Jake- It is so good to be talking with you. For those who don’t know you tell us about yourself and what you are working on?
I am employed on a full time basis as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and provide psychotherapy session to clients in the Mental Health Population. I have a prior background of working with clients with chemical dependence. Additionally, I facilitate a private practice in conjunction with psychotherapy and provide alternative healing modalities such as Reiki, Hypnotherapy and specialize in Past Life Regression Therapy. It is a privilege to facilitate numerous workshops revolving areas of Mindfulness, Hypnotherapy and Spiritual insight and tools for everyday grace. Going through a Near- Death Experience at the young age of three changed the trajectory and course of how I view consciousness and the nature of reality. I am currently finishing up my book “Life After Breath” with Waterside Productions and our mutual Agent William Gladstone a memoir on my Near- Death Experience and practical lessons from this profound experience.
You are quite a gifted and talented psychotherapist and teacher- and at such a young age! How did you get to the point so early in your career?
My near-death experience (NDE) at the age of three put me in a position that contrasted from the conventional development of kids my age. Until that point, like all three-year old’s, I had been learning what it meant to be human, which meant unlearning to be true to my nature as a spiritual being. Then I contracted a severe case of whooping cough. In a moment of suffocation, my body was deprived of oxygen but my soul was given an eternal breath of wisdom, grace, and clarity. My NDE instantly connected me to the afterlife and changed the trajectory of my human life. I was realigned to my nature as an infinite spiritual being having this human experience. I’ll add that this is the true nature of all of us!
My NDE replaced the life blueprint that was being programmed into me with a new one directly from what I refer to as God or source. I was infused with a deep awareness of my nature as an infinite being with a mission to be the god-realization in my interactions. I felt as if God or source was the sun, and my awareness was a panel to transmit its intelligence and wisdom in my everyday actions. When I looked in the mirror, I was no longer seeing just myself within this reality. I was seeing past the ripples of my reflection and recognizing it as part of a greater tapestry. I did not have to wait until I died to see the light but realized that I was it and forever connected to it.
What are some ways that people can live in this higher consciousness of love when all that they are around or have been taught is the polar opposite?
The first step is reflect on how much of our life is governed by what we learned within our environment. Many have been desensitized to crime and war. Many are defending an insecure identity that is disconnected from others. If what we learned is negative, we may easily create more dysfunctional human “stuff.” But if you think about agents of change like Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi, their achievements would not have been possible if they acted from the vantage point of what they have been taught. Instead, their authenticity came from putting their egos aside to be vessels and channels for truths from a higher dimension. If we operate from a place of serving others, a great value is placed on entrusting the world with insights and examples that go beyond our personal comfort and ease.
Changing the world begins with your understanding of who you are and what you are connected to. Listening to any dissatisfaction within is the first step. Shifting your perspective to that of a spiritual being with higher guiding principles will be a catalyst for yourself and thus the world. This deep authenticity to our true nature creates ripple effects throughout our lives and long after we leave this world.
For those who may not had a mystical experience, transformative experience how might they find that inner connection that you experienced and how do you connect to it on a regular basis?
For me, meditation has been the easiest and most effective way to connect to consciousness and infinite source. Personally, I’ve found it to be closest to my near-death experience because it is a gentle reminder to release certain thought patterns and stress. The quiet of meditation shows how my true eternal identity is serenity and love. In the inner world, all is well and I’m not a prisoner of the fleeting concerns of the outer world. Although something may worry me, it is nothing more than a temporary separation from my truth. I can choose not to give power to something that is outside of that truth. The ultimate reality is that we are infinite spiritual beings capable of connecting to our nature at any moment, no matter what is placed in our path.
Just as most cannot live a day without charging our cell phones or laptops, the same applies to the soul. Meditation is the ultimate tool to recharge and re-center. When I or my clients come to this place of deepened connection, we get in tune with the aspect of our being that I call a sacred observer. This sacred observer opens us up to wisdom and guidance. The sacred observer points out that whatever unfolds is not random or negative, but is for us and our growth. I’ve learned to view life as a school with meditation as study.
Especially for those like me with busy schedules, I have found meditation to be most helpful. Just sitting for a minute or two, being with my breath, and focusing on how I want to feel and experience in the day gets me into focus. The focus is on being, not doing. We get anxious and burn out when we ignore our being and only focus on the doing! Meditation is reconnecting to the light to remind us of our true nature and to detach from the fear-based world of deadlines and stress. In that reconnection where we realize we are soul beings, not physical beings, our awareness of our responsibilities and requirements changes.
A small shift in perspective has quantum impacts that can improve and even save a life. Breath is sacred and I had to lose mine to remind myself of this. Don’t wait for that moment to appreciate something as sacred, vital, and essential to our living before it is taken from you. Your breath is fuel for your life and unlimited potential.
Jacob holds a master’s degree from Adelphi University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of New York. He is a certified hypnotherapist and Reiki master, providing both classes and sessions. He specializes in past life regression hypnotherapy and provides both group and individual sessions.
Jacob has presented and held seminars with the Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment, International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS), and local, national, and international universities on a graduate and undergraduate level. A member of IANDS, he has been featured in multiple media outlets. He is in the process of writing book and has signed with agent William Gladstone and Waterside Productions.
Join Jake on FB, IG and on his website www.Jacobcooper.com