Here's a good excercise. Works well for me while walking. A thought arises and I immediately tell myself, "I don't HAVE to thing about this now." Then I go back to looking at the trees on my walk. Another thought presents and I say the same thing to myself. And so on. At some point on my walk I realize that I just feel good because I haven't been thinking about anything beyond it's initial arising and my letting it go. Sure, there's a time to go deep into particular thoughts on things...but NOT all the time, compulsively! You CAN do this and the more you practice, like anything, the better you get. If just feeling better in your own skin more often is what you want, then practice not thinking about things that you don't have to think about...which really are most things that your mind automatically brings up for you to run with. You do not have to run with any thought. YOU choose what to think about and when. Getting good at this is really also quite thrilling because it's empowering to be in control of your mind in this way. We like being in control of our hands when we cook, our eyes when sightseeing. Our bodies when walking around. So why not be in control of what and when to think about something? It's really not that hard! Try it, you'll like it!

Sam is getting better and better at explaining the lack of self. He really nailed it with this one.

I can't express how grateful I am for having someone reasonable like Sam Harris explaining all of this without all the spiritual blather. Just from a scientific point of view. I am a really really big fan of him.

"being able to drop your anxiety is a like a superpower".

I listen to sam harris meditation every day, and I have slowly gone from non-understanding of the self to having longer and longer spans of awareness. Love it. Thanks for posting this

Every day being the new worst day in my life lead me to meditation (and Sam).

what an incredibly clear description of what meditation is all about! Sam Harris is the man! Not cause he's some kind of genius (he didn't uncover all this information by himself), but his ability to communicate in a way that makes sense is far beyond what most others can do. I could've spent years reading cryptic buddhist texts and hardly feel like im gettin anywhere. thanks for the upload.

I listened to this while I work construction in the sun. So my suffering is spiced with philosophy.

Sam Harris' talks on mindfulness and meditation remind me very much of Alan Watts' talks. If you enjoy Sam Harris, you're guaranteed to enjoy Alan Watts' wisdom.

"Your life has a character of a kind of long emergency" - Sam Harris. Wow! That is so true and something I've come to realise about myself in the past year after being hit with a terrible panic attack. It dawned on me that I was (in the background of my mind) worrying CONSTANTLY. I became aware of this subtle panic that was (and always has been as far as I can remember) always present...bugging me. After spending some time meditating, it's like this sort of safety net (like a trapeze artist uses) of calm has settled directly underneath what was once uncontrollable chaos and despair. It's not perfect (but what is?) but it's better.

Really needed this reminder today after hitting a road block! Thank you 🙏

This clip has helped me immensely to understand what meditation is and why it benefits us. Thank you!

Ive listened to this 50 times and am still finding new things

try meditation. if your life improves, keep doing it.

Sam Harris never disappoints as a good source of mind lifting ideas. His intellectual clarity is admirable.

I just bought a subscription to Waking Up and have been using it for 5 days now. Even with just 5 days of practice, I noticed more often when I'm lost in thought, and I am able to go back to being more aware. There is still so much more training I need, but I can genuinely notice the difference from just the practice from the last week. I'm so glad I started the guided meditations.

This is by far one of the articulated talk/explanation on the working of meditation. This occurred to me as a very profound content as I was having prior experiences with meditation and most of the things Sam talked was aligning with my personal understanding. The understanding I had was not sorted out in my mind...but his explanation brought out more clarity regarding the same. Wow... Everyone deserves to see this information and at most understand it .

"Your life has kind of the character of a long emergency." Fantastic phrase

"To choose what you think would require that, "you think it, before you think it" - SH

this truly speaks to me. thank you. I have been very stressed lately and didn't truly know.

This video is life changing. The thought we could acquire a superpower by our own choosing is amazing. The superpower we can choose to accept is one I've never considered before as well as one I would take over any other. Sam Harris is on another level of intelligence.

This is the best descripiton on the subject matter of meditation I've ever heard.

