I did over 900 plus hours of meditation on this app. Sure, Sam Harris said some controversial things before, but I thought I can be open minded. Took a few years before I realize I was being pulled down the alt-right radicalization pipeline. Sam Harris platforms extreme bigots on his other platforms. You can hear Sam Harris saying much of the same dog whistles as Alex John and his ilk, just with more subtly. He uses this platform to just attract more people to his hateful grift. Stay away.

I love Waking Up, the book and the app. Sam Harris has given me strength and understanding. I applaud the breadth and depth of the app that he and his team have created. However, there is a flaw in Sam’s guided meditations. This flaw finally dawned on me as I read the amazing book by Robert Wright, Why Buddhism Is True. Maybe because Wright is a skilled and experienced teacher, his guidance helped me understand why Sam’s guidance has often frustrated me so much. So, here’s the flaw: asking meditators to try things that they cannot possibly do because Sam’s instructions are incomprehensible to them at the time. The best example of this is the exhortation to “look for the looker.” Another is “notice that the thought arises and vanishes.” After reading Wright, I realized that experiencing the “bubbling up” and vanishing of a thought is something that took Joseph Goldstein years to master. And I conclude that a meditator who cannot yet see a thought bubble is not skilled enough to detect the lack of a looker! I think Sam is honestly trying to lead us in practices that CURRENTLY work for him, forgetting what his meditation practice was like 20 years ago. Saying the words does not lead the meditator to the experience. In summary, I unequivocally recommend the Waking Up app but caution beginners to not rely only on Sam’s meditation guidance. His theory is very insightful, but there are others in the app who can give you a perspective on how to start meditating. I strongly recommend that Robert Wright be invited to contribute material and be interviewed in the app!

I’m not a good enough meditator (person) yet to get past Sam Harris. If you find him divisive, annoying, too political, opinionated, overrated, godless, small minded or just hate his voice then this app isn’t for you. His narration and voice is very prominent in everything in this app. There are many great teachers and audio in this app though!

I have been learning so much on this app from my perspective on meditation alone to asking myself the deeper questions. I’m so grateful for this app!

This app has been very helpful and reducing anxiety, helping focus, and decluttering the mind. It is a resource full of wealth that I look forward to each day.

Whatever suffering that you may be experiencing, will be unraveled with Waking Up. I have immense gratitude for the message that Sam Harris is putting out into the world; I truly believe that this is a gift to humanity and the consciousness. Everything simply is. There are no things nor objects. There is only a great “happening” I will say it would be nice if there was a place to take notes in the app! Maybe some integration with the Notion app 👀. Regardless, still worth the money, you must use this app.

The 28-day introductory course is great to set the groundwork for people looking to understand and enhance their experience of meditation beyond cultural norms like lowering stress or getting better sleep. This is is an app that is guiding towards the root of the issue, not the branches. Looking forward to exploring it more

It’s such a well-designed, artful app that can unlock a completely new way of experiencing life.

This is not just an app but a training school in the art of meditation and liberation. I’m from India and I’ve been introduced to “spirituality” since an early age by parents who meditate regularly since last 30years. I’ve never been able to wrap my head around the concepts they share but this app has helped me get an idea of what does it actually mean to have a practice. Before this app I used to be an observer of breath during meditation but never thought I could be observing that observer. Haven’t successfully been able to do that yet but I believe Sam and his guest’s guided meditation and shared experiences will get me there one day with regular practice. The appearance of your voice in my consciousness has been super beneficial. I know you had no option but to be this awesome since there is no free will haha but I just wanna say, THANK YOU, Sam!! Also, I highly recommend this app. Just do it!

I am very grateful for this app. I do not have the feeling of failure that has frustrated me for so long. The introductory course is a gem. I look forward to starting every day with meditation and listening to teachers throughout my day. I can’t thank you enough Sam Harris and everyone that has contributed on this app. This compliments beautifully with the Stoicism that I have been practicing for the last year. Thank you for sharing this with us all 🙏