"Waking Up" with Sam Harris

[@Addictedtobleeps]

The best video I've seen of him yet. Very thankful for this upload.

[@christopherwall444]

Can listen to Sam most of the day..helps me untwist my own natural yet conflicted thinking..

[@-Swamp_Donkey-]

I stopped listening to anything any Jew has to say, and life has never been better.

[@miquelr2353]

​@@-Swamp_Donkey-so youre a nazi? Anti jew and pro fascism?

[@WickedIndigo]

@@-Swamp_Donkey-looks like swamp donkey is more than just a username, it’s a literal description🤡

[@terrystewart8923]

HE AND ERIC WEINSTEIN

[@-Swamp_Donkey-]

@@terrystewart8923 dang, you must really love Jews

[@honeydew4084]

Thank you so much for making this video available for streaming! Really appreciate it!

[@sammysorrentino8311]

Loved this inspiring thoughtful heart felt true

[@b_risky]

so good! this was hard to find but totally worth it

[@Shamadipath]

I love listening his explanation on consciousness process.❤

[@ovichitayat5796]

strangely, i could be confused about all manner of things yet crystal clear about the falsehoods of religions.

[@iconoclasticflow1620]

"there is a far-end of the continuum of human consciousness and well-being" this is absolutely my experience. a completely secular and unreligious *experience* of reality and selfhood/selflessness.

[@joshuaharney1181]

59:13 There’s a sound in the pause after “some stories……” that sounds like a sound effect from the original Mario.

[@vibe4394]

Truly profound. That's not a coincidence. The work of god. Surely.

[@sheridixon190]

I heard it. Skipped ahead to get there.

[@sheridixon190]

I heard it. Skipped ahead to get there.

[@anuragrpande]

lol

[@CertifiedFreshMemes]

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU ARE RIGHT

[@stoinge]

love this upload , thank you

[@haodev]

Fun fact: The Rajneesh Rolls Royce comment (7:16) was about OSHA, the guru famous for "democracy basically means government by the people, of the people, for the people, but the people are r..."

[@WickedIndigo]

The Rational Mystic himself, what a treat

[@hazelettridge]

My first experience of Sam. Left with the image of myself as the sun emanating rays of light (thoughts) and another part of myself as light catcher trying to turn each thought into a fixed story. Going between the two parts, trying to hold them both.

[@johnnynguyen3521]

Excellent comment, thank you

[@marnajackson9648]

this was great! love Sam so much...

[@JBrooksNYS]

Oh shit I was there. I remember this in NYC. He was supposed to release this as part of some waking up DVD or program or something and then he realized it wasnt a great idea.

[@tjnelson2143]

Why wasn’t it a good idea?

[@heyitsmeanon8451]

@@tjnelson2143 Maybe he thought would be better to do an App instead which he did.

[@parixitbhinde]

This video was only available behind a paywall on Vimeo for a couple of years. Then at some point Sam decided to let it be available to all I think. It's not available for purchase anymore

[@JBrooksNYS]

@@parixitbhinde I received it for free as part of buying a ticket to the event... after that I think he was selling it for $10 as a download. then it dissappeared. The people at the even were weird. I think Aron Ra was there too... or some guy who looked exactly like him.

[@jasonbarlow1448]

do i have a pancreas? i don't know. i hope so. 😂😂🤣

[@StephenEmmons-mx5yz]

34:30 An alternative to being lost in thought 49:47 The feeling that we call “I”

[@keithnichols7926]

I suppose being unable to stop thinking is a mechanism of physical defense. But I'd settle for just being able to shut off my hearing in this noisy world. However awareness of sound abates only during sleep, and returns rather quickly as we wake up.

[@havenbastion]

Self is the story you tell about how you fit into the world and society.

[@bwhipp]

For many people, religion is their connection to spirituality connected to a organized framework. That doesn't mean religious people necessarily believe with all the tenets of their religion, just like an American might not agree with all the laws of their country. The bad parts of religion are similar to the bad parts of America's history and military actions. You don't have to throw out the country because you don't fully agree with it. You don't have to throw out religion because you believe parts of it to be false.

