to start your spiritual rebirth.
       The only way we are going to truly honor our spiritual heritage is to live it on a daily basis, doing and saying what we believe at all times. Ernest Holmes, the founder of Science of Mind, best expressed this concept in his writings, which form a blueprint for spiritual living on a daily basis. We cannot just go to church on Sunday and forget all our spiritual obligations until the next Sunday. We must express them constantly in all that we do. When I’m in New York City, I attend services at the Sacred Center for Spiritual Living, whose name says it all.

Q: You take particular aim at the Vatican, which has seen better days in lieu of the Da Vinci Code, all the Holy Grail materials coming out now, and of course Pope Benedict’s reputation as the late Pope John Paul’s Rottweiler. What are a few of the most egregious transgressions the Vatican committed that really robbed us of our spiritual nature?

A: You really have to read the entire 118 pages of Chapter 5 in ATS2 to get the full picture, but here’s my short list: 1) Denying that God’s spiritual presence is inside each of our souls while teaching us that S/He is somewhere else, “up there;” 2) Denying that the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit can come to each individual, as they continue to speak to us today without the need for “priestly intercession” ; 3) The suppression of the Divine Feminine, fully half of humanity; and 4) Denying the concept of reincarnation, so that the Church could use the concepts of fear, guilt and Original Sin and thus enrich its coffers by selling “plenary indulgences.”
      These exclusions and barriers were rigidly in place for centuries, but now the concepts that each of us today can receive Christ’s presence or receive the Holy Spirit are breaking through hidebound western religious traditions. However, many items of suppression, like exercising our God-given spiritual talent of clairvoyance, and the spiritual experience of reincarnation, are still specifically denied to this day by the many religions, including the Catholic Church. I discovered 14 major areas of direct spiritual suppression, with several other minor areas of suppression as well, all presented in ATS2. This has deeply affected our history, our culture, our societal mores, our beliefs, our behavior, and our future.

Q: What is our spiritual nature?

A: It is everything that emanates from our Soul. It is the expression of God within us. The more we express God through us, the greater His/Her presence becomes in our lives. It is the sum of our being, most of which has been suppressed. I realized early on that all the things we variously call “paranormal,” “metaphysical,” “psi” or “phenomena” are all just examples of our Soul’s spiritual nature at work.

Q: It’s so beautiful. In what ways were the people in ancient times perceived that created a “need” for suppression in the first place?

A: Almost every single one of our spiritual abilities, traits or experiences were banned as “demonic,” “heretical” or “evil” by western religions attempting to eliminate the old “pagan” knowledge and enforce their own invented brand of spirituality. Those who exhibited almost any spiritual experience from prophecy, known today as channeling, to spontaneous healing were often branded “heretics” and hounded by the Church. This suppression began with Judaism’s bans on divination (predicting the future) and necromancy (communicating with spirit beings), but was taken to new heights of intimidation by Christianity, which killed millions for what they thought or said from the 4th Century to the 19th Century.

Q: Your works offer a steady stream of attributed sources, to the point of elevating these books to academic levels. Yet, I know you had to leave a lot of things out for the sake of brevity. What was your decision-making process like as you figured out what to include and what not to?

A: Simply staying on point by eliminating any tangential evidence that didn’t apply to the primary thrust of spiritual or mystical suppression. This rule was easy to conceive but difficult to execute, because I wanted so many tangential items of evidence included that ultimately I had to reject for brevity’s sake. However, some issues kept resurfacing over and over for me, until I finally realized I was being told, “Pay attention to this. It’s important.” This happened to me with both the issues of the suppression of women and the suppressed story of the Fatima Secrets in particular. Both issues kept resurfacing in my mind until I was forced to pay attention to them, and see how they fit the picture.

Q: Your focus was always sharp and sure. Can you talk about the practices in your own life, your own spiritual work, that has enabled you to write from a place of such deep truth and focus?

