Waking Up
by Sam Harris · first published 2014
66% recommend28% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
Secular, science-minded case for meditation and consciousness, without the religious baggage. Suits skeptics who want the why and what behind mindfulness more than a how-to manual; some say it got them practicing daily.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
For the millions of Americans who want spirituality without religion, Waking Up 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 secu
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Related topic: I just finished reading "Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion" by Sam Harris and it has become my book recommendation for people that don't understand psychedelics or meditation. Sam talks about both in the most lucid way…
on “LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety with a life-threatening disease” ↗I found Waking Up by Sam Harris pretty interesting. It's a bit more abstract than a how-to manual, more why and what. http://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Spirituality-Without-Religio...
on “Meditation study shows changes associated with awareness, stress (2011)” ↗…special approach to mindfulness? If you're trying to find "mindfulness hacks" I think you'd probably be missing the point. There's plenty of "non-hippie" books out there on the subject these days... Waking Up by Sam Harris and 10% Happier by Dan Harris come to mind.
on “Ask HN: Mindfulness for Hackers” ↗There’s also a book by Sam Harris called Waking Up: Searching for Spirituality Without Religion. I found it really good when I was in the same place that you are
on “Thich Nhat Hanh has died” ↗Try reading "Waking Up" by Sam Harris. I feel it does a decent job of straddling the fields of science and philosophy, and where we are in each. Science may not yet be able to explain consciousness but it certainly can inform…
on “Google fires engineer who called its AI sentient” ↗I've just finished Waking Up by Sam Harris and The Trauma of Everyday Life by Mark Epstien. Both of these books are fantastic and really put the answers to the "Why Meditate" question front and center.
on “Zen Buddhism and Alan Watts” ↗Mostly related to mind/happiness/consciousness. + Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion - Sam Harris + Free Will - Sam Harris + Mindfulness in Plain English - Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?” ↗If you'd prefer a secular angle with some scientific background, Sam Harris's Waking Up is excellent. Reading about Greek Stoicism (Seneca's Letters are a great starting point) and Buddhism and comparing their similarities is a great way to get the best out of both. A book that's been…
on “The ages of distraction” ↗If you want just the science and the meditation without any mumbo-jumbo, I'd recommend Sam Harris' Waking Up. http://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Spirituality-Without-Religio...
on “On Mother's Day, My Mom Asked Me to Help End Her Life” ↗In addition to the above, a more general recommendation would be to look into meditation. Sam Harris's Waking Up, along with an app like Headspace, would be great places to start.
on “Ask HN: How to maintain focus during long, critical-thinking intensive, tasks” ↗It's been a while since I've read it, but Sam Harris's Waking Up might be something you'd find useful reading. He describes the benefits of meditation from a skeptic and neuroscientist's perspective.
on “Ask HN: How has meditation helped you?” ↗"Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion" by Sam Harris: http://a.co/d/bpQ6OlS "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins: http://a.co/d/2aP5Tvo "Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation…
on “Ask HN: Best books on the psychology of religion?” ↗…options. If you have the time, read some books to gain perspective, to widen your horizon. Use what works for you. Examples: - Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink - Twelve Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson - Waking Up by Sam Harris Or listen to some podcasts, e.g., Joe Rogan has vastly different people on his show. You can get a lot of ideas from them.
on “Ask HN: I feel sad about my life and job, and do not know what to do” ↗Sam Harris's Waking Up is actually a great short read about both the neuroscience behind the self and meditation and how meditation can help you become more aware of how the self is more a useful fiction than an irreducible…
on “Self-distancing can help you make better decisions” ↗…Ok, good to hear. That's not the impression I got from your comment about the LA yoga guy. > Sam Harris is a charlatan for preaching it using "his program": https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18774981-waking-up What's wrong with the book? I read it and thought it was, on the whole, interesting and useful. Obviously it isn't perfect. How specifically is Sam a charlatan? What falsehoods does he claim about himself…
on “Neuralink Live Stream [video]” ↗