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Waking Up

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Waking Up

By: Sam Harris
Narrated by: Sam Harris
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About this listen

For the millions of people who want spirituality without religion, Sam Harris’ new book is a guide to meditation as a rational spiritual practice informed by neuroscience and psychology.

From best-selling author, neuroscientist, and "new atheist" Sam Harris, Waking Up is for the increasingly large numbers of people who follow no religion, but who suspect that Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Rumi, and the other saints and sages of history could not have all been epileptics, schizophrenics, or frauds. Throughout the book, Harris argues that there are important truths to be found in the experiences of such contemplatives - and, therefore, that there is more to understanding reality than science and secular culture generally allow.

Waking Up is part seeker’s memoir and part exploration of the scientific underpinnings of spirituality. No other book marries contemplative wisdom and modern science in this way, and no author other than Sam Harris - a scientist, philosopher, and famous sceptic - could write it.

©2014 Sam Harris (P)2014 Simon & Schuster, Inc. 2014, published in the UK by Random House Audiobooks Agnosticism History & Philosophy Philosophy Science Social Sciences Spirituality Inspiring Meditation Yoga
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a must read for anyone looking to expand your minds view on this world we all live in

mind blown away

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Mindfulness and meditation aren't new concepts to me but Sam Harris' argument that atheism and spiritualism don't need to be mutually exclusive is really well considered and presented here in an engaging style. I finished it wanting more.

Thought-provoking stuff

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My world view is Christian but I’m not very “religious” at all. My youthful spiritual exploration into psychedelics was substantiated by Sam’s book.
My transcendental explorations are now more like setting sail that a rocket ride.
Thanks Sam

Top listen

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I loved the narration by the author. It feels that the content is dear to his heart and it brings another dimension to the topic.

The book opens a window into spirituality for the purely rational and intelligent among us.

Brief but powerful call to explore your mind

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I think different people will take different lessons from this book, but make no mistake - it will change the way you think about reality.

Harris offers a scientific and objective introductions to non-dual awareness, a neuroscientific approach to mediation and a pushback against materialist positivism with a secular take of spiritual enlightenment.

We see in this work, a deeper Harris. A less fedora atheist Harris, a more subtle, metaphysical Harris. Following closely behind Schopenhauer, Harris wades into Eastern philosophy, banishing falsehood "woo-woo" talk where-ever needed and giving clarity through science and though experiments along the way. He then gives probably the best scientific endorsement of Advaita Vedanta to date.

This is worth getting just to hear Sam read Ramana Maharshi's words...

Must read book - for atheists and theists alike.

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An incredible passage of writing by an intelligent, wise and thought provoking author. Sam has a unique way of deconstructing concepts and he accompanies his ideas with relevant stories told in the first person. Would highly recommend!

Awakening and insightful

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Great book for articulating experiences and science behind meditation, psychedelics, and other spiritual means of uncovering true consciousness underneath the ego.

Thank you for existing Sam Harris

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What's next after waking up with Sam Harris!??
This book is fantastic and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in meditation.
Thank you Sam.

Awesome.

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I love Sam's content like podcasts and debates. this was no different. a really excellent companion to his waking up app also, a lot of very useful crossover I found. his tone is a bit monosyllabic though, and it sounded a bit as if he were reading someone else's words. overall very powerful book. loved it

Sam is always a surgeon with language

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Harris interrogates the mysticism around spirituality, meditation and consciousness in this book. There were times where I still felt some confusion, but ironically it may have been moments where I was not being present enough with what he was saying. I felt a resistance at first to the way he was was taking away the mystery - I want to feel a sense of wonder and intrigue about my consciousness and what lies in its depths, and I have assumed that it should be confusing, so that the reward for unraveling the mysteries will be immense.
But I felt that Harris is exploring the idea that the mystery held around meditation and other practises that may bring us more awareness of our inner experience and 'oneness' with all things keeps us from experiencing the benefits of these simple and powerful concepts and practices. The shroud of mystery has perpetuated confusion and blurred lines for me in my own attempts to meditate or connect with my spirituality, so I enjoyed challenging my inner mystic with Harris' take on things.

Takes the mysticism out of spirituality.

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