After a life of Anxiety, including panic attacks and the worst .. Non stop intrusive thoughts... I found mindfulness... Not only has it all but cured my OCD.. But i feel like I am born again... Like living life in the moment.. Every moment... It's strange.. Like walking into the world and my life for the first time.... Understanding my true self... My anxiety was so bad I could not even work... I saw 8 therapists and a psychiatist.. Put on meds. Nothing helped.. At all.... I just can't stress how my life has been changed by this ..... My life of obsessing and panic to calm and present.... I just wish this was the standard treatment for anxiety/depression... Once u understand the mind.. U realize most health care proffesionals do not.....

The moments of flow, of peak experience. Something has caused your mind to just go full immersion into whatever it is. It's collapsing the distance between observer and observed. Once I had an adventure buddy; we swam across seaways, explored uninhabited islands. We caught waves filled with fishes and got ourselves recklessly cut up on barnacles. We swam around headlands and into caves. We ran and we danced and we climbed and we read and we spoke, a lot. We only had 5 days. But they were some of the brightest I've ever had, in the moment, full immersion, full feeling.

Pretty amazing! I hadn't thought about concentration and distraction in this way.

Thank you for the peace, clarity, and articulation I didn't have.

This piece is one big gem. Thank you!

This video was the beginning of the end of 'I' for 'me', it all started with an LSD trip a year ago where there was confusion with who I am, this video laid the foundation for a truly better life.

🙏🏻 Thank you for this. Very helpful.

I love Sam Harris. I’ve heard him describe the self being an illusion many times, and I’ve never understood it as fully as I do when listening to him explain it in this video. Thank you.

This idea of focus/observation can be applied to every principle of our life. From the broadest perspective of just being satisfied and present with where we currently are in life and not tying our satisfaction to future success; all the way down to fully engaging in moment to moment experiences every single day. I’ve been applying this to my life for the past few weeks and I experience an immense feeling of joy during normal day to day activities. I recently shared this realization to some of my friends and family that happen to also be Christians. They told me that this was the devils work. That meditation and clearing your mind somehow opens you up to be inhabited by evil spirits. Has anyone else gotten this response?

i love this. Thanks a lot for uploading!

Conventional sources of gratification are unreliable. They are short-lived and insignificant to our happiness. We need something profound to enjoy life in full flower. And that 'something' is training your mind to be more aware of whatever is going on around you or inside you. One of the best ways to achieve that awareness is to meditate every single day. Sam is the human who taught me that and many thanks to him for that

Note on the process of thinking: Similarly, I am a professional piano player and occasionally when I am playing piano now days, I have a feeling that I am just watching my hands play the piano by themselves.

This picture expresses spiritual journey. The memory of endlessly treading water, being pulled at by under currents, unaware of the shore. Suffering. Shift happened bringing the waters edge with glorious strength to stand in worthiness. Stuck on the bank, becoming drained calling to others to notice what is possible. More suffering. Permission to move inland and into self knowing everything is as it should be. Peace and gratitude.

Sometimes there’s enough distance from myself that I get the feeling like "you don't recognize you so nicely set up this consciousness for yourself long before. Don't you remember?" I never believed in the eternal soul especially since I read JH Newman talking about the notional and real understanding, which actually served to make me more skeptical of all of the various types of “mental gymnastics” (sadhguru’s term) or the mental exercises sam harris talks about from buddhism, unless I could corroborate them experientially. It’s true that I’ve amassed my brain at this moment which is for me ‘this’, like my awareness itself. Now it’s night and music is playing so maybe part of it is it's eternally loving insight permeating and I unknowingly am lulled past the boundary to where I can connect to another person and be them temporarily, or to the ‘eternal soul’ which is ambiguous in regards to embodiment. That or the music, so sincere in itself, was sweetening me and tuning my mind to a pitch too high for subtle inflections to be verified, a pitch also where religious language comes out in psychotic bricolage. It’s hard to say, there a belief formed out of a state that was more ecstatic and considerate than my normal though, so for that reason I believe it now too.

