033. Gary Crowley

Gary Crowley was born in 1965 and was raised in Massachusetts as a practical-minded New Englander. He graduated from Stanford University in 1987 with degrees in Economics and Political Science.

At a young age, he was attracted to Eastern philosophy and spiritual writings that seemed to offer a glimpse of something greater than the life he had known growing up.

However, by 2001, Gary finally gave up on all forms of spiritual seeking after decades on the path. He surrendered under the weight of the many well-intended spiritual teachings he’d accumulated over the years. All the study had not caused the shift in awareness that he’d so earnestly sought and had been so often promised.

The problem, he then realized, was that he had been simply piling up concepts without addressing the very foundation – his sense of “self” – that was doing the seeking.

He discovered that it is only by dismantling our assumptions about “who we are,” rather than merely describing a state of being such as oneness or wholeness, that we can bring about a natural opening to a new way of experiencing life.

Gary’s site: http://garycrowley.com/

Gary’s books:

Interview recorded 8/11/2010.

Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. Video also available on Facebook.

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Past the Jelly, Tales of Ordinary Enlightenment
  • 00:03:00 – The Surprising Repetition of the Same Stuff
  • 00:05:44 – Compassion for Ourselves and Others
  • 00:08:32 – The Process of Change
  • 00:11:18 – Insights from the Book
  • 00:13:12 – Exploring Eastern Philosophy and Spiritual Writings
  • 00:16:02 – A Shift in Perspective and Understanding
  • 00:18:36 – The True Nature of Self
  • 00:21:39 – The Experiencing of Living
  • 00:24:51 – Observing the Soup of Life
  • 00:28:06 – The Illusion of Perception
  • 00:30:54 – Quantum Possibilities and Everyday Miracles
  • 00:34:06 – Athletes in the Zone
  • 00:36:59 – The everythingness of experiencing
  • 00:40:00 – The Mystery of the Human Condition
  • 00:42:49 – Perspectives on Politics
  • 00:46:01 – The Illusion of Conscious Will
  • 00:48:48 – Embracing the Actuality of the Human Condition
  • 00:51:48 – Freedom from Illusion
  • 00:55:03 – Helping People in Need
  • 00:57:54 – The Tapping Technique for Change and Healing
  • 01:00:23 – The Diagnosis of a Bone Spur
  • 01:02:24 – Relieving Neck Pain with Body Work
  • 01:05:21 – The Distraction of Physical Pain
  • 01:07:47 – A Shift in Perspective
  • 01:10:03 – The ebb and flow of experiencing everythingness
  • 01:13:04 – The Impact of Stress on Brain Development
  • 01:16:08 – Trading Spiritual Jokes
  • 01:19:06 – The Mantra Meditation Challenge
  • 01:20:26 – Discussing distribution of the interview
  • 01:22:18 – The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment