This is last part of the second interview I did with Steve Maxwell. If you haven't read the first, I recommend you do so. I'd also recommend checking out Part 1 and Part 2 of this interview. We spoke about reincarnation, his morning routine, living a minimalist lifestyle.
I hope this series of interviews provides a good summary of how Steve looks at life at this point in time. But like Steve said last time, his ideas are constantly evolving.
In this last part of the interview, we spoke about what elevated consciousness and being in the flow mean to him.
If you guys want to support us and Steve, check out the shirt that we designed for him with Ted Park, who is an excellent artist. Please check out his stuff!
It was a real honour talking with Mr. Maxwell. I'd like to thank him for his time.
I hope you guys enjoy this one.
In the last part of the interview you said that pornography is psychically harmful. Why is that?
Your expectations and ideas of what sex is are completely skewed. Those girls are models and actresses. Your girlfriend or wife can’t possibly look like them. It’s always going to be a disappointment when you have sex with a real live woman. A lot of guys literally become impotent and their sex life absolutely sucks.
I’m pretty convinced that pornography leads to cheating because people are so dissatisfied with their significant other that they’re always sniffing around and looking for someone to satisfy some fantasy. These sexual fantasies are fuelled by an absolute lie.
You’ll never attain much in terms of spiritual development, if you watch porn. It’ll keep you mired in the Earth and body.
"It's coming to the realization that you’re not your job, you’re not the things you own, you’re not the car you drive, you’re not even your own name."
People have no business looking at that stuff before it’s time to go to bed. If you want to have time to have a really good health producing morning routine, you have to get to bed early.
It's great to read spiritually uplifting books with a low light reading lamp, which produces eye fatigue and the nicest sleep.
What are you currently reading?
I like Ernest Holmes. He was a New Thought author back in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s. I also like John Randolph Price and Louise Hay. I read some of the ancient philosophers like Marcus Aurelius and his Meditations. I always enjoy reading Plutarch. Some of these readings can be really dull, but that's good because you don’t want to be entertained before you go to sleep.
I wanted to talk about "elevated spiritual consciousness," which you mentioned in the last interview. You said "that the true goal should be elevated spiritual consciousness: the part of you that never dies." What did you mean by 'elevated spiritual consciousness'?
It means becoming self-aware and understanding that this earth is just an illusion. The body is just a passing thing. It’s just a sack of flesh.
Einstein said that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. What is the highest energy you can think of? The human being. There’s something about a person that goes way beyond our bodies. We have a spark. They say that when a person dies, you see the light go out of their eyes. Well, that light doesn’t disappear. It's there forever. That’s your energy or Chi or whatever you want to call it. It's coming to the realization that you’re not your job, you’re not the things you own, you’re not the car you drive, you’re not even your own name. Those things do not define you as a person. You’re way beyond that.
And can I prove it? No. It’s just something that you have to take on faith. You can’t do a double blind study that will prove that there is a soul.
A lot of people are totally unaware that there is something greater than themselves. I’m not talking about in a religious sense. It goes beyond mere religion.
It’s hard to talk to people on this level because they’re so unaware. I liken the world to everybody stumbling around in a big, dark room, having no rhyme or reason for their lives. But some people know there's a way out. And some of those people are determined to get out and never come back. Some of them not only want to escape, but they want to help everyone get out with them.
Once you strip away your identity, what are you left with?
The observer. And who is the observer behind your thoughts? That’s the real you.
The observer is the same for anyone.
Yeah. Pretty much.
We are all God.
"I really think that a man doesn't actually developing wisdom until he is 60 years old."
In that last interview, you also said that "sometimes you find yourself outside of the flow."
What did you mean by flow and how do you correct course?
What I call flow is when things are effortless. You meet the right person at the right time and place. You say the right things. The money is there when you need it. In other words, there is no striving. Everything is right there at your finger tips.
Sometimes I've been battered by waves, and I would get driven back to shore. You can fight them or you can ride them. What I call flow is when you're on top of the waves.
But you need faith. People have a lot of trouble with that in modern society. Everyone is very skeptical. There are a lot of people who don’t believe in anything bigger than themselves. I think that's pretty egotistical and arrogant. There is a power greater than us and we’re all part of it.
When you tap into that higher power, things can become quite wonderful and beautiful.
What does it look like when you’re out of the flow?
It's when things are uncomfortable.
One time I got hit with a huge IRS bill. It was very scary. But the next day, it just went away. The money was just there, and I paid it off. So I was back in the flow.
That is just one little mundane example. It could be something like missing a flight. Why did I choose to fly at that time? Why did I choose to be here at this moment in the Universe?
I used to get really upset. Now I just realize that I’m out of the flow and I just have to get back in it. The more upset you get, the more you end up getting out of the flow. It accomplishes nothing.
I still get sad. Sometimes I have a temper, and sometimes I’m not the nicest guy in the world. I used to only catch myself after it happens, and I would feel guilty. Now that I've become more consciously aware, I catch myself immediately.
So I like to think that the Steve Maxwell now is a much better version than he was in the past. There is always room for improvement.
In the last interview, you said that "if things are effortful and a real drag, you know you’re headed in the wrong direction."
"I think living should be effortless. Life was never meant to be a drag. Life was never meant to be hard. People make it hard because their belief systems affect the way they think."
How do you distinguish between activities that are hard but beneficial and activities that are just a drag?
Apples and oranges.
If things are not working, your thoughts are negative, and you’re creating negative energy.
Sometimes, I have this idea that I try to make happen in the real world. I would move heaven and earth to accomplish it. It was too much stress. Then I realized that it was just a step in the wrong direction. It was just not meant to be. Why am I trying to do something that doesn’t seem to want to happen?
If you want to achieve certain goals, then for sure you need discipline and effort. If you set physical goals, obviously you have to put in the effort, time, and energy to make that happen.
But that’s a little bit different from day to day life. I think living should be effortless. Life was not meant to be a drag. Life was never meant to be hard. People make it hard because of how their belief systems affect the way they think.
That's all I wanted to ask. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?
I just wanted to say thank you for helping getting the word out. A lot of this stuff I came to through the school of hard knocks.
I’m just a guy that puts on his pants one leg at a time. I’m not trying to pretend that I’m holier than thou. You could talk to any one of my ex-wives, and they could tell you some bad stories about Steve Maxwell [Laughs].
I haven’t always been the best person I could be. But I tell you as I get older, I really begin to understand and learn about what was going on. I really think that a man doesn’t actually start developing wisdom until he is 60 years old. Then you see a much, much bigger picture.
I’m just trying to be the best person I can be. I would definitely like to get off this merry-go-round of reincarnation and get to the point where I don’t need to come back to this Earth plane for any more karmic lessons.
Alright, Justin. Take care.
Make sure to keep those hands above the covers tonight!
If you enjoyed this interview, try out my interview with Dr. Stephen Liben, palliative care physician.
In other words, he works with children who are terminally ill. His perspective on life and his work is deeply influenced by Buddhism. And that was the main subject of this interview.
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