A growing number of people are beginning to see things in a radically different way. In other words, more and more of us are starting to “wake up” spiritually—to discover an entirely new identity beyond the usual sense of who we think we are.

But what is spiritual awakening, really? How does it happen—and what are the consequences? Is it possible to attune to this dimension of experience at any moment?

In Waking Up, Volume 3, Sounds True publisher and founder Tami Simon speaks with seven teachers about their personal understanding of spiritual awakening—how it takes place, what changes (and what doesn’t), and how their experiences can inspire and inform our own realization.

Volume 3 Guests and Topics:

“Discovering Happiness Independent of Conditions” with Shinzen Young

Tami and Shinzen explore the experience of awakening as the realization of a radically different sense of self, and how spiritual practice can better prepare us for entering and understanding the process as it evolves and unfolds.

“Remembering” with Sera Beak

Tami speaks with Sera about awakening as the ongoing art of remembering who and what we really are, the paradox of a sense of separate self, Sera’s evolving sense of the divine presence at work in our lives, and more.

“One with the Infinite” with Michael Bernard Beckwith

Michael and Tami discuss the meaning of words like “eternal” and “forever” and the dimension they point to; the experience of satori awakening versus the more common kensho awakening; the reality of challenges in our lives; and more.

“Life Is Here: Awakening Is Not a Destination” with Jeff Foster

Jeff and Tami discuss spiritual awakening not as a destination or an achievement but as “a radical opening of the heart”—an ongoing attitude or willingness to welcome the fullness of experience that life offers us from moment to moment.

“Opening Our Whole Being to Fundamental Consciousness” with Judith Blackstone

Dr. Judith Blackstone shares her view of spiritual awakening as a whole-body experience that involves far more than just our minds—and how this realization unfolds in ever-more subtle ways as we let go of the inner constrictions and energetic “holding patterns” that once served us.

“The Neuroscience of Awakening” with Rick Hanson

Dr. Hanson shares his twofold perspective on spiritual awakening, informed by his extensive background in Buddhism and his work as a pioneering neuropsychologist.

“Saying Yes to Being Found” with Richard Rohr

Tami speaks with the Franciscan priest and prolific writer about waking up to the goodness of things, the future of Christianity and the rediscovery of a Trinitarian mystery, and how to make it easier “for God to find us.”

A radical shift in identity. The direct experience of unity with all things. Unexplainable joy and a blissful ease of being. These are just some of the ways in which people have described the experience of spiritual awakening. But is it the same for everyone? What if we’ve only had glimpses of “waking up?” How does the process unfold—and does it end? Join us in Waking Up for an exciting investigation of these profound questions and more.