Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion

Sam Harris

Sep 2014 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

For the millions of Americans who want spirituality without religion, Sam Harris’s latest New York Times bestseller is a guide to meditation as a rational practice informed by neuroscience and psychology.

From Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of numerous New York Times bestselling books, Waking Up is for the twenty percent of Americans who follow no religion but who suspect that important truths can be found in the experiences of such figures as Jesus, the Buddha, Lao Tzu, Rumi, and the other saints and sages of history. Throughout this book, Harris argues that there is more to understanding reality than science and secular culture generally allow, and that how we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the quality of our lives.

Waking Up is part 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 skeptic—could write it.

Ratings and reviews

I believe society is primed to start understanding spirituality and self-transcendence in a way that is not at odds with science and reason. I was expecting this to be THE BOOK that finally unites these two worlds. I was hoping for a book that explains, step by step and in detail, a possible path of rational spiritual inquiry for novices who are just beginning. This isn't that book. It's less interested in being a usable "how-to" primer, and more interested in simply building the case for such a bridge to be built. If you want to know why it's possible to be a skeptical athiest who also meditates and talks about spiritual matters, this is the book for you. If you want to know how to be such an athiest, you might want to look elsewhere. The book is also a very entertaining account of one man's spiritual journey. Accept the book for what it is and it's very enjoyable and worthwhile. However, I doubt this book will change many minds. If an athiest is receptive to "secular spiritual practice", it's usually because of something she's personally experienced in her own life. If you are not willing to look and see, and experience a change in perception for yourself, then no amount of scientific evidence and logical deduction will make sitting alone in a room doing essentially nothing for hours at a time seem worthwhile. I would recommend almost any well-regarded book on zen Buddhism for anyone who's really serious about this stuff. There isn't anything in that area that a serious spiritual practitioner who's also a hard-headed skeptic shouldn't be able to at least tolerate.

Sam Harris is one of my favorite intellectuals and he has written a book that separates spirituality from religion, examines the cases of split brain patients, ways of altering consciousness through meditation as well as using various drugs, and understanding the differences between good and bad gurus.An informative and economically worded book on penetrating the illusion of self, improving one's psychological well being and experiencing spiritual bliss without the poison of religion.

I haven't read this book but this man needs to repent. I pray any witchcraft placed on any of you from this book BREAKS in Jesus name. The demons inside of you cannot handle that name and power. I pray everyone reading this comments repents. My Instagram is @growingwarrior. Dm me with any questions.

About the author

Sam Harris is the author of the bestselling books The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, The Moral Landscape, Free Will, and Lying. The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction. His writing has been published in over fifteen languages. Dr. Harris is cofounder and CEO of Project Reason, a nonprofit foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society. He received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a PhD in neuroscience from UCLA. Please visit his website at SamHarris.org.