🔥”A sense of self is a product of not seeing a thought as a thought arising in a larger condition of consciousness or the mind. And meditation training is a way of recognizing the prior condition in which thoughts and sensations and everything else arises. At a certain point you can notice thoughts themselves arise and not be anymore identified with the thoughts in your head as my voice.”🔥

And yet people would label Sam as someone who doesn't understand the usefulness of spirituality, mediation etc. yet Sam is probably the most "spirituality" Atheist in the world.He understands this better that most religious people

An interesting exercise to try, while meditating, start taking away body parts and ask yourself if you are still you. For example, take away your legs and ask yourself if you had no legs, are you still you? Then start taking everything else away until you get to your head. Ask yourself, if you only had your mind, are you still you? Most of us feel the “self” is somewhere in the mind. Finally, take away your head and ask yourself, are you still you? For a split second you will see it, the you that’s aware of the thinking, before the ego quickly covers it back up. Shuts the curtains, so to speak. It’s freaky

The doubt of self is the journey to ourselves. Our understanding in our midst

Pretty sure this video will change my life

Sam Harris always gives such great insights 👏

Thank you! I just loved hearing these thoughts. Sam Harris is so articulate and this is something that is reaching to me, eventhough I still feel far away from an ability to meditate and see beyond my suffering and ego. I was lying down, feeling my chronic ache and kinda softly listening to this clip. I certainly want to hear more. You have my subscription of course!

Seriously so great.

Wow, that was amazing.

Great...explained very well

Free will is the basis of our decision making , sometimes we find intense comfort in possessing the ability to make the wrong decision in peace without responsibility . It at times feels like a blanket of warmth on the stomach . We are so happy to not be bothered by responsibility that we succumb to its nature (the warm feeling of irresponsibility ) . Of course we have the ability to redirect our path , but that path now seems like it’s lacking in love , even though it’s the right path . This is a reality of our lesser desires . We must train in the art of contrary action if we want anything worthwhile in the type of power that is available . The goal for me is feeling contentment as well as loving ability to make YOUR life better through my words I choose to share with you , even if it’s just for entertainment. Empty your cup so God can fill it . If you empty your cup for the dark so to speak ( porn, drugs, egotistical indoctrination of others ) you just bring yourself farther from the path of enlightenment. Atheism needs to feel as though they are helping people , but when the atheist tries to help someone through misguided indoctrination , it’s all about ME (them) and self gratification. If a godly man tries to share wisdom with you it’s because he knows it will help and wants to see it work in your life and bring you inspired understanding of the struggles we face, and how to learn to genuinely love the struggle or obstacle. Atheism and its advice can only bring you a superior attitude and fashion sense . The “atheist” learns to meditate ... why is he meditating and what does that look like ? He draws his thoughts and “power” to let go of thought from somewhere. He closes his eyes and thinks of self. I choose to meditate with my eyes open . I meditate on the surrounding shapes , I think about the life that built the shapes, the angles that make up the geometry, the space in between , the stability of my elbows on my thighs to my shoulders to the structure of my head and the feeling of stability . My thoughts yearn for Jesus to help me pivot mentally , without my permission so to speak because it literally yearns for the power of the pivot.

Thank you.

never thought of it in this way

Where is this from? I listen to all his (free) podcasts. But I do miss bits when t noise at work drowns it out. So every time I hear anything new from Sam, I wonder if it is a part of a podcast that was drowned out or if it is something entirely different.

I love when he says “eh I meaaan eh I meaan”

In his younger days Sam hung around Papaji for a few years! Sam even said that Papaji was the most unique human being he has ever come across! Its near the end of the Darren Brown podcast.

Identification is the term harris should use. Getting identified with thoughts brings suffering..

You are you before recognition

thank you

Best way to control your emotions is to not care. Best way to get people to hate you, is to not care.

Amazing.

Thanks for sharing! What's the painting?? Where's it from?? :)

“The practice of non-distraction.” ‼️Boom‼️

Sam harris could possibly be the only one able to explain a psychedelic trip

We are the universe experiencing itself

I thought about this a few days ago.

When my body feels well, my mind feels well.

Sam Harris going balls deep.

From one perspective only doubt moves anything. And all that moves, moves away.

I`m from Eastern Europe. All my life my parents and friends and most of the people I met always bugged me for not caring enough. Like, I`m inhuman because I`m not hysterical. Can`t help but wonder how much pain they caused me and how many decades I`ve lost.

We are still trying to feel what ew have already felt in a world of janism

Where is this from? I'd like to hear the full conversation

I dare to say that ... he who does not meditate ... can not be called a full-fledged person!

