About this Event
Join Dr. James Cooke at Books Inc. Palo Alto for a reading and discussion of his book, a compelling, inventive, and revolutionary examination of consciousness, The Dawn of Mind!
In Dawn of Mind, Dr. James Cooke explores the profound mystery at the core of human experience: consciousness. Integrating the latest scientific advancements with deep meditative insights and the potential of psychedelic therapy, Cooke challenges long-held views about the self and consciousness. From a transformational personal experience to rigorous scientific analysis, he argues that our individual sense of self is an illusion—a survival mechanism—while proposing that consciousness is a universal feature of all life. This groundbreaking perspective not only questions humanity's assumed dominance over nature but also highlights the critical need to bridge the divide between ourselves and the natural environment amid escalating ecological crises.
Cooke's work is both a visionary theoretical framework and a practical guide to understanding our interconnected existence.
An invaluable perspective on the elusive connection between matter and mind, this book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the greatest enigma of our time.
-Shamil Chandaria PhD OBE, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Oxford University
You will come away with a new understanding of the nature of mind and cosmos, one that helps bridge the unnecessary gap between science and spirituality.
-Bobby Azarian PhD, author of The Romance of Reality
A remarkably current and forward-looking treatment... It offers a delightful narrative, grounded in state-of-the-art thinking.
-Karl Friston, FRS FMedSci FRSB, University College London
James Cooke’s new book is part of a growing movement away from substance metaphysics and materialistic science toward a more process-relational approach to the fundamental nature of reality and our human place within it. Cooke not only skillfully introduces some of the implications of such a shift, which directly challenges reductionism, but also carefully steers clear of idealistic excesses.
-Matt Segall PhD, author of Physics of the World-Soul: Alfred North Whitehead's Adventure in Cosmology
Dr. James Cooke is a fascinating thinker, neuroscientist, and explorer of consciousness.
-W. Keith Campbell PhD, author of The New Science of Narcissism.
Dr. James Cooke holds three degrees from Oxford University: a First-class honors Bachelor’s degree in experimental psychology, a Master of Science in neuroscience, and a PhD in neuroscience. He has conducted research into the brain basis of consciousness for over a decade at institutions such as Oxford University, University of California, Berkeley, University College London, Trinity College Dublin, and Riken Brain Sciences Institute in Tokyo. While at the University of London, he achieved the theoretical breakthrough that forms the basis of this book, first publishing his findings in The Journal of Consciousness Studies and later in Entropy. Outside of academia, he has launched the Innerspace Institute, a platform for promoting understanding around science, secular spirituality, and social change. He also works as a science writer and consultant to psychedelic medicine companies such as Nushama Psychedelic Wellness Center in New York City, Beckley Retreats, and Delic Corp. In early 2022, He left academia to focus on public communication full time.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Books Inc. Palo Alto, 74 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto, United States
USD 0.00
