In this episode I speak with Dr. Jaime A. Pineda. Dr. Pineda is Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, where he spent 28 years impacting and inspiring generations of undergraduate and graduate students to take on hard questions in the neurobiology of the human mind. He is the author of many widely cited papers in animal and human cognitive and systems neuroscience, including Mirror Neuron Systems: The Role of Mirroring Processes in Social Cognition (one of the most cited and downloaded books in the field).
For the last twenty years, Jaime became interested in spiritual matters as a bridge to a fuller understanding of the mind. This led him to explore Zen Buddhism, train with a master teacher, and develop his creative side. He has published two books of poetry (Quieting of a Mind; Dawning of a New Mind) focusing on mind-brain relationships with an emphasis on spirituality, mysticism, environmentalism, and social activism. Most recently, he published his autobiography (Piercing the Cloud: Encountering the Real Me), the story of his journey and bridging of science and spirituality.
In this episode we discuss Jaime’s experience of immigrating to the U.S. at 9 years old, and how this planted the seed for his scientific and spiritual endeavors to understand the “self;” how Jaime understands “self” and its role in human suffering; the “self” from a developmental/evolutionary perspective; “spiritual crises” and how to harness them for growth; the neurobiology of “self;” Jaime’s tips for quieting the “monkey mind;” getting in touch with the larger, unconscious, and transcendent “self;” and the importance of self-love and being a loving parent to oneself.
Dr. Pineda's Books: https://www.amazon.com/Jaime-A.-Pineda/e/B0899LKT8N%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A004I_dLQaQ
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