Dr. Bruce Olav Solheim on Sharing His Paranormal Personal History

In this interview, Dr. Bruce Olav Solheim talks to Alexander “The Engineer” Lim, host of AuthorStory by alvinwriter.com, about his book, Timeless: A Paranormal Personal History.


“Experiencing is believing, and believing is experiencing.” ~Dr. Bruce Olav Solheim

Bruce comes from a family which came from an environment where the paranormal was accepted as a matter of course. His mother was psychic, and he, himself, has been experiencing paranormal events since the age of four, when he was healed from a serious illness after seeing a being which his mother later called his guardian angel. He has generally kept these events to himself and amongst his friends, as he was concerned about how others would perceive his stories, particularly as he was in the academe. He was, however, prompted to write Timeless after he received a vision after a friend had died of cancer and thus did so. Much to his surprise, the reactions to his book have been very positive, and a of people, when they learn that he is the writer of such a book, are willing to share their own paranormal experiences with him.

Paranormal experiences, Bruce notes, have been experienced around the world, and he notes that the fear of death and dying is not really a concern, as we continue on beyond our body’s death, which does make us all, essentially, timeless. He admits that mainstream science is resistant to paranormal research, and that funding is difficult to get for paranormal researchers, which limits the activities they can do. Bruce recommends looking up Dr. Dean Radin, who is the senior scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), an institute co-founded by former astronaut Edgar Mitchell, which conducts paranormal research. While the evidence seems to indicate that paranormal activity is real - such as the discovery that a different part of the brains of mediums becomes active when they get in touch with spirits - Bruce points out that the actual manifestations in the real world are more subtle than as is presented in movies, albeit no less profound. That said, Bruce admits that it is difficult for someone to believe in such phenomena until they’ve actually experienced it.

Bruce admits that he has had several good-aligned paranormal experiences, which is aligned with his own personal religious beliefs and which leads him to the conclusion and realization that different people have different levels of psychic strength; and so long as these are used for good purposes, that’s fine. That said, Bruce has also had some demonic experiences, with the scariest one being when he created a raw clay demon’s head at the age of twenty with the intention to scare someone who seemed to be in the demonic. He advises those exploring the paranormal to go by what they feel; for example, if they feel uncomfortable or fearful, there is likely to be a negative paranormal energy present. Bruce notes that demonic presences only have the power that one gives to them, and that they can be turned off “like an old radio” by such means as saying a prayer.

There are two main categories of ghosts, or physical apparitions, according to Bruce. One kind is a residual ghost or haunting, which he describes as being akin to a “tape loop,” and he gave the example of Mrs. Colby, the founder of the college in one of whose buildings he was spending the night in as being of this. The other kind is an interactive, intelligent ghost or haunting, and this can take the form of communicating with the spirits of those who have passed on. Bruce then mentions that the communication with these takes several forms, such as visual imagery or handwriting, and also mentioned that he has had some experiences with more malevolent beings, such as the one he had encountered with some ghost hunters the night prior to the interview.

The biggest thing Bruce has taken away from these is that people who have passed on strongly desire to speak with their loved ones on the physical plane, be it such general messages as “I love you” to “Check the oak box by the window.” He would also like people to know that we are both physical and spiritual beings and that, based on his own readings, the scientific quantum world is the realm of the paranormal. Bruce also mentioned a quote attributed to the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, where the truth, when it first comes out, is ridiculed, after which it is then challenged before being regarded as self-evident, and that this is presently the case where the paranormal and mainstream thought are concerned.

Purchase from Amazon: Timeless: A Paranormal Personal History by Dr. Bruce Olav Solheim

Xanet Pailet on How to Live an Orgasmic Life, Heal Yourself and Awaken Your Pleasure

In this interview, author Xanet Pailet talks to Alexander “The Engineer” Lim, host of AuthorStory by alvinwriter.com, about her book, Living An Orgasmic Life: Heal Yourself And Awaken Your Pleasure.



