Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 29 November 2025

Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion is a 2014 publication by Sam Harris that explores themes such as secular spirituality, the concept of the self as an illusion, the use of psychedelics, and meditation practices. Harris contends that spirituality plays a vital role in comprehending the nature of the mind. The book achieved the #5 position on The New York Times Non-Fiction Best Sellers list in late September 2014.

In September 2018, Harris introduced the meditation application "Waking Up with Sam Harris." To prevent confusion with this app, his podcast formerly known as Waking Up was renamed Making Sense.

Spirituality's Role

Harris disputes the conventional separation between spirituality and rational thought, advocating for an approach that harmonizes spirituality with scientific inquiry while excluding religious belief. He interprets spirituality through the lenses of neuroscience and psychology, proposing that although science can improve well-being, certain existential questions are approachable only through personal experience. His interpretation of spirituality explicitly omits any belief in a deity.

Utilizing insights from psychology, split-brain studies, and philosophy of mind, Harris investigates the mind-body dilemma but suggests that its resolution might lie beyond the capabilities of human intellect.

He characterizes the goal of spirituality as the realization that the self is an illusion, which fosters happiness and deeper understanding of consciousness. This insight emerges through dedicated spiritual practice, allowing individuals to repeatedly recognize the absence of a self—experiencing instead "pure consciousness," a tranquil state that transcends sensory input. Harris stresses that this understanding is grounded in direct experience rather than faith.

Meditation and Spiritual Experiences

Harris provides concise meditation instructions and directs readers to his website for more comprehensive guidance. Drawing from his studies with various Eastern meditation instructors, he offers advice on choosing an effective spiritual teacher. He recounts his involvement with Dzogchen, a Tibetan Buddhist tradition, recommending it to readers interested in spiritual practice.

While acknowledging the value of religious experiences, Harris argues that such experiences do not serve as proof for particular cosmic truths or religious doctrines. He shares his own spiritual encounters without interpreting them as validation of Christian, Hindu, or Buddhist metaphysical claims, distinguishing his approach from those who align their experiences with specific religions. Harris supports part of Douglas Harding's On Having No Head against critiques by cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter but criticizes Eben Alexander's Christian-centered interpretation of a near-death experience in Proof of Heaven for its unsupported assumptions.

Reception

Waking Up garnered favorable reviews from critics. Frank Bruni of The New York Times highlighted the book’s appeal to Americans seeking meaning beyond traditional religion, noting Harris’s evolution from critiquing religion in The End of Faith (2004) to examining spirituality’s benefits outside religious contexts.

Stephen Cave writing for the Financial Times commended it as "a fine book" that vividly captures emerging forms of post-Christian spirituality. The review by Kirkus Reviews described it as "challenging" and anticipated it would face criticism from both scientific and religious communities. Peter Clothier from the Huffington Post praised its readability and Harris’s clear, occasionally witty exploration of complex subjects.

Trevor Quirk of The New Republic presented a mixed critique, pointing out inconsistencies and Harris’s propensity to disparage religious adherents but acknowledged the book’s appreciation for the importance of religious impulses. Similarly, Holly Smith from the Washington Independent Review of Books found much to endorse but advised that it may not be ideal as an introductory resource for those new to secular spirituality.

External links

Spirituality's Role

Meditation and Spiritual Experiences

Reception

See also

External links

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