A: The greatest assistance I had was actively utilizing the meditation process to balance my Soul and Ego and write from the soul. This was given to me in my Awakening The Soul meditation, the core instructions found in ATS3. This activation of my heart, mind and soul, which I exercised each day before starting the writing process, kept me on point at all times. Much of the material came to me spontaneously in odd moments, but I almost always knew precisely where this channeled information belonged in the manuscript.
    I also had a lot of spiritual assistance during the editing process, when “inner guidance” would tell me to move large blocks of information here or there in the text, to maintain the sharp focus on spiritual suppression and not lead readers astray into unrelated fields, however interesting. This guided process also sharpened the continuity of the material.

Q: In ATS 1 and 2, you talk about our spiritual nature and how it was stripped from us. In ATS3, you write about how to return it to our lives. What are some simple steps people can take to resurrect the “Christ” within them, to return to that hallowed place of truth and authenticity and relationship with the Divine in their lives?

A: Novices can educate themselves through reading the Awakening The Soul trilogy, and meditating on what they learn. ATS1 informs them about the extent of their spiritual nature, ATS2 tells them how they lost awareness of their spiritual nature, and ATS3 tells them how to get it back. ATS3 in particular contains a number of practices and exercises that can heighten your spiritual nature, and bring you closer to realizing your true spirituality. The Soul Awakening process revealed in ATS3 provides a simple, easy method to bring “Christ consciousness” into your daily life, and activate your own spiritual existence. But everyone is encouraged to follow their heart and mind in seeking out paths of knowledge, for we are all on different spiritual paths to reach the same goal of reunion with our Creator. Knowing that each of us is truly designed to blossom into an exalted spiritual being, realizing how you lost awareness of that knowledge, and the simple but profound process of reactivating your Soul’s spiritual essence each day delivers undreamed-of spiritual benefits to each reader.

Q: With all of the writings about the Holy Grail, divine feminine and the huge spiritual book market in particular, there seems to be an inherent danger of this pendulum swinging the other way – from suppression of truth to everyone and their brother thinking they’ve been bestowed with the highest truths and thus must tell everyone in book form. How can people who are ardently seeking truth evaluate a book to determine its spiritual authenticity?

A: I feel those “barely spiritually awakened” books are out there because that’s the level of spiritual awakening for many who are looking beyond mainstream religions. It may be spiritual kindergarten for some, but it’s a level most are most comfortable venturing into. You can’t get to the graduate level until you’ve done the grade school work, which comes first to provide a solid foundation for the spiritual growth that will follow.
      I had a mainstream publisher of spiritual books tell me that the ATS trilogy was written for the upper two percent of the spiritual reading public, while most spiritual books are sold to the lower 10 percent of that same group. “Most people don’t want enlightenment,” he said. “They just want their toys fixed.” (“Toys” being defined as relationships, health, happiness, finances, etc.)
     Some good advice on evaluating a book’s worth: Never accept someone else’s “word” as “gospel.” That includes me, and my books. Give each book’s premise the test of spirit: Does it ring true with you? Do you feel it speaks to you? If any book doesn’t meet those tests, it’s best to reserve judgment.

Q: If we were to return to our spiritual nature as individuals and as a society, and re-wire our social culture, what would we experience? What would happen?

A: If the entire world’s population suddenly woke up fully spiritually aware one morning, the first thing which would need to be done is to immediately replace all governments which are religion-based, repressive or aggressive, war-making, pollution-promoting, or intolerant of human rights. We would start caring for our brothers and sisters all over the planet by providing them the abundance of surplus foodstuffs produced in so many areas of the world, which are not freely distributed to the world’s neediest but rather are used as weapons of world control. We would end all wars and end production of weapons of war, and spend those wasted trillions on improving the world.
     We would immediately stop polluting Earth and its atmosphere and start cleaning up the mess we have made, which is now severely impacting the entire planet through global warming. We would speed development of non-polluting, renewable energy sources instead of stifling any energy resource that threatens the status quo of the oil, coal and nuclear industry. We would vastly diminish crime and its devastating affects.
     In short, we would recognize that we truly are all one, start loving all others as fellow brothers and sisters of our common Creator, and acting that way at all times.