“There’s so much shame about having shame that you don’t even talk about shame.” ~Xanet Pailet

On the surface, Xanet seemed to have it all, with a successful corporate career and a great family and life, but she also had a lot of hidden issues, one of which was that, for her, sex was a physically painful experience. This led to around a decade of a sexless marriage while she was raising her family - which, she points out, is common in one in four marriages - which caused her marriage to briefly fall apart. She finally ended her marriage and realized she needed to address her issues so she could engage in an intimate relationship in the future, and it was when she worked with a Tantric practitioner that she began her journey of sexual healing.

For Xanet, writing the book was a way to bring out some story that was inside of her, and she got the title from the title of her vision board.

Xanet opines that the reason why women still don’t live a life of sexual freedom is because of shame, which she calls “the nastiest five-letter word in the universe.” She notes that shame has been inherited from generations past and shows up in the way people, starting from childhood, are made to be ashamed of their bodies and of their sexuality, which results in discomfort when dealing with one’s body and sexuality. She points out some examples of a boy made to feel ashamed about touching his penis and for children not seeing their parents touch each other, which results in their becoming uncomfortable with physical touch when they are adults. Shame, Xanet notes, is probably the top sexual issue, as one cannot open up to sexual pleasure until one works through the layers of shame that one possesses. Xanet notes that several ancient cultures, such as the Hindus, the Greeks and the Romans, were sex-positive, which showed in the deities they worshipped and their references to genitalia.

One in four women, according to Xanet, have experienced sexual abuse and trauma, and this has had an enormous impact on those who have experienced these, but other factors also come into play, such as women not being able to ask for what they want or not even knowing what they want sexually. Xanet notes that women possess a clitoris, a part of the body whose only function is to give a woman pleasure, but that cultural programming influences women to say “No” to sex, pointing out the different messages told to boys and girls in their teenage years. She also points out the disjunction in sexual messaging for women, in that they are supposed to not engage in sexual relations until they’re married, but once they are married they are supposed to become sexual goddesses - something which is difficult to become when one is unfamiliar with, or ashamed about, sex and one’s body.

Women are more anatomically disconnected from their bodies than men are, Xanet explains, giving the example of the difference in sexual anatomies of males and females. Male sexual anatomy is outside the body, so it is easy to associate pleasure with such natural reactions as erections, but the female sex organs are within the body, so there’s nothing to see, literally, when a female becomes sexually excited.

Other issues that keep women from becoming sexual involve having emotional blocks around certain issues, as Xanet points out that a woman will not be able to express herself sexually when she’s feeling resentful, since women need to feel emotionally connected to their partner before opening up sexually.

Sexual healing is different for every person, Xanet notes, and the journey begins by recognizing that one has an issue to resolve, coupled with a curiosity about what is really going on within oneself. Finding support along the journey is also important, as women are most comfortable speaking about their deepest concerns in an environment where they feel safe, and this can be found in all-female workshops as well as other venues, one of which is the path Xanet took, Tantric healing. Xanet likens the experience of her own sexual healing as that of her being a closed flower whose petals slowly open up over time. She notes that the sex center is the seat of one’s power and creativity, and sexual energy is extremely potent, so that connecting with one’s sexual energy enables one to transform one’s life. Xanet notes that people who are so connected have more confidence and are healthier and less stressed, and that positive things and people then get attracted into their lives.

The most important mental shift necessary for women to take, Xanet remarks, is for them to redefine what sex is, other than the act of intercourse itself. According to Xanet, sex is any action or activity that creates an erotic feeling, which could be as simple as holding the hand of one’s partner or having a massage. This, she notes, takes away all of the expectations and performance anxieties surrounding orgasm, which enables one to become present to the experience, rather than being in one’s head about what one needs to do. “When we’re thinking, we’re not feeling,” Xanet remarks, “and sex is when we’re feeling.”