Okay, he claims we dont have freewill but when the brains natural form is full of anxiety, freewill is what decides to change. IE meditation and choosing not to have anxiety

Does anybody know the artist of the painting in the thumbnail of this video? It is a painting of the Buddha under the bodhi tree. I really like it.

far 2much scalpel looks into this topic. Bottom line: be IN the present much as you can and attempt throughout ur life to quiet the Self and mental dictation our minds suffer us with. Then remember the ol' cliche which goes: 'before I was enlightened I was depressed. During my path to enlightenment, I was depressed. And when I became enlightened, I was STILL depressed.' Period. Peace and good luck on the path.

Very interesting video. Got me thinking. I think that if you can learn to separate how you attach to your thoughts you can alter the emotions that are evoked by them, or in a way suppress them such that you can just be observant. I think that is easier said than done though for the reason that people get uneasy feelings when they aren’t truly their thoughts. Who are they?

Thats why that clan of extreme buddhist monks would partake in self immolation as the final part of their transcendence to full enlightenment. They Meditated with the intention to detached themselves from their bodies and completley transcend awareness of their senses reaching that particular point in spsce/time that non local spot of consciousness itself: The final test/phase is being able to detach yourself completley from the worst dat of your life and in the monks case, the day you are going to be self immolated (burned alive) is the day of true transcendence because your detachment From the most excruciating pain of being burned alive without flinching shows how you are not the body and not the mind. If you can face that then you truly are awake.

This is true. I meditate a lot now. And I'm calm like Jesus Buddha in traffic jams. My bad temper is gone. Not easily irritated by my wife.

It's not that hard to get but attaining a perspective outside of our construct plus HOLDING it is a whole other ballgame. I found the tradition at Drukama to be beneficial check it out.

Self is the 'container',thoughts are the 'contents' of the container! Self can therefore observe the thoughts coming and going! Self can separate itself from thoughts and remain just an observer of the thoughts. Thoughts are not facts!

anyone know where this interview is from? Sounds like it's with Dan Harris?

I had this feeling..it was immense..what was it? Sex and another..alcohol and being on the dance floor totally in "the moment" watching everyone else as we were dancing ti.."Dancing queen" by Abba..its a great song..( and this is coming from a kiss..ac-dc guns n roses fan..haa) i remember being very happy..very euphoric. I didnt have any negative thoughts..infact.. i was lustening to the words but thinking how cool it was that everyone was singing dancing and smiling. It was strange as i still think about it today..i think i even closed my eyes as i was dancing on the dance floor..taking it all in. I think i need to get those times back again.

I just keep laughing because there's nothing to say or think. I highly agree with this form of explaining the process of the mind.

So, according to what he says, does the continuous practice of meditation sort of inevitably abolish the belief in free will? Because he really seems to imply that. Mind the paradox, though, if that were the case. As a tool for freedom, meditation would liberate us by showing the gritty rereality of our inner life; namely, that deep down inside we are not free.

Couldn't have reality with only one person

Can someone please tell me what was Sam talking about when he said that we can now measure in the lab that "you were going for pastrami sandwiches" before you even know it. Is there some sort of reliable research based on this or was he referring to Moran Cerf's box?

People are angry their whole lifetimes. With deep internal turmoil firing it from the doubt of self.

But some thoughts do need attention... how do you discern which thoughts would move you forward and motivate you ? Meaning how would you ever change things in life if all your thoughts are just running through with no focus?

Tell me where in the Bible that explains the mind and thoughts in the way Sam is explaining it?

Where can I find this full conversation?

As Homer Simpson said "worst day of your life, so far!"

That spooky feeling you get when you're high on shrooms.

Holy shit I think i just felt my brain grow a little.

You should mention the original source of this conversation, so people can listen to the whole thing.

Where is this from

Where is this clip from? I can't for the life of me find the source!

Does anyone have the actual source wanted to listen to the whole conversation

happy birthday song

Can someone please cite the podcast this is taken from?

Sam Harris just after reading an Eckhart Tolle book 👌🏻😜

Preparation to do what? Face it stoically? To what purpose? To face it unemotionally? To what purpose? To protect yourself from emotional harm? To what purpose? The circular logic of atheism.

*your mind and your body^^

Call me crazy but I stopped meditating because it became too addicting. I found myself just wanting more and more. It was freakishly scary because it was so natural. Was that one of the side effects of meditation?