Guru Viking Podcast Ep24: Stephen Snyder - A Stroke of Realisation - Guru Viking Interviews
Feb 8, 2020
Stephen Snyder, a meditation teacher and author who mastered the Pa Auk Sayadaw system, shares his remarkable journey. He reflects on his childhood meditation practices, vivid past life memories, and the profound awakening he experienced at 28. When a serious stroke struck in 2018, Stephen encountered what he calls the Vajra body, leading to transformative realizations about consciousness. He emphasizes the importance of integrating psychological work with spiritual practices and discusses recognizing awakened qualities in others.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Early Recognition Of Zen Monks
- As a three-year-old in Tokyo Stephen Snyder recognized Zen monks and later connected that memory to his lifelong interest in meditation.
- He interprets that early recognition as likely arising from past-life memory rather than mere childhood impressionability.
Journal And Rehearse New Responses
- After awakening, track daily moments where your behavior mismatches your inner understanding and trace their sources.
- Replay those incidents and rehearse congruent responses to reprogram habitual behavior patterns.
Expansion Is Followed By Contraction
- Big awakenings are followed by contractions as the personality defends itself, which surfaces materials that need psychological work.
- Working through those contractions enables deeper, more stable realizations to re-emerge.
