488. Judy Cohen

Judy Cohen is a former clinical psychologist, former serial entrepreneur, former depressed, anxious, anti-depressant-taking, suicidal despairer. She used to be a seeker of Self Improvement. She used to be a Certified Facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie, and later a Certified Senior Facilitator-Trainer of the Living Inquiries. (** She's not certified in either method anymore.) She was desperate to feel better. Luckily, eventually, Judy came to see that the methods she was trained and certified in actually perpetuated, strengthened, the sense of self as damaged. Several awakening experiences happened. Contrary to popular myth, they didn’t put an end to unpleasant feelings. So all that seeking, the inquiry, the desperation to shift, was for… what, then? Judy finally realized she could give up seeking because… This. Is. It. As it is. And what could any teacher or technique give her that wasn’t already here, that she didn’t already have? She came to see that every experience- good, bad, happy, or sad- is an awakening. She knew to give up seeking because there was nothing more to get. She'd had it all along. Much more fun, this no-Judy-to-fix, nothing-to-seek existence. Though of course, she's also still here as Judy. Because human continues. And paradoxically…That's better. Website: irreverentmind.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview Interview recorded January 26, 2019. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Background 00:05:01 - The Work and its Effects 00:09:43 - Perception and language distortion 00:14:08 - Words and Communication 00:18:45 - The Perpetuation of Stories 00:23:11 - Appreciating the Present Moment 00:27:46 - The Miserable Dream World 00:32:40 - Understanding vs Realization in Spirituality 00:36:51 - Embracing Paradox and Ambiguity 00:41:26 - Triggers and the Unpredictability of Human Experience 00:45:51 - Accepting "this is it" 00:50:33 - The Importance of Attitude in Education 00:54:59 - Surrendering Control and Finding Motivation 00:59:41 - Accomplishment and Spiritual Development 01:04:11 - Keeping the Mind Busy 01:09:08 - Finding Inner Peace and Bliss 01:13:23 - The Limitations of Language 01:17:33 - Preferences and Consciousness 01:21:40 - The Nature of Consciousness 01:25:55 - The Frog Desires Water, The Physician Disease 01:29:38 - The Infinite Versions of Bliss 01:33:24 - The Limits of Language and Metaphor 01:37:24 - Finding Peace in Pain 01:40:44 - Dissolving the Mind's Roadblocks 01:44:41 - The Trap of Reinforcing the Sense of Self 01:48:03 - Finding Intrinsic Happiness 01:51:14 - Emulating Teachers and Gurus 01:54:30 - The Contradiction of Perception and Guidance 01:58:22 - Relaxing into Oneness 02:02:13 - The Importance of Getting Out of the Dream 02:05:19 - Sparking New Ideas