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A review by soroushtorkian
Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris
3.0
Sam Harris explores the nature of consciousness and how one can achieve spiritual growth through mindfulness and meditation, independent of religious belief. Harris emphasizes the the illusion of the self and how such things can be demonstrated in medicine such as with those who have a "split-brain" due to severing of proper communication channels between the two brain hemispheres and that what one side of their body does may be to satiate the desires of one side of the brain while the other side has no idea what was going on or at least why it happened.
Harris also touches on the interplay of consciousness and the brain, the potential benefits of psychedelics in spiritual practice, and the importance of understanding spirituality within a scientific framework. Taking all of this together he leans towards the thesis that dissatisfaction in life stems from our failure to recognize and accept the above-mentioned realizations.
Perhaps on two occasions in the book practical meditation techniques are provided to help readers become more aware of their moment-to-moment experiences, thereby reducing suffering and increasing well-being. However, this book was mostly theory than "putting things into action", unlike his Waking Up app which is daily meditations. There was a lot of "fluff" for 30% of the book so don't feel obliged to read every paragraph. Just look for the central theses and read through the ones that may surprise you. For me, it was the LSD trips he was talking about that intrigued me, though he "recommends" it:
The way he described them makes me want to stay away from the drug as much as possible haha.
At least he caveated all of this as being inappropriate for people who are already in a mental state where this would be inappropriate, like being someone living with schizophrenia, but I think he should have also dispersed these caveats again close to or inside the parts I quoted above so as to not sound like he is completely contradicting his caveats.
Harris also touches on the interplay of consciousness and the brain, the potential benefits of psychedelics in spiritual practice, and the importance of understanding spirituality within a scientific framework. Taking all of this together he leans towards the thesis that dissatisfaction in life stems from our failure to recognize and accept the above-mentioned realizations.
Perhaps on two occasions in the book practical meditation techniques are provided to help readers become more aware of their moment-to-moment experiences, thereby reducing suffering and increasing well-being. However, this book was mostly theory than "putting things into action", unlike his Waking Up app which is daily meditations. There was a lot of "fluff" for 30% of the book so don't feel obliged to read every paragraph. Just look for the central theses and read through the ones that may surprise you. For me, it was the LSD trips he was talking about that intrigued me, though he "recommends" it:
"I have two daughters who will one day take drugs. Of course, I will do everything in my power to see that they choose their drugs wisely, but a life lived entirely without drugs is neither foreseeable nor, I think, desirable. I hope they someday enjoy a morning cup of tea or coffee as much as I do. If they drink alcohol as adults, as they probably will, I will encourage them to do it safely. If they choose to smoke marijuana, I will urge moderation. Tobacco should be shunned, and I will do everything within the bounds of decent parenting to steer them away from it. Needless to say, if I knew that either of my daughters would eventually develop a fondness for methamphetamine or heroin, I might never sleep again. But if they don’t try a psychedelic like psilocybin or LSD at least once in their adult lives, I will wonder whether they had missed one of the most important rites of passage a human being can experience."
The way he described them makes me want to stay away from the drug as much as possible haha.
"However, as the peaks are high, the valleys are deep. My “bad trips” were, without question, the most harrowing hours I have ever endured, and they make the notion of hell—as a metaphor if not an actual destination—seem perfectly apt. If nothing else, these excruciating experiences can become a source of compassion. I think it may be impossible to imagine what it is like to suffer from mental illness without having briefly touched its shores."
At least he caveated all of this as being inappropriate for people who are already in a mental state where this would be inappropriate, like being someone living with schizophrenia, but I think he should have also dispersed these caveats again close to or inside the parts I quoted above so as to not sound like he is completely contradicting his caveats.