Graham Nicholls was born in London, England into a working class family, his father was a refuse collector and his mother worked looking after the sick and elderly. As a young child he started to undergo spontaneous visionary experiences, which intensified from age twelve to fourteen. These early experiences developed into the first of hundreds out-of-body experiences. He soon began working with different spiritual teachers and organisations in an attempt to better understand the nature of what was happening to him. By sixteen years-old, he had begun assisting a prominent international esoteric lecturer, who inspired him to learn and practice a range of new spiritual disciplines.

At sixteen he became vegetarian having already committed himself to abstain from tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs at the age of just ten years old.  A few years later he traveled to India for the first time and explored the practice of yoga and came into contact with Jainism, which left a lasting impression on him.

Out of a desire to express his ideas Graham decided that art may be an avenue that would accommodate him; he decided to apply to art school and despite having no formal qualifications was accepted to Central St. Martins College in London; becoming the first in his family to go to university. While still studying he gave his first public lecture on a metaphysical topic at Oxford Town Hall, aged just twenty-two. The following year he was given his first solo art exhibition, which took place in Soho, New York City, USA. 

Graham's artistic projects are actually multi-sensory environments that use audio recordings to take the participants on inner meditative journeys. Immersing them in a powerful and unique experience. Many participants have described being deeply moved by these hypnotic experiences. In May, 2004 he created a new kind of immersive environment using Virtual Reality computer technology called The Living Image, which was displayed at London’s Science Museum. The project was designed to take the viewer into a psychological state akin to meditation or trance. The Living Image as well as much of his work has received praise in the press, including the BBC, the Telegraph and Time Out as well as other magazines and websites. 

In his mid to late twenties Graham continued to have and explore spiritual experiences and began to develop a practical philosophy. This philosophy is based upon direct experiences with two psychological levels, one of which became known to him as Shah, the other as Mai. It was through these Shah and Mai perceptions that he started to become aware of a major shift in his practices and relationships to others and the world. He has described it as being like a growth of compassion, akin to descriptions in many of the worlds religions. At this time he also underwent the most intense experiences of his adult life, some of which appeared to include precognitive perceptions. These experiences have given him a basis to explore areas such as parapsychology in an attempt to rationally examine what parapsychologists term psi phenomena.

He is currently working on a book that explores his many experiences and the philosophy they have inspired. The book is a rational exploration of his experiences and engages with the social and psychological factors within him. This he hopes will help overcome the stigma and sometimes hostile reactions that psi or 'psychic' phenomena can evoke in its critics.

The Shahmai Network is a first step towards helping others to understand and explore their own psychical and spiritual experiences in a balanced, rational and life-affirming way.

Graham Nicholls is also available for lectures, workshops and private sessions, please contact us for more information.

 

Copyright © 2009 Graham E. Nicholls, all rights reserved.