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 5, Sounds True publisher and founder Tami Simon speaks with six 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 5 Guests and Topics:

“Shifting to the Infinite Lifestyle” with Robert Thurman

Tami speaks with Robert about the possibility of reincarnation and the continuity of consciousness as it relates to spiritual awakening, discussing how we move from our stress-inducing and limiting “terminal lifestyles” to the “infinite lifestyle” of the committed spiritual practitioner.

“Waking Up, Waking Down, and Waking Out” with John J. Prendergast

Tami speaks with the psychotherapist and spiritual counselor about the many “recognitions” that unfold as our identity begins to shift away from mental constructs toward something far vaster: our true nature as awareness itself.

“Removing the Armor of the Heart” with Chris Grosso

Chris and Tami discuss the aspirations of the next generation of spiritual practitioners and teachers, including the importance of being “real” on the path, embracing with compassion both the dark and the light as we make our way, finding practices that work for you, and more.

“The Process of Continual Awakening” with Richard Freeman

Tami and Richard explore spiritual awakening from the viewpoint of the hatha yoga practitioner, discussing the role of the subtle body and the central channel, the path of the bodhisattva, and the ongoing process of realization.

“What Is Stillness?” with Mukti

Mukti speaks with Tami about a profound inquiry into stillness and its surprising consequences, her “gradual, sudden, and gradual” journey of awakening, and a new paradigm of awareness that she discovered.

“Dying into the Light” with Andrew Harvey

Andrew and Tami discuss the Sufi perspective on awakening, three criteria or markers of authentic awakening, the call to sacred activism, and more.

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.