Anagoge Podcast

The Self, Consciousness & Relationality with James Cooke

Jul 31, 2025
In a thought-provoking conversation, neuroscientist and contemplative practitioner James Cooke shares his transformative teenage mystical experience that ignited his passion for understanding consciousness through science. He introduces non-dual naturalism, challenging traditional views and emphasizing reality as fundamentally relational. The dialogue touches on the ethics of selfhood, the interplay of life and consciousness, and how wisdom traditions inform our moral compass. Cooke also explores the interconnectedness of existence and the role of love in unifying individual and collective experiences.
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ANECDOTE

James Cooke's Mystical Origin

  • James Cooke experienced a profound mystical state as a teenager while ruminating on theological fears of hell.\n- This experience dissolved his conceptual sense of self and sparked a lifelong scientific inquiry into consciousness.
INSIGHT

Non-Dual Relational Consciousness

  • Reality is fundamentally relational and non-dual, not composed of separate objects.\n- Consciousness arises as an embodied epistemic relation between organism and environment, dissolving traditional dualisms.
INSIGHT

Illusory Self and Death Fear

  • Mystical experiences provide a visceral insight into the illusory nature of self and the groundlessness of reality.\n- This insight liberates one from fear of death because the 'self' is understood as a mental construct, not a permanent entity.
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