[@daxross2930]

The universe neither cares nor doesn’t care about us. Out idea of “care” is so minuscule to the vastness of all there is. We make the mistake of thinking we know how the universe “feels “ or “thinks”. Man I bet you it is so much more than anything our minds could come up with. Just think. We popped in here. We are living beings with intelligence and feelings. This came from the universe. The universe must be on levels we would never be fine to comprehend in the minds we have. Or not

[@visalusanson]

Could not have said it better myself💥

[@danielm.taddeo2186]

AA third step is about giving your will and your life to a ''higher power'' as you see it. There is no religion in AA. In fact, it is discouraged to talk about religion and politics. It is mentioned at the beginning or every meeting.

[@alexdiamond3987]

We’re all just watching ourselves happen. We aren’t individuals were instances of primordial slime equipped with biological video cameras and storage cards to observe. Not to observe our “selves” but just to observe. “Self” awareness and “free will” are a gimmick, we’re all one big autonomous thing. It’s frustrating how many people don’t see the beauty in that. Born too late to explore the earth, too soon to explore space but born just in time to explore subjective everything and why the fuck anything. Wish I found this video a long time ago and I wish I could make everyone on earth watch it.

[@havenbastion]

TLDR, we need to replace curves with Sects based on virtues. Truth Sect must be the highest in the land. There must also be a secular organisation - The Inner Journey, to combine all the psychologically beneficial aspects of all religions, all psychedelics, and all counselling services

[@Elaine-tk7nx]

Fascinating. His ideas are profound and I don't think I can understand them all. But, about this question of self talk (got me thinking, ha ha!). As he says, it must serve a purpose. We can encourage ourselves as well as it being a source of suffering. But does it not have an evolutionary root, ie human beings need to talk to others became internalised as social groups developed.

[@Jeanette1022]

What year is this from?

[@dipper888bp]

Is there a way to listen to the music on the app without the talking?

[@bereketbessie9616]

57:50

[@moonman5543]

I can agree with much of what he says about religions, but he talks about being awake, but still sees things in dualities.

[@QueGolazo30]

What are some things that he speaks of in dualities but are not dualistic

[@Howtobe777]

You can't speak non-dual.

[@sohu86x]

The duality of the existence of spirits is an idea proposed by religions.

[@HouseJawn]

5 minutes in and sam nails it as usual

[@AbirTarafdar]

1:19:51 poor guy.

[@ADude-f3z]

Describing being “awake and aware” i.e. “woke”, as profoundly beautiful, is apparently out of reach for far too many of us.

[@FutureAbe]

@@ADude-f3z I dont understand what you mean

[@ADude-f3z]

Lately, “woke” is an adjective used with disdain by right wing, conservative, Christian nationalists to describe any perspective remotely associated with liberal, progressive ideology.

[@munkymunk9053]

@@ADude-f3z Which is exactly why compressing complex ideologies into single words or phrases is so dangerous because we all have different ways of unpacking such words. Ask a Muslim what it means to be a Muslim and, depending on where they come from, you will recieve many different answers.

[@havenbastion]

We are the rider on the elephant. Consciousness is the momentary aspect of the consciousness mind which is a sub-set of the mind, which is a metaphor for the patterns in the brain. There's no infinite regress. That's a metaphysical category error.

[@muhammadikhwan1759]

I love your doing sam

[@bwhipp]

This guys stance is good for people who don't want religion in their lives and want a logical way to structure their life and morality. However this message that because of that, religion is fully bad, is totally misguided and an irresponsible thing to tell people.

[@glenanderson6153]

Answer to question at 2:06:05 was really poor. I love Sam but he really could use a little exposure to wider spiritual practice. He could have spoken about all sorts of breathing and somatic practices, or chanting, or circling etc. etc. There are so many things that you can do between meditation and LSD! His only answer is “better drugs!? Basic breathing practice or Kundalini style yoga or Qigong get me there every time. Another way is deep contemplation. Very different from meditation but often more powerful. He missed a softball question to educate, but maybe he needs the education.

[@UncleBuZ]

I get your point, and I agree there’s a lot to explore between meditation and psychedelics. But I think you're being a bit unfair to Sam here. He’s clearly well-versed in practices like breathwork, yoga, and other somatic approaches, it’s unlikely his response came from ignorance. My guess is that he tailored his answer to fit the context and his audience, staying aligned with his focus on pragmatic, scientifically grounded approaches. Just because he emphasized psychedelics doesn’t mean he’s dismissing other methods, but rather that he finds them uniquely effective for people who might struggle with traditional practices. And while techniques like Kundalini yoga or Qigong might work consistently for you, they’re not guaranteed to "get everyone there." Sam’s response wasn’t exhaustive, sure, but it was probably more deliberate than you’re giving him credit for.

