Waking UpTop Pick

What is Waking Up?

Waking Up is a meditation and mindfulness app created by Sam Harris, a neuroscientist and philosopher known for exploring consciousness and human experience. The app is designed not just to help you relax or reduce stress, but to fundamentally change how you relate to your thoughts, emotions, and sense of self.

It offers a structured approach to meditation, introducing users to both traditional practices and advanced concepts in awareness. Waking Up blends practical daily tools with deep philosophical insight, making it one of the few apps focused as much on understanding the mind as on calming it.

What does Waking Up include?

Waking Up combines guided meditations, lessons, and long-form conversations to support a full-spectrum approach to mindfulness and personal growth.

Introductory Course

A 28-day foundational course designed to teach the core skills of mindfulness, including attention, presence, and letting go of thought-based identification. Led by Sam Harris, it builds gradually for those new to meditation.

Daily Meditations

Short, focused sessions that rotate between techniques such as breath awareness, loving-kindness, and open presence. Ideal for maintaining a consistent practice.

Lessons on Theory and Practice

Concise audio lessons explore the “why” behind meditation. Topics include the nature of consciousness, the illusion of the self, emotional balance, and how to cultivate clarity in daily life.

Conversations with Experts

In-depth discussions with teachers, scientists, authors, and philosophers. Guests include Michael Pollan, Oliver Burkeman, and Laurie Santos, covering subjects like psychedelics, ethics, time, and mental clarity.

Voices Beyond Sam Harris

Teachings from respected meditation teachers and traditions outside Harris’s own. These include series from Zen, Tibetan, Advaita, and secular contemplative schools. Contributors include Henry Shukman, Mingyur Rinpoche, and others.

Special Series and Practices

Focused tracks on specific themes like Stoicism, grief, parenting, or sleep. These are optional and allow users to explore mindfulness as it applies to different areas of life.

How does Waking Up work?

The app is available on mobile and web platforms. It’s built for both beginners and experienced meditators. Upon signup, users are guided into the 28-day course, but you’re free to skip ahead or dive into other content.

New material is released frequently, and everything is organized into clearly labeled categories. Users can search, favorite, and download sessions. The interface is clean, with no ads or distractions.

Waking Up is also one of the few apps that integrates both structured training and open-ended exploration. Whether you want to build a daily habit or question the nature of your own awareness, the app adapts to your level of curiosity.

Who is Waking Up for?

Waking Up is designed for people who want more than surface-level meditation. It’s for those interested in exploring the mind, questioning assumptions, and building a deeper kind of attention.

It works well for:

• Beginners looking for a clear and thoughtful introduction
• Experienced meditators seeking philosophical depth
• People interested in consciousness, neuroscience, and spiritual inquiry
• Anyone wanting to become more present and less reactive in daily life

You don’t need prior experience. Just curiosity and a willingness to pay attention.