Sam Harris: Waking Up

"Waking Up" is a good defense of an introspective life, written for those who may naturally shy away from spiritual language and concerns. It doesn't make specific prescriptions for the kinds of practices that may most benefit an individual. I think Sam Harris is wary enough of religion and understands those skeptical of it that it's important for people to choose their own path in these regards.

He also spends a good chunk of the book expounding on what is a reasonable expectation from those who are regarded as spiritual gurus. In recounting some of his own firsthand experiences in that world, and other more public incidents, it made for interesting reading about a world that I hadn't really thought much about.

Harris also spends a good deal of time discussing the potential benefits and perils of drug-enhanced spiritual seeking. As psychedelics become more normalized in culture, I think this is a good reminder of their power that should not be played with lightly.

Overall, I am glad I read the book, though I don't know yet whether I have come away changed. I have not yet decided to make any changes to my own routine or (lack of) meditative practice. But I do value an introspective life, and I'm thankful for a sober and well-rounded thinker like Sam Harris who is willing to engage in these polarizing questions of human existence.