[@JJ-ds2get-her]

I really admire Sam Harris for the religion fight. But I’m not a fan of this one. He’s still my hero, for what he’s done in that fight.

[@antoniosantiago22]

Out of curiosity what do u find displeasing about this lecture..

[@JJ-ds2get-her]

​@@antoniosantiago22 Personally, I don't feel I learnt anything new. He descriptively explained consciousness or spirituality, but the description isn't anything new. And he's come to the same conclusion that other religious folks have reached, which is nothing new, that is that everyone should meditate. But I don't think I should meditate because it's spiritually righteous. I do it because it's beneficial to my physical brain. He acted more like a guru in the video, rather than a scientist. He was strong previously when he argued from his expertise in cutting edge neurology. His insight was unique and refreshing. But the field of philosophy or spirituality are not ideal methods for exploring cutting edge territory. So you come up with a fascinating and mind-boggling philosophical argument, so what? You can't advance science with it. It's only an entertaining thought. It's not that useful. I really hope he can keep being scientist-first. He's not strong or unique for his talk in the video.

[@MrMattias87]

@@JJ-ds2get-her Well he is an actual meditator and a meditation teacher. But he does say keep religion out of it.

[@JJ-ds2get-her]

@@MrMattias87 it’s a long time ago. What is the main point of the video?

[@v_north]

@@JJ-ds2get-her If you do it because it's good for you, then you are missing the point😉

[@ChristianJaredful]

Is there a trick to speaking like Sam Harris? Would love to know the secret. I sure as heck can't. Maybe it's practicing. Maybe it's speaking slowly.

[@WickedIndigo]

I think a big part is probably reading lots of books and becoming knowledgeable in many subjects. Reading gives you the blueprints of how to speak (and write obviously) very clearly. That and talking slowly probably helps a lot, he seems to take his time and make sure to pick the best words moment to moment.

I'm a huge Sam Harris fan and I could listen to him for hours on end. But I might never forgive him for using a Mac instead of a Windows computer.

[@reasonrationality]

what the heck 😄

@@reasonrationality Some things are just unacceptable ^^

[@FutureAbe]

It’s okay for laptops

[@JordanMMiracle]

@@FutureAbe Nope. Still have to buy in to the Walled Garden. Get a Lenovo. Thinkpad, Legion, etc... I'm a tech pro and they are the only machines I will use for laptops.

[@miquelr2353]

Who cares what brand of product you use jeez

[@ALavin-en1kr]

If you cannot define what consciousness is (the hard problem), it is a bit premature of talk of waking up. Waking up to what, and how?

[@swapblue]

Most of the time, you are lost in thought (like you are in a dream) Waking Up refers to being in the present

[@Williamwilliam1531]

The hard problem is not the inability to define consciousness, rather it’s the inability to explain consciousness via physical processes.

[@ALavin-en1kr]

@@Williamwilliam1531 That means it is very likely and predated quantum events. We could say that what emerges with quantum events in contrast is elemental.

[@Williamwilliam1531]

⁠@@ALavin-en1kr the (potentially temporary) failure of physical processes to exhaustively explain the existence of conscious experiences is deeply inadequate to conclude that consciousness precedes quantum events. That’s like saying - because no description of the atmosphere today can tell you whether or not it will be raining here on this day ten years from now, weather patterns are fundamental and must precede quantum events. No one could ever prove you wrong in either case, and if you were right it would change nothing about our mechanistic understanding of the world, nor would the revelation be able to make predictions about the future. So believe that if you like, but it’s an untestable, predictively inert hypothesis that seriously lacks good evidence for its truth

[@ALavin-en1kr]

Waking up would likely mean not seeing the elements and forces as not fundamental to reality, just to physical reality. In physical reality could be included anything that is elemental and that likely would include mind; all forces; all elements. It would be whatever emerged with quantum events. What did not emerge with quantum events but predated them would be fundamental. The only thing that would fit that description would be consciousness. As it cannot be reduced or measured, is not elemental, or owes any debt to the elemental it must predate it. The elemental creating the non-elemental would not make sense, out of what would it create it?

[@QLHeal]

Sam Harris has apparently never studied with legitimate qi gong masters. It is indeed possible to develop awareness of organs. Makes some great points though.

[@cymatti]

You can build awareness of your liver and spleen, pancreas, thyroid?

