Living Mirrors with Dr. James Cooke

John Prendergast is a psychotherapist, spiritual teacher, and former adjunct professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He’s the author of In Touch, The Deep Heart, and, most recently, Your Deepest Ground. His work blends somatic inquiry and depth psychology with contemplative insight, and he is a leading voice on the topic of embodying nondual realization, which is what we discuss today.

https://www.innerspaceinstitute.org/

Join Stephen Snyder, a seasoned Dharma teacher in Zen and Theravadan traditions, as he delves into his 50-year meditation journey. The discussion unwraps the gradual and direct paths to awakening, exploring personal identity reshaping through meditation. Snyder emphasizes the balance between effort and effortlessness, sharing insights on techniques like jhana practice and Anapanasati. He also addresses the significance of authenticity in spiritual pursuits and highlights the transformative nature of cessation in meditation, offering a fresh perspective on awakening.

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This talk was filmed live at the Totnes Consciousness Cafe in April 2025.

David Loy is a Zen teacher, author, and scholar whose work bridges Buddhism, social justice, and ecology. He is a founding member of the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center, near Boulder, Colorado, and sits on the advisory boards of Buddhist Global Relief, the Clear View Project, Zen Peacemakers, and the Ernest Becker Foundation. He's the author of many books, including Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis, and ecodharma is the topic that we explore today. https://www.davidloy.org/

In this engaging conversation, Daniel Ingram, a physician and renowned author of 'Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha,' dives deep into the nature of self and interpretation. He and Dr. James Cooke explore the illusion of individuality, the transformative journey through suffering, and the fluidity of perception versus reality. The discussion reveals how our interpretations shape experiences and emphasizes the significance of confronting difficult emotions on the path to authenticity. Together, they navigate the complexities of spiritual growth and human imperfections.

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Viivi Jokela is an awakening facilitator. She had a spontaneous awakening in 2022 which she subsequently integrated to reach abiding no-self realization. I find her descriptions of what she calls “the natural state”, and the process by which it can be realized, to be incredibly accurate, and so it’s a real pleasure to bring you my conversation with her today. We speak mainly about what it’s like to go through no-self realization, as well as other aspects of awakening. https://www.sensingradiance.com/

Judith Herman is a psychiatrist, researcher, teacher, author and a leading expert on the healing of traumatic stress. She is Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and is the author of many books on PSTD, most recently Truth and Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice. A lifelong activist, she brings deep insight and understanding to the societal context in which trauma occurs, from the personal to the political, and these are the themes we discuss today.