Q: You use a lot of channeled information in ATS, though carefully vetted for its authenticity. What insights are these pure connections to divine truth able to bring us that our existing spiritual and religious leaders cannot?

A: Almost all profound channeled books offer information that directly empowers the individual, something our religious leaders have resisted doing for thousands of years.
       Truly valuable channeled material doesn’t play games with our minds or wills or pocketbooks. It just informs us of our true potential, and tells us that each of us already possesses everything necessary in life to achieve our spiritual goals.
       Religious leaders want the power in their hands; they do not want each of us to realize our oneness with Mother/Father God, our true spiritual source, our true spiritual nature and abilities, nor that we are the representatives of God on earth. They tell us in so many words, “You’re a hopeless unworthy sinner, but you can save yourself if you do things my way, don’t step out of line one iota, believe everything I tell you, and oh yes, give me 10 percent of your earnings while you’re at it.”

Q: How have you changed as a person, and how have your views of religion, spirituality and the hope for the spiritual re-awakening of humanity changed as a result of writing this trilogy?

A: Awareness of my spiritual nature has given me the confidence and skills to achieve just about any goal I set for myself. I now know that I’m not a helpless, hopeless sinner who has to do it the Church’s way. I know I create my own reality, and do so. All I need do is to daily focus my spiritual self with my Creator’s guidance in all that I do.
      The most important thing that I’ve learned is that you must keep working at your spiritual ascension. My spiritual traits and abilities have blossomed, particularly my intuition, a powerful tool for living better. Simply knowing what I have learned, however, does not mean I am instantly sanctified. I have to keep working at it to continue to grow spiritually. I now better know my spiritual nature, but unless I exercise my Soul on a daily basis, it does not achieve its optimal qualities of bringing me closer to my Creator’s plan for me.
       My view of religion in general, always rather skeptical, has grown to one of basic contempt and skepticism for most sects, particularly Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism (I was raised a Catholic). I have a much higher opinion of the Eastern religions, most of which bring you closer to the God within. Although I still embrace the primary tenets of Christianity, I don’t follow its rules and reject its dogma. I exercise my own spirituality in my own manner for my own best good. I am very much in touch with the Christ within, without the benefit of the Church, something anyone can achieve. I believe the Second Coming of Christ is occurring right now, in the hearts of all those men and women who “take Christ into their hearts,” experience “Christ consciousness,” “Krishna consciousness,” “Allah consciousness” or become one with the Great Spirit.
       My hope for the spiritual awakening of humanity is tempered with the realization that we have much to accomplish, and little time to accomplish it. It is becoming more and more apparent that it is going to take a miracle of global proportions to avoid the apocalypse and planetary debasement from global warming.
        Spiritual awakening is still possible, but too many been brainwashed by “infallible” religious dogma into believing the apocalypse is inevitable. We should have been all indoctrinated into believing we are all God’s children, that we all worship the same Creator, and that to harm any of God’s children or Her creations in any way is wrong.

Q: What comes next? Do you have future books or projects planned?

A: Yes. A major publisher challenged me to write a “spiritual novel” incorporating all the evidence I present in ATS2. That challenge was given to me on Friday at a luncheon. On Monday morning, I awoke from a lucid dream revealing a wonderful plot line to achieve that challenge. Now I have to write it. I also plan a stripped-down mass-market version of ATS2 entitled “Soul Theft: How The Church Seized Your Spiritual Nature” and a condensed version of ATS that incorporates all three books. I also have a few other possible projects, including a 26-week newspaper course on personal spirituality, and a 24-week college-level internet course based on the ATS trilogy.

More Information:
• Review of Awakening The Soul – Book 3
• Excerpt of Awakening The Soul – Book 3
• Review of Awakening The Soul – Book 2
• Earlier Interview with Bill Missett