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.

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