Waking Up: Overcoming the Obstacles to Human Potential
AuthorCharles Tart
Released2001

Some parts are devilishly good, other parts a drag, overall a decent book that performs well in explaining the core concepts of psychoanalysis than in the spiritual.

The metaphors ascribing human components to machinery, robots, automation, or general technology were very well done - but the moment it dives deeper into the ‘spirituality’ of it all, it begins to lose focus. While the teachings of the book are based on profound implications and overall good throughput of human ideology and perceptions of consciousness, I can't bring myself to be persuaded that the less concrete examples or meditations are all that grand. Perhaps this is due to my uncooperative spirits toward anything in the spiritual realm, but I just can't get myself to enjoy them.

Towards the end, the book dug a bit deeper, and shallower, by having a rapid dash of dozens of short ideas on 'Practices'. I believe this was a mix of not enough time, motivation, or interest on the part of the author, and left the ending feeling rather rushed and not as nicely laid out as the rest of the book. If someone has an interest in the engineering side of spirituality and the associated vibes, then check it out. If one is expecting a full counter-cultural spiritual ascension, then you will be in the wrong place and sorely lacking.