Xanet also tells women that they are responsible for knowing what they like and what arouses them, which is a big surprise to many that she tells this to. This means that women need to understand their own bodies so they can better communicate this with their partners, to give the latter guidance, particularly if the partner wants to know how to pleasure a woman. Xanet also remarks that women’s arousal shifts change daily, because their arousal system is more complicated than a man’s, and that women need time and some processes to bring them up to full arousal; indeed, “Slow everything down,” is Xanet’s advice, as women take 30 - 40 minutes to get aroused, and building up tension is important where arousal is concerned.

Long-term relationships can remain sexual with partners requires communication, according to Xanet, as both need to talk about feelings, emotions and what works and what doesn’t. She also remarks that this has to be a priority in one’s life, pointing out that a lot of couples stop having sex when raising their children, which means that sex needs to be placed on the calendar as well as to change things up.

To those who are struggling, Xanet notes that they should not give up, as they are not broken and that there is help available. She also recommends that people appreciate what is working in a relationship and nourish these, and for people to be curious about the many ways they can engage sexually with their partners.

Purchase from Amazon: Living An Orgasmic Life: Heal Yourself And Awaken Your Pleasure by Xanet Pailet

Michael C. LeMay on Immigration Policy, Ethnicity, and Religion in United States History

In this interview, Michael C. LeMay talks to Alexander “The Engineer” Lim, host of AuthorStory by alvinwriter.com, about his book, U.S. Immigration Policy, Ethnicity, and Religion in American History.



“Immigrants bring a very hard work ethic.” ~Michael C. LeMay

Michael has a bit of a personal stake in writing U.S. Immigration Policy, as he comes from a family of immigrants and noticed how interested his students were in immigration in the context of a minority setting, which led to his writing at least a dozen books on the topic.

Michael coined the terms for the various eras of immigration policy, which are:

• The Open Door era (1820 - 1880) - very little restrictions on immigration.
• The Door Ajar era (1880 - 1920) - some restrictions placed on immigrants.
• The Pet Door era (1920 - 1965) - most immigration blocked, save for a select few, mostly from northern Europe. Immigration quotas were implemented here.
• The Dutch Door era (1965 - 1980) - immigration quotas maintained, while certain sectors were allowed in.
• The Revolving Door era (1980 - 2001) - a period when illegal immigrants became a concern.
• The Storm Door era (2001 - present) - immigration is highly restrictive due to security and health concerns.

The United States can exist without immigration, Michael notes, and he points out that, in the long run, immigration benefits the nation as a whole, as immigrants bring in new blood and new talent. Immigrants who enter the United States move out of their countries of origin because of economic reasons, such as a failed economy, religious oppression, natural disasters, pandemic outbreaks or failed agriculture, as was the case during the Irish Potato Famine of the 19th century. He also notes that the United States makes the most of what, in other nations, would be a brain drain, as highly trained professionals work in the United States because they can earn more there than they would in their native land, such as Irish nurses or Philippine medical doctors. A shift in national identity is also inevitable with immigration, and Michael speaks of the “browning” of America, pointing out the Miss America contestants and winners as an example.

Where Japan is concerned, Michael notes that immigration is tight because of their concern with cultural homogeneity.

He also notes that there are inevitable short-term concerns and tensions when immigrants enter, as the social and cultural balance is upset in the short term. The ones who would be most threatened by immigrants are those whose livelihoods might be affected by an influx of these, such as blue-collar, lower-skilled workers who would lose out to immigrants who would be willing to do the same kind of work they do for a lower pay level.

Immigrants, however, benefit the United States in the long run, as several of these are entrepreneurial in nature, creating businesses and companies in the long term, which create wealth, economic opportunity and jobs. Michael notes that the United States has, until recently, been the recipient of the “brain drain” that occurs in other countries, where the brightest, most skilled and entrepreneurial members of those countries choose to work in the United States rather than in their native countries.

