#144 Sam Harris - Spirituality for Atheists.

#144 Sam Harris - Spirituality for Atheists.

From Within Reason by Alex J O'Connor

February 25, 2026 · 1h 53m

About this episode

In this episode, Alex J O'Connor interviews Sam Harris about the intersection of spirituality and atheism, exploring concepts of self and consciousness.

Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. Come to my UK tour, tickets still available for Cambridge and Newcastle: https://www.livenation.co.uk/alex-o-connor-tickets-adp1641612. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, philosopher, New York Times best-selling author, host of the Making Sense podcast, and creator of the Waking Up meditation app. Buy the Waking Up book here . TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Tour 00:32 – Is ‘Spirituality’ a Dirty Word? 04:26 – Why Take Reflective Knowledge Seriously? 29:11 – What Is the Self? 47:04 – Why Are There Distinct Selves? 1:01:22 – The Two Hemispheres of the Brain 1:06:47 – The Problem of Emergence 1:18:41 – What’s the Minimal Amount of Consciousness? 1:34:09 – Is AI Lying to Us About Consciousness? 1:39:15 – What Is the Present?

People in this episode

Host: Alex J O'Connor

Guest: Sam Harris

Topics covered

  • spirituality
  • atheism
  • consciousness
  • neuroscience
  • philosophy
  • self
  • AI

Keywords

  • spirituality
  • atheism
  • consciousness
  • self
  • neuroscience
  • AI
  • philosophy
  • reflective knowledge

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Making Sense, Waking Up, Substack, Live Nation

Places: Cambridge, Newcastle

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