Paul Hedderman, involved with recovery since 1988, discusses awakening, interpreting incidents, and the illusion of a separate self. He shares his personal story of addiction and recovery, explores the analogy of electricity, and emphasizes the freedom in letting go. They discuss teaching at the level of the listener and the meaning of 'mya'.
Surrendering one's will to something greater than oneself is crucial for addiction recovery.
Recognizing interpretations as mental activities and not mistaking them for true experiences allows for greater freedom.
True spiritual realization is a continuous unfolding and deepening of presence, not a fixed state.
Deep dives
Paul Hederman's journey through addiction and recovery
Paul Hederman shares his personal story of addiction and recovery, highlighting the importance of surrendering one's will to something greater than oneself. He discusses the transformative power of the principles in recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, which help individuals shift their perspective and find freedom from the bondage of the self. Hederman emphasizes that selfing, the activity of identifying as a self, is the root cause of suffering and limitation. He suggests that true freedom is found in the absence of self and highlights the significance of being present to experience life without the burden of self-identification.
The role of interpretation and language in creating a sense of self
Hederman explores the role of interpretation and language in the construction of a sense of self. He suggests that interpretations are often based on the concept of a self that is having experiences, which leads to a distorted view of reality. He encourages questioning the implied feeling of being a self that interprets experiences, rather than simply engaging in conscious contact with life. Hederman emphasizes the value of recognizing interpretations as mental activities and not mistaking them for true experiences of life. He highlights the freedom that comes from letting go of the sense of being a self that interprets.
The nature of epiphany and the impact of selfing on spiritual experiences
Hederman discusses the nature of epiphanies and spiritual experiences, emphasizing that the mind often claims these experiences as its own, turning them into spiritual achievements. He highlights the futility of seeking certainty and knowing, as true freedom is found in uncertainty and the continuous process of finding out. Hederman shares his personal experience of epiphanies occurring in the absence of selfing, such as during extreme traumatic situations. He suggests that true spiritual realization is not a fixed state, but a continuous unfolding and deepening of presence.
Shift from identification with self to recognizing self as an activity
In the podcast episode, the speaker discusses their journey from identifying with the concept of self to realizing that self is just an activity. They talk about their involvement in recovery workshops and how studying the AA program led them to see self as a parasitical process. Through this shift in perspective, they experienced a radical relief from the bondage of self.
The role of spiritual practices and the experience of emptiness
The speaker also addresses the role of spiritual practices in their path, including meditation, Zen, and the Course in Miracles. They highlight that while these practices played a part in their journey, the ultimate realization was that they are not necessary. The speaker emphasizes the recognition of the emptiness or the 'what's not going on' as a key aspect of finding freedom. They describe this emptiness as permeating everything and leading to a sense of witnessing what is happening without being identified with it.
Paul has been involved with the recovery community since 1988 and has been leading workshops and holding talks for 18 years.
He has been assisting those with addiction problems for many years. The 12-step program has some very potent ‘pointers’, which have assisted a few to go beyond the 12 steps.
Paul is unwavering in his teaching. His very direct, uncompromising pointing doesn't provide a refuge for entrenched conditioning and the sense of separateness, no matter how convincing that experience may be.
"Whatever arises in my mind, I don't let it vouch for me." "Any form of looking that focuses on an object misses the opportunity to directly be the seeing, and not be identified with the object."
Paul's site: ZenBitchSlap.
Summary and Transcript of this interview.
Interview recorded 3/26/2011
YouTube Video Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Paul Hedderman
00:03:18 - The Essence of Awakening
00:05:13 - The cat knocking over the light and the value of interpretation
00:07:31 - The false interpretation of a self
00:10:00 - The Bogusness of Self
00:12:23 - The concept of selfing explained
00:14:30 - Language and the Reflective Mind
00:17:12 - Freedom from the Bondage of Being a Self
00:19:43 - A Conversation on Repetition and Learning
00:22:15 - Childhood Innocence and Ant Wars
00:24:33 - Finding Relief in Alcohol and Drugs
00:26:50 - The Book of Recovery: A Spiritual Program
00:28:49 - The Identification as Self
00:31:34 - Living in "having found"
00:34:13 - The Flow of Juice
00:36:22 - Spiritual Practices and Near-Death Experience
00:38:18 - Exploring Different Spiritual Practices
00:40:48 - Letting Go of the Failed System
00:43:03 - The Mental Vice of Selfing
00:45:16 - The False Center
00:47:46 - Degrees of Bondage
00:50:05 - The Illusion of "Self" and Freedom from Selfing
00:52:07 - The Pause in Selfing
00:54:00 - Applying the Approach to Recovery
00:56:22 - The Origin of "Zen Bitch-Slap"
00:58:58 - The Illusion of Personal Death
01:01:16 - The Seeing of What I'm Not
01:03:23 - The Paradox of What's Not Going On (with Rick Archer)
01:06:01 - A Course In Miracles and the Structure of the Mind
01:08:11 - Traveling Light through Maya
01:10:15 - A Fun Place to Live
Save
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode