Goodreads Rating: Average rating 3.6
U.S. Trade Paperback book, 296 pages, $15.99
U.S. Trade Hardcover book, 282 pages, $24.00
Kindle eBook, 298 pages, Available instantly, $6.00
Gloria Rising
The Secret of Hope
Based on chilling true events, Gloria Rising is a psychological and supernatural masterpiece that explores the fragile line between madness and enlightenment. Her nightmares have a message. And her hand is writing it down—but the truth written by her unconscious mind defies reality itself.
No one thing curses a person to take their life. Even though sometimes it looks that way. It’s the feeling of hopelessness that is destructive. The feeling that nothing will ever change for the better. Now, I’m going to share a secret with you that I use. There’s a place in every one of us that knows things will get better. It’s a place where the real part of us hides. Whenever we’re sad or scared, we just have to keep the outside sounds away so we can hear. If you listen very well and carefully, the promise for tomorrow will come on the whisper from inside you. That place is the place of hope.
Gloria’s Helper
Linden’s novel, Gloria Rising, is a gripping psychological and supernatural novel that reflects the real-life experience he and Bea Hudson, his co-author, shared. Linden chose that he, as protagonist Dr. Adam Jaxon, and Bea, as Gloria, would give Gloria Rising creative freedom while still capturing its emotional truth and reality.
A fascinating narrative exploring themes of hope, survival, the complexities of the human psyche, and the astonishing reality of a spirit guide who comes to help heal Gloria. Resilience, inner strength, and the transformative power of love and understanding are the novel’s major themes.
Dr. Adam Jaxon is confronted by Gloria’s baffling array of psychiatric disorders and symptoms, and dangerous sleepwalking episodes. Even more bewildering is the unexpected appearance of a divine presence during Gloria’s hypnotherapy sessions that claims to have come to help Gloria, to watch over her, and to help guide Dr. Jaxon’s hypnotherapy. An astounding turn of events that unnerves the usually unflappable Dr. Jaxon and forces him to reconsider his own metaphysical understanding and psychological grip on reality. Dr. Jaxon’s beliefs about reality and the nature of existence will be profoundly tested and later reset when the mysterious and omniscient being reveals its astonishing identity.
Legendary hypnotherapist Dr. Adam Jaxon has spent his career navigating the darkest corners of the human mind. But nothing prepares him for Gloria. Plagued by escalating madness and fracturing reality, Gloria is a patient on the absolute brink. To save her, Dr. Jaxon must use deep hypnosis to bypass her conscious defenses and pull her back from the edge. But what speaks from the depths of Gloria’s subconscious isn’t just trauma. It is something else entirely.
Under a deep trance, Gloria’s hand begins to move automatically, penning heart-wrenching letters that expose a childhood of indescribable terror. Yet, as the letters unravel the puzzle of her past, they also reveal a truth that defies the laws of modern psychiatry and modern science.
The automatic writings open a door of perception to a higher consciousness—and a supernatural mystery that helps Gloria face a terrifying truth hidden in her nightmares. Now, doctor and patient are locked in a dangerous race against time. To reclaim her life and unlock her true destiny, Gloria must confront the dark secrets buried in her nightmares. Will the truth finally set her free, or will it plunge her forever into madness?
Linden wrote Gloria Rising as a heartfelt tribute to Bea Hudson to honor her courageous victory over childhood abuse and trauma, and to celebrate her miraculous healing and spiritual transformation.
In memory of Beatrice M. Hudson, co-author, 1924-2014, for her amazing contribution to our hypnotherapy, writing, and loving support that helped make Gloria Rising an enthralling story.
Linden said, “I am a seeker of truth that lies beyond what we collectively call reality. The numinous that transcends our everyday conscious awareness, understanding, and comprehension. Following the enlightened path to the true nature of God and the ultimate goal of human evolution and existence, Sat-Chit-Ananda, or ever-existing, ever-conscious, ever-new bliss.”
