Costume drama

All my life I have owned dogs, and I know the unconditional love I receive from them is like a healing energy. Being with my waggy friends fills me with vitality and high spirits.

Of course you don’t need a budget of millions to recreate history. The whole production crew is in your head – your imagination.

Sometimes when I meditate, I imagine myself walking through history. Perhaps I am remembering a past life: I picture the stiff dark clothes of a Victorian gentleman, the tight leather shoes and the silk hat. Or I see myself in scarlet doublet and hose, with a sword at my belt and a magnificent codpiece.

I focus on the people that I meet, and their clothes, down to the smallest detail. In my mind, I dress my wife in gorgeous satins and furs, as she sweeps on my arm into a royal ball in the court of St Petersburg. I am wearing a splendid military uniform, ranks of medals on my breast to tell of the campaigns I have fought and won.

Meditation can certainly be about blending your consciousness with the vast oneness of the universe, but it can also be a tool to reinforce self-esteem and ambition. Above all, it must be fun – when your mind is happy, your whole body will be relaxed.

My imaginary adventures in Victorian England have led me to write a play, set in 1874, called The Ghost Stripped Bare. It’s based on the real-life love affair between the scientist William Crookes and a spirit apparition, Katie King, who materialised at seances. I’ll tell you more when it reaches the stage.