Sam Harris

I mean, there are many people who are practicing meditation even quite diligently and even going on retreats, silent retreats for 10 days at a stretch or more. And yet still they feel like they are the observer of experience now. They're the one being mindful or struggling to be mindful. They're the one who gets concentrated on the breath or on a mantra or it can be any practice really.

I mean, there are many people who are practicing meditation even quite diligently and even going on retreats, silent retreats for 10 days at a stretch or more. And yet still they feel like they are the observer of experience now. They're the one being mindful or struggling to be mindful. They're the one who gets concentrated on the breath or on a mantra or it can be any practice really.

I mean, there are many people who are practicing meditation even quite diligently and even going on retreats, silent retreats for 10 days at a stretch or more. And yet still they feel like they are the observer of experience now. They're the one being mindful or struggling to be mindful. They're the one who gets concentrated on the breath or on a mantra or it can be any practice really.

And yet there's still this dualism of... Consciousness feels like it's a kind of spotlight of attention that you can aim from a place in the head at experience. And ultimately... that's an illusion. Ultimately, if you pay close enough attention, you recognize that there's only experience as a matter of subjectivity. I'm not making any claims about

And yet there's still this dualism of... Consciousness feels like it's a kind of spotlight of attention that you can aim from a place in the head at experience. And ultimately... that's an illusion. Ultimately, if you pay close enough attention, you recognize that there's only experience as a matter of subjectivity. I'm not making any claims about

And yet there's still this dualism of... Consciousness feels like it's a kind of spotlight of attention that you can aim from a place in the head at experience. And ultimately... that's an illusion. Ultimately, if you pay close enough attention, you recognize that there's only experience as a matter of subjectivity. I'm not making any claims about

how consciousness relates to the universe, or that it was here before the Big Bang, or that there's no physical world. We can leave all that aside for the moment. I'm happy to talk about that. But I'm just talking about what is available to experience if you're really paying attention, if you really notice what is happening moment to moment.

how consciousness relates to the universe, or that it was here before the Big Bang, or that there's no physical world. We can leave all that aside for the moment. I'm happy to talk about that. But I'm just talking about what is available to experience if you're really paying attention, if you really notice what is happening moment to moment.

how consciousness relates to the universe, or that it was here before the Big Bang, or that there's no physical world. We can leave all that aside for the moment. I'm happy to talk about that. But I'm just talking about what is available to experience if you're really paying attention, if you really notice what is happening moment to moment.

And the crucial difference between dualism and not, and ultimately suffering and not, is at bottom... identification with the stream of thought that's arising in consciousness. So it's just a fact about us that we're thinking basically every moment of the day. We're having a conversation with ourselves. We're remembering the past. We're anticipating the future.

And the crucial difference between dualism and not, and ultimately suffering and not, is at bottom... identification with the stream of thought that's arising in consciousness. So it's just a fact about us that we're thinking basically every moment of the day. We're having a conversation with ourselves. We're remembering the past. We're anticipating the future.

And the crucial difference between dualism and not, and ultimately suffering and not, is at bottom... identification with the stream of thought that's arising in consciousness. So it's just a fact about us that we're thinking basically every moment of the day. We're having a conversation with ourselves. We're remembering the past. We're anticipating the future.

We're subtly or grossly failing to make actual contact with the present moment because Everything is being conceptualized and rehearsed and reiterated and reacted to, judged, et cetera. And it's through this sort of scrim of thought that everything is perceived.

We're subtly or grossly failing to make actual contact with the present moment because Everything is being conceptualized and rehearsed and reiterated and reacted to, judged, et cetera. And it's through this sort of scrim of thought that everything is perceived.

We're subtly or grossly failing to make actual contact with the present moment because Everything is being conceptualized and rehearsed and reiterated and reacted to, judged, et cetera. And it's through this sort of scrim of thought that everything is perceived.

And even one's initial efforts to meditate and break through to something non-conceptual gets bent and conformed to this pattern of thinking. Now you're thinking that you're being mindful. Now you're thinking... Oh, now I need to pay closer attention to the breath. And oh, why did I get distracted?

And even one's initial efforts to meditate and break through to something non-conceptual gets bent and conformed to this pattern of thinking. Now you're thinking that you're being mindful. Now you're thinking... Oh, now I need to pay closer attention to the breath. And oh, why did I get distracted?

And even one's initial efforts to meditate and break through to something non-conceptual gets bent and conformed to this pattern of thinking. Now you're thinking that you're being mindful. Now you're thinking... Oh, now I need to pay closer attention to the breath. And oh, why did I get distracted?

But that sense of self that seems to persist even as you notice thoughts arise and then you come back to the object of meditation and you notice thoughts arise. There's still this undercurrent of thinking that's not being fully inspected and fully released. And so ultimately, it was a very long-winded way of answering your question.

But that sense of self that seems to persist even as you notice thoughts arise and then you come back to the object of meditation and you notice thoughts arise. There's still this undercurrent of thinking that's not being fully inspected and fully released. And so ultimately, it was a very long-winded way of answering your question.