Introduction

Leonard Jacobson is an awakened spiritual teacher, healer and mystic who is deeply committed to guiding and supporting others in their journey towards wholeness. In 1981, he experienced the first of a series of spontaneous mystical awakenings that profoundly altered his perception of life, truth, and reality. Each of these enlightenment experiences revealed deeper and deeper levels of consciousness, filling his teachings and his writings with profound wisdom, clarity, love, and compassion. He has been running workshops, seminars, and retreats for over 30 years, offering inspiration and guidance to those on a path of awakening. He shares a simple and direct two-step path to awakening. The first step leads to the awakened state of Presence. The second step leads to mastery of the mind and ego. He lives near Santa Cruz, California and he is the founder of The Conscious Living Foundation, a registered nonprofit organization. His books have been published in many countries including the United States, Japan, China, Taiwan, Holland, Denmark, Poland, and Lithuania. You can learn more about Leonard at www.leonardjacobson.com Books: Journey Into Now: Clear Guidance on the Path of Spiritual Awakening Words from Silence: An Invitation to Spiritual Awakening Revised edition Embracing the Present: Living an Awakened Life Bridging Heaven & Earth In Search of the Light Transcript of this interview Interview conducted 12/7/2014 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Leonard Jacobson and his awakenings 00:04:46 - The First Spiritual Awakening 00:09:31 - Awakening and the Energy Shift 00:14:01 - Revelations on the Life of Jesus 00:18:05 - Peak Experiences and Radical Transformation 00:22:25 - The Power of Being Present 00:26:07 - Letting Thoughts Be 00:29:32 - The Essence of Presence and Pure Consciousness 00:33:25 - The Paradox of Existence 00:36:54 - Playing in the World of Time and Presence 00:40:38 - Awakening into a Transcendent State 00:44:26 - The Balance between the Ordinary and the Extraordinary 00:48:22 - The Distinction Between Longing from the Soul and from the Ego 00:52:06 - The Impact of Presence in a Community 00:55:55 - Living an Ordinary Life after Awakening 00:59:13 - Coming into Right Relationship with the Ego 01:02:23 - Recognizing the Distinction between Mind and Ego 01:05:48 - Overcoming the Resistance of the Ego 01:08:50 - Vasanas: Seeds in the Nervous System 01:11:59 - Applying the Teachings in Daily Life 01:15:12 - Resolving Emotional Baggage through Presence and Love 01:18:30 - Contributing towards the Best Outcome for Humanity 01:22:09 - The Energy of Acceptance and Liberating Anger 01:25:01 - The Healing Power of Feelings 01:27:52 - Healing through Feeling the Feelings 01:31:27 - Getting Lost in Others 01:34:43 - Living in Alignment with the Oneness of Everything 01:38:17 - Intense Experiences of Awakening 01:42:05 - The Ego and the True Master 01:45:01 - Dealing with Kundalini Awakening 01:48:35 - Accessing Past Interviews and Audio Podcasts