With regard to present issues, Michael notes that the creation of a southern border wall is a useless and unnecessary policy. He opines that guest worker programs can be put into place to regulate entry and that entry be allowed only at particular points. He also notes that electronic surveillance and vetting are important, and that immigration needs to be tied up to foreign policy; after all, he notes, if the economies of Central American countries like Mexico improve, people would stay there because they have good-paying jobs. Michael notes that foreign policy and immigration have always been intertwined, giving the examples of the Burlingham Treaty with China in the 1880s, followed by the Chinese Exclusion Act a few years later, as well as Theodore Roosevelt’s “Gentleman’s Agreement” with Japan, where Japan was economically pressured to control their emigration to the United States.

Immigrants have served with great distinction in the military during such conflicts as World Wars One and Two, Michael remarks, which helped them gain citizenship faster. In his opinion, immigration isn’t being viewed historically or holistically by the present administration, and that immigration concerns should be viewed in the long term, rather than just over the next few years. Michael also notes that immigrating into the United States requires the would-be immigrant to pass through stringent vetting procedures.

Purchase from Amazon: U.S. Immigration Policy, Ethnicity, and Religion in American History by Michael C. LeMay

Saeeda Hafiz on Her Journey from Poverty to Inner Riches (The Healing)

In this interview, Saeeda Hafiz talks to Alexander “The Engineer” Lim, host of AuthorStory by alvinwriter.com, about her book, The Healing: One Woman’s Journey from Poverty to Inner Riches.



“Be as authentic as you can be in your journey.” ~Saeeda Hafiz

Saeeda initially intended The Healing to be a calendar to enable people to get in touch with themselves, but she then realized that, as she did so with other people, she found herself telling the same stories over and over again. It was because of this repetition that Saeeda decided to write The Healing as it has presently become.

Saeeda mentioned that, as she went along her journey of living healthy, she would occasionally get flashbacks of childhood traumatic events. She grew up in an environment of poverty and domestic violence, with her mother being the only parent who brought up her and her siblings. This upbringing permeated her life and the lives of her siblings, particularly when it came to stretching the money available.

Saeeda notes that, within the African American community, there is a conversation that getting an education ensures that one rises above the circumstances of one’s poverty, but that doing so isn’t easy if the community and environment don’t support that goal. She gives the example of her grandfather who claimed he was doing okay, despite getting only a junior high school education, and he then pulled her father into what he was doing. She notes that there are changes involved with assimilating into an environment different from the one that one grew up in, and that not everyone is comfortable with this. Saeeda thus used food and yoga to center herself as she underwent this kind of journey of curiosity and development.

Although friends had tried to get her to try out yoga during college, Saeeda became involved in it after she graduated. She acknowledged that she initially resisted going to yoga classes, particularly as she was the only black student taking up yoga and her classmates were twice her age and could hold yoga poses she couldn’t yet hold, and could hold their poses longer than she could. Saeda nevertheless felt that yoga was a calling for her, and that, at the end of the classes she took, she got a sense well-being and peace, as well as that healing was about to happen.

Saeeda remarked that the conversation of doing certain things will result in freedom from the past isn’t a truthful one. She notes that, in her experience, eating food that was “alive” helped her synthesize her childhood experiences. Yoga also helped her understand that there was a path of moving these experiences through herself to create a deeper sense of health. Saeeda also remarked that eating the proper kind of food and yoga helped to lift herself from those negative experiences, particularly any shame associated with these. She then points out that this can be useful when coming to terms with the parts of a family’s or a country’s history that were traumatic, as acknowledging and integrating these aspects is actually what enables one to move on. Saeeda also remarks that empowering one another is important to move on, and that people need to own their actions to allow forces to come into play, so everyone can move forward together.

Saeeda notes that there is always power in the present moment, where one can look where one presently is and realize that there is something one can do to help change one’s present direction. To those who may be struggling with the traumas of her past, Saeeda recommends that they try to connect with their own, inner voice, the voice of their true self, and see what it’s telling them, noting that it takes a lot of work to run away from oneself, which is easy to do with the distractions available today.

Purchase from Amazon: The Healing: One Woman’s Journey from Poverty to Inner Riches by Saeeda Hafiz