A HEROINE’S JOURNEY INTO MADNESS AND BEYOND
Prologue pp. xv-xvii
Throughout this story, I have tried to stick to the facts, even when the
facts have been very strange and unsettling. Regrettably, many years
have passed since the conclusion of Gloria B’s therapy; and I am afraid
my memory fails me; so I have been forced to rely on Gloria’s daily case
notes, my observations, and mostly her automatic writings to do justice to her
story of the unspeakable evil and terrifying violence she survived. I take full
responsibility for what I have written.
I have prudently documented her ambitious hypnotherapy while minimizing
my analyses, insights, and commentary about Gloria’s automatic
letters and dream symbolism, thus allowing the reader’s inquisitive mind a more
absorbing and intriguing experience without my unwanted intrusion.
That would give you a greater appreciation and understanding of the deep
undercurrents and subtleties of Gloria’s multidimensional mind and the
remarkable healing she underwent. Simply put, this book is about Gloria.
I encourage you to study Gloria’s dream symbols to discern their
deeper meaning and for clues about her demonic perpetrator. Feel free to
imagine what it was like sitting in my tufted executive chair gazing hypnotically
into Gloria’s eyes while reading her automatic letters, and thinking,
how in the hell am I going to get her out of this mess?
I utilized deep trance states to help Gloria gain access to her unconscious
mind’s healing resources and, quite by accident or perhaps by divine
design, I made contact with an otherworldly being that helped protect
and heal Gloria and mysteriously guided me. I have included illuminating
excerpts of those strange encounters and recorded messages with the voice from beyond that Gloria unconsciously channeled during our hypnotic sessions.
Gloria’s automatic letters tell her story far better than I ever could,
while unraveling the monstrous account of protracted and repeated abuse
and traumatic events she suffered. They opened a closed door to explore
the complex inner world of her wounded child and broken mind.
Her unconscious mind, “Gloria’s Helper,” committed herself to liberate
Gloria from her paralyzing fear and crippling emotional pain which
she had suffered at the brutal hands of an unknown, sadistic and diabolical
mind—a vile, complex, and cunning person who was an individual of interest
in the unsolved Tahoe City serial killings.
I let Gloria tell her story through her automatic letters without unnecessary
narration, commentary, or embellishment. I selected Gloria’s automatic
letters over the “standard case presentation” of daily excerpts of our
hypnotic sessions since that would have involved several large volumes,
which far exceeded the scope of this book.
More notable, Gloria’s letters open doors of perception that few
humans are aware of—let alone allowed to cross through. They take you
on an epic journey into the depths of a mind under siege and beyond to
mysteries that are baffling and unforgettable.
In our hypnotic sessions, I would read, to myself, the sealed letters that
Gloria brought me and then hypnotize her so that Gloria’s Helper (her
unconscious) and I could have private chats. We could discuss Gloria’s condition
and the emerging nightmares she wrote about that released pent
up emotions and identified the psychological and emotional wounds that
paralyzed and disturbed her. We would work together to find the truth
about the senseless violence she experienced and put a face on the fiend.
Other than my initial and key post-hypnotic suggestion to automatically
write down her nightmares, which began her hypnotic dream therapy,
I refrained from giving Gloria direct hypnotic suggestions unless it was
necessary. I preferred to let our casual conversations elicit healing associations
that encouraged her to explore and expand her awareness and insight
into what she was experiencing, so she could discover her own answers and solutions to empower her. Great upheavals, impasses, and setbacks would
test our combined endurance, resources, and resolve and would test my
blind faith in Gloria’s ability to heal.
To have done otherwise—to have not believed in Gloria—would have
done her great harm. I must admit even the fact I was a seasoned psychologist
and former U.S. Army Major in the Korean War had not quite
prepared me for Gloria. Nevertheless, a broad smile spread across my face.
