Book SummaryWaking Up, by Sam Harris

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Waking Up

More and more people are turning their backs on religion, adopting a secular lifestyle based on our scientific understanding of the world. However, is it possible that these people—atheists, agnostics, humanists, and those who prefer no labels at all—are leaving something crucial behind? Philosopher and scientist Sam Harris thinks they are. In particular, he argues that those who reject the contemplative aspects of religion when they adopt a secular lifestyle are missing out on the peace and contentment that comes from seeking transcendental states of consciousness—experiences we normally associate with the realm of spirituality.

According to Harris, science doesn’t invalidate these higher states of consciousness, but because they’ve historically been co-opted by religion, people with a secular worldview unjustly dismiss them out of hand. In Waking Up, published in 2015, Harris lays out a reason-based approach to seeking and enjoying a spiritual lifestyle firmly rooted in what...

Waking Up Summary Secular Spirituality

To talk about spiritual experiences within the realm of a rational, scientific worldview, the first step is to define what “spirituality” means in this context. For Harris, spirituality is the process of exploring your consciousness in a way that dispels the illusion that your existence is defined by your thoughts and feelings. Such explorations can also include achieving states of consciousness outside the realm of normal experience. Harris discusses why such a practice is desirable, how to separate spirituality from the confines of religion, and why out of all the major faiths, Buddhism provides the most practical roadmap to having spiritual experiences without the baggage of superstition and dogma.

Harris starts from a simple foundation—everybody just wants to be happy. Unfortunately, on the “hedonic treadmill” of our materialistic culture, peace and contentment are always somewhere in the future while you try to run away from the pain in your past. Spiritual endeavors, such as prayer and contemplation, are an attempt to break yourself out of this cycle, bringing your awareness into the here and now. This is the practice of mindfulness—the deliberate choice to focus your...

Waking Up Summary The Science of Consciousness

Before delving into how to apply Buddhist practices to a nonreligious life, we’ll explore what neuroscience and psychology have to say about the nature of consciousness and the mind. Unfortunately, modern science is currently at a loss to even define what consciousness is, much less to study it directly. What we can do is examine scientific conjectures about consciousness, what current research can tell us about the complicated nature of cognition, and how studies of certain neurological processes offer tantalizing clues about how your sense of personal identity emerges in the brain.

Biologically, what we can say for certain about consciousness is that it’s a product of the brain, though no medical test or imaging of the brain can point to a specific neurological process that generates consciousness. Rather, consciousness appears to be an emergent property of the nervous system—one that’s dependent on how the brain functions, while independent of any single part of the brain. Because consciousness is a purely subjective experience, Harris doubts that scientific research will ever be able to explain what it is from a neurological perspective, though he admits that science...

Waking Up Summary Meditation and the Mind

Since current scientific methodology is insufficient to fully explore the nature of the mind, Harris turns to meditative introspection to investigate the properties of consciousness, identity, and selfhood, as well as what it means to transcend them. Harris describes the fundamentally subjective nature of consciousness, how it can be explored on a personal level, and why consciousness and individual selfhood are two separate aspects of the mind, with the latter being more illusory than you think.

In this context, consciousness is your subjective awareness of your existence and that of the world around you. The limiting factor in examining consciousness is that nothing but consciousness can observe it, and only from a first-person point of view. You can examine your own conscious mind, but you can’t directly observe the minds of others, and no one else can directly observe yours. This has led some thinkers to suggest that consciousness itself is an illusion, but Harris says that argument is silly. If consciousness is an illusion, then the experience of that illusion is proof that consciousness is real.

(Shortform note: Several other writers define consciousness...

Waking Up Summary Practical Enlightenment

All of this contemplation about the mind begs a practical question: In what way does understanding the nature of consciousness benefit you in your day-to-day life? The answer is in the leverage it gives you to control your mind. The central tenet of any meditative practice is that your ability to direct and frame your thoughts and feelings dictates the quality of your experience of life and the world around you. Harris explains the documented benefits of practicing meditation, as well as pitfalls to look out for. He then goes on to explore what “enlightenment” means in a nonreligious context and the underlying paradox of seeking self-improvement if the self is an illusion.

Harris cites psychological studies in which people report that their thoughts wander at least 50% of the time. This mental wandering goes hand-in-hand with increased unhappiness and heightened brain activity, regardless of whether their ruminations are pleasant or unpleasant. On the other hand, studies on focused attention show reduction in stress, improved cognitive functioning, and better emotional regulation.

(Shortform note: More recent studies than the ones referenced by Harris reveal a middle...

Shortform Exercise: Are You an Illusion?

While Harris’s other writings question the validity of religion and the existence of God, in Waking Up he asks you to question whether your individual sense of selfhood is real or illusory. Whether or not you agree with his argument, take a moment to contemplate the basis of your feelings of identity.

Assuming that the conscious workings of your brain are the product of unconscious neurological processes, how much do you feel that you’re actually in control of your thoughts, feelings, and inner motivations? Have you ever had a thought or feeling that took you by surprise and that you couldn’t explain? In retrospect, what might have triggered it?