357. Adam Chacksfield

Adam Chacksfield is a nondual spiritual teacher whose retreats and private sessions are known for their transformative power and love-saturated depth. He devotedly serves the alive field of awareness as it unfolds, reveals, and liberates, rather than any fixed philosophy. Adam first turned toward spirituality and meditation after a series of profound psychedelic-assisted openings led him to experience the truth that lies beyond all philosophies. At age 33 he left his career as a university professor of political theory to devote his life to spiritual unfolding. For a few years, Adam struggled to try and piece together all the apparently contradictory teachings and practices. These efforts decisively fell away when he came across the nondual teaching of Peter Fenner, and realized the openness that can never be captured in words and requires no practice. Adam started inviting his friends to do nondual inquiry with him and was amazed by the ease with which the direct experience of openness could be shared. In 2010, with Peter Fenner's encouragement and support, Adam started to publicly share with groups and individuals. Since then, his teaching has been profoundly influenced by the opportunity to soak in Jeannie Zandi's heart-centered and full-bodied transmission. Adam now shares the direct experience of the heart and mind falling open. In this effortless opening, the suffering involved in resisting feelings and believing thoughts spontaneously releases. The natural abundance of joy, peace, wisdom, and love becomes apparent and available. Heart-centered, gentle, and direct, Adam offers a path straight into the truth of who we are. In addition to leading retreats in North America and Europe, Adam meets with individuals, and is the creator of “Falling Open,” a four-month online course. He is also the founder of the Center for Nondual Awareness, a supportive community for those called to share nonduality. Website: adamchacksfield.com Transcript of this interview. Interview recorded 8/6/2016 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:01 - A Conversation with David Shapiro 00:07:31 - Recognizing Different Preferences 00:11:04 - The Profound Psychedelic Experience 00:14:54 - Embracing the Mystery 00:19:19 - Contemplating the Wonder of Creation 00:22:52 - Softening and Gentleness in Healing Trauma 00:26:51 - Opening to Difficult Feelings 00:30:31 - The Diversity of Spiritual Practices 00:33:46 - Allowing Things to Unfold Naturally 00:37:19 - The Capacity of the Heart 00:40:51 - Running away from feelings 00:44:25 - The Dark Side of Practice 00:47:53 - Layers of Sensitivity and the Movement of the Heart 00:51:29 - Trusting our own unfolding 00:54:51 - The Buddha's Lifelong Spiritual Practice 00:58:40 - Healing Shame and Violence 01:02:35 - Healing Incorrigible Behavior 01:06:40 - The Depth and Beauty of Here 01:10:22 - Exploring Psychedelics and Spirituality 01:14:12 - The Sweetness of Vulnerability 01:18:37 - Opening up to Grasping in Meditation 01:22:13 - Fear and the Mind-Body Connection 01:25:46 - Exploring the Experience of Reality 01:29:48 - Acclimatization to Openness 01:33:45 - Letting Awareness Do Its Work 01:37:31 - Opening Up to Body Intelligence 01:41:25 - Embracing Our Emotional Wounds 01:45:16 - The Evolution of Emotional Sensitivity 01:49:42 - Settling into the Heart of Things 01:53:27 - Emotional Intensity and Self-Love