Living Mirrors with Dr. James Cooke

Manda Scott, a bestselling author and former veterinary surgeon known for her Boudica: Dreaming series, shares her insights on healing our trauma culture. She discusses the concept of thrutopian fiction as a call to action for systemic change. Scott emphasizes the importance of reconnecting through community support and facing life's cycles, particularly death. She critiques the trauma culture that stems from consumerism and advocates for emotional literacy and compassionate storytelling to inspire collective healing and transformation.

Explore the journey of confronting self-repression and emotional avoidance. The discussion highlights how rigid thought patterns can warp our perception of reality. Listeners are encouraged to gradually face their deeper emotions, emphasizing that the fear of what lies beneath is often unfounded. Find out how genuine solace is always closer than it seems.

Francis Weller is a psychotherapist and author of many books including The Wild Edge of Sorrow, The Threshold Between Loss and Revelation, and his upcoming book In the Absence of the Ordinary: Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty. He founded and directs WisdomBridge, an organization that offers educational programs that seek to integrate wisdom from indigenous cultures with knowledge from western traditions. Today we discuss grief and soul activism.

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.