Despite the fact I had a tiger by the tail, I would do my best to make her
whole. No, even my best couldn’t erase the severe damage to her mind;
my best could only give Gloria a second chance at life, a life she deserved.
Gloria, with my unwavering support, reassurance, and commitment,
progressively recalled traumatic incidents and traumatic emotions long
forgotten and buried in protective dissociation and amnesia. Fragments
and glimpses of a savage and haunted childhood begin to surface in her
therapeutic nightmares and automatic letters to me. Nightmares filled
with horrendous, unspeakable terror and a faceless monster, she called the
“Other” that came to life as if Frankenstein to destroy the child.
Gloria’s Helper was faced with a punishing and cruel psychological
puzzle of a shattered mind that she needed to solve, so she could face the
shocking truth about Gloria’s childhood. Gloria’s life story demonstrated
the vast power of the mind to heal itself and the psychological value and
importance of amnesia, dissociation, forgetting, and remembering in order
to survive and heal from terrifying childhood abuse.
I steadfastly believe that Gloria’s automatic writings, empowering
voice, and epic hero’s journey will inspire you, while stoking your imagination
and expanding your consciousness beyond everyday reality to recognize
a greater consciousness and truth that links the spiritual and physical
worlds and brings you closer to your true self.
Dr. Adam Jaxon
GLORIA’S HELPER (Gloria’s Subconscious Mind)
Quote from Gloria’s Helper
“Something strange happens about dreams that Gloria has – the real world seems to get mixed up into the dreams and the dreams seem all the more real – with part of your mind you’re aware of what’s going on around you, but part of your mind is drifting and things start to get mixed up. What I’m trying to say is that the human mind has developed a safety valve and dreaming is really the unconscious mind (me in this case) clearing up the debris it has otherwise been unable to cope with on the conscious level – if this is so, then tonight’s dreams became like “a horror show” in which Gloria and I were literally imprisoned.”
THE PYRAMID LADY
The Pyramid Lady is a pivotal mystical figure in Gloria Rising, symbolizing guidance, wisdom, and healing. She appears frequently in Gloria’s dreams and serves as a spiritual mentor, helping Gloria and Gloria’s Helper navigate the traumatic memories of her past. With her three eyes, including one shaped like a pyramid, she represents heightened perception and the ability to see beyond the physical world into deeper truths.
Her role is multifaceted: she provides comfort during Gloria’s most terrifying nightmares, offers tools like a bell or an amulet for protection, and delivers profound lessons about love, forgiveness, and self-worth. The Pyramid Lady also helps Gloria confront her fears, such as her dread of the forest and her memories of abuse, by reframing these experiences and encouraging her to find strength and hope.
Ultimately, the Pyramid Lady embodies the spiritual and emotional support Gloria needs to heal. She bridges the gap between Gloria’s unconscious mind and her conscious self, guiding her toward self-acceptance, forgiveness, and a renewed sense of purpose. Her presence underscores the novel’s themes of resilience, inner strength, and the transformative power of love and understanding.
Healing Message from the Pyramid Lady
“I can’t consider you a thief or a likely candidate for prison or a nervous breakdown Gloria. I sense a real strength in you more strength than you know is there – you’ve got internal reserves that ability to cope and to keep coping. Now remember don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I’ll help.”
THE GUARDIAN
The Guardian is an otherworldly presence that serves as a spiritual guide and protector for Gloria throughout her therapy and healing journey. The Guardian provides profound insights, encouragement, and omniscient understanding of Gloria’s emotional struggles, helping her and Dr. Adam Jaxon navigate the complexities of her traumatic past. He emphasizes love, forgiveness, and the importance of faith, and his messages often challenge conventional psychological approaches, advocating for open-mindedness and belief in deeper resources. The Guardian also interacts with Dr. Jaxon, offering guidance and support in his therapeutic work with Gloria.
Divine Message from the Guardian
“For now, I will say that God endowed humans with a great many powers and forces, and some of the creative, constructive powers can only be passed on through channels of others.”