#3 Psychedelics, Meditation & Enlightenment - Dr James Cooke

In collaboration with The Psychedelic Society, Amir Giles is hosting a series of conversations on Psychedelics, Meditation & Enlightenment. For upcoming events find us at https://psychedelicsociety.org.uk/events https://www.adventuresinawareness.com

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Podcast #3: Dr James Cooke   

Oxford trained Neuro-scientist, James Cooke shares his early life awakening experiences, his healing and embodiment journey through psychedelics, and his recently published theory on how consciousness and life are two co-emergent properties of the universe and what that means for living an enlightened life.   

00:52 - Necker Cube
3:00 - Religious crisis to awakening to the present moment
8:20 - Tibetan Dzogchen  
10:00 - Unintegrated enlightenment, and choosing academia over the monastery
14:00 - Experimental psychology at Oxford and choosing science over philosophy
17:00 -  Science, nonduality and democratisation of psychedelics
19:00 - The collapse of all thought into the present moment
20:00 -  Psychedelic experiences as genuine mystical experience  
22:00 - James Cook’s understanding of Enlightenment                    
 Consciousness as a co-emergent property with life - and to exist is to strive
29:00 -  Different from idealism  
30:00 -  Enlightenment as being close to death, enlightenment not the goal
35.30 -  Balancing enlightenment with life
41:40 -  Many centres of experience
49:23 -  Nondual states including being and striving
56:55 - The value of science as a gateway and grounding to the mystical
1:07:40 - Views on metaphysical idealism  
1:16:30 - Islands don’t exist
1:21:00 - Distinction with pan-psychism
1:23:00 - Organisms made out of many organisms  1:30:00 - All life is conscious  
1:34:00 - Psychedelics, mysticism, embodiment and healing
1:40:00 - The power of redemptive love and psychedelics as party of healthy human culture
1:49:50 - The distraction of visuals in psychedelics, and the healing power of different substances