[@JordanMMiracle]

@@cymatti We know it can go as far as the heart, possibly lungs, possibly others. There was that great study done with the monks who were put in a freezer (willingly, obviously), and were able to literally raise their body temperature in order to keep themselves comfortable. They used thermal imaging cameras and (I believe) traditional thermometers. However, even being able to do this at all, is absolutely remarkable. So, personally, it seems less far-fetched. I think that line about the pancreas was just a funny bit of rhetorical work, because for the general person, it holds true. But with enough focus? We are only just starting to scratch the surface of what is possible.

[@WickedIndigo]

@@JordanMMiracleI still somehow doubt this. There have been many Buddhas across the centuries yet we don’t have any record of any of them giving detailed analyses of internal organs. And there’s no record that enough mediation can bring you to these truths. I don’t have a real reason to doubt that people can learn to lower or increase body temperature through certain practices. Perhaps tapping into a subconscious part of the brain that is only accessible through enough focus and effort can govern you the ability to do this. But I don’t see how you could get awareness of these organs and what they’re doing exactly other than the tactile ones like the lungs and heart. But even in that sense you still aren’t getting anything near the scientific knowledge that we know through physically studying these things. I could be wrong about everything I said, this is just where my intuitions lay.

[@AbirTarafdar]

4:14 nah.

[@robertvandeloo]

Have you studied the Bahai faith No devil no hell just a higher consciousness? it is a higher consciousness yes? AT the less, it is a better world to live in.

[@khuranasarabjeet]

EVEN SAM KNOWS THERE IS NO WAY TO QUIET THE THOUGHTS…EVEN SAM IS STUCK IN THE PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH ABOUT LIFE….THUS THE RESTLESSNESS AND ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE BY PREACHING WHATEVER IS POSSIBLE THROUGH NICE ARTICULATION 😊

[@j.a.weishaupt1748]

WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING?!

[@khuranasarabjeet]

@@j.a.weishaupt1748 why you say so ? I am calm and expressing… please practice tolerance 🤗

[@scottm85]

​@@khuranasarabjeetbecause you posted in all capital letters, which is the internet equivalent of screaming at the top of your lungs. Please practice common sense and awareness.

[@gracehillcolorado2668]

Step one > Find God Step two > Start partyin.

[@FutureAbe]

@@gracehillcolorado2668 step three > lose God

[@gracehillcolorado2668]

@@FutureAbe Impossible.........unless you're deluded.

[@FutureAbe]

@@gracehillcolorado2668 where is God? belgium?

[@gracehillcolorado2668]

@@FutureAbe God is a rational - obvious cause known to every human being with a brain and a soul. Everybody knows the possibility of a creator......... .......Except? Lying - broken atheists..............No rational man would ever take an atheist seriously...because we all know they're lying. - To themselves and everyone else. EGO NUTS! They think they all dat - and are trying to gain ATTENTION - for their ridiculous claims. PURE self-absorbed PHONEYS. JOKES!

[@gormless6900]

Religion confirmed gay?

[@ArisingAdventures]

To me, he comes over as bitter..

[@BubbaF0wpend]

Bitter at what?

[@godisreality7014]

@@BubbaF0wpend hateful toward God, whom he says does not exist.

[@BubbaF0wpend]

@@godisreality7014 timestamp?

[@godisreality7014]

@@BubbaF0wpend Esau hates God and vice versa.

[@j.a.weishaupt1748]

Okay. So what?

[@rootsquare7907]

In some ways it’s great these Hindu and Buddhist practices are secularised. However they loose lot of importance details. However Sam’s app does a great job in representing Hindu and Buddhist practices with details in app with guests.

[@Jmriccitelli]

Help Destroy Christianity , then return to Judaism… pretty ninja of you Sammy…😉

[@godisreality7014]

Sam is a son of Esau, who hates Jacob-Israel.

[@thewingedringer]

"Becoming a Fascist" with Sam Harris

[@-Swamp_Donkey-]

He’s Jewish. And fascism isn’t a bad thing.

[@QueGolazo30]

@@-Swamp_Donkey-I’m curious why it’s not a bad thing

[@-Swamp_Donkey-]

@@QueGolazo30 fascism is the antidote to communism. One creates, the other destroys.

[@scottymeffz5025]

You either misunderstand Sam and the content of this lecture or misunderstand the term fascist. Probably spent too long in click-bait / dunking echochambers

[@j.a.weishaupt1748]

Please improve that weird comment with some well articulated arguments. Can you? Or are you only able to hate without any proper reasoning and context?