• E113: The Perfect School: Life as the Path to Liberation

    Michael Singer — September 18, 2025

    The purpose of life is to release the inner blockages (samskaras) that obscure the natural flow of energy and keep us trapped in patterns of fear, desire, and resistance....

  • The Michael Singer Podcast

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  • Insights At The Edge

    Tami Simon’s in-depth audio podcast interviews with leading spiritual teachers and luminaries. Listen in as they explore their latest challenges and breakthroughs - the leading edge of their work.

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Subscribe to The Michael Singer Podcast

Join the New York Times bestselling author of The Untethered Soul, The Surrender Experiment, and Living Untethered for this free series of curated teaching sessions, recorded at his Temple of the Universe yoga and meditation center.

Meet Your Host Michael Singer

Michael A. Singer is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Untethered Soul, The Surrender Experiment, Living Untethered, and several popular Sounds True programs, including the Living from a Place of Surrender online course. In 1971, while pursuing his doctoral work in economics, he experienced a deep inner awakening and went into seclusion to focus on yoga and meditation. In 1975, he founded Temple of the Universe, a yoga and meditation center where people of any religion or set of beliefs can come together to experience inner peace. Through the years, he has made major contributions in the areas of business, the arts, education, health care, and environmental protection. Author photo © Timothy Davis

Most Recent

E96: Untethering Consciousness: The Path Back to Your ...

All living beings share the same divine consciousness, but the sophistication of the human body, mind, and heart allows us to expand our consciousness into very broad frames of reference. Unfortunately, we limit that expansion by constantly being distracted by an entire barrage of personal preferences formed by our limited past experiences. True spiritual evolution comes through letting go of these psychological distractions and allowing consciousness to return to its natural state of unlimited expansion—Enlightenment.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

 

E95: Relax, Release, and Rise: The Real Work of Spirit...

Deep spiritual growth is not about collecting more techniques but about releasing the inner disturbances we have stored from our past. These suppressed energies—called samskaras—remain inside, continuing to influence and limit our lives. Instead of struggling to cope with life’s experiences, we can learn to welcome them as opportunities to release these past blockages. Over time, this leads to purification of the heart and the ability to remain undisturbed, even in the face of intense experiences. Our natural state is one of unconditional joy, love, and divine energy—reclaim it!

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

Sarah Taylor: Neurodivergent People Are Wired for Awak...

Are certain individuals more inclined to awaken spiritually? Do some of us have a natural proclivity to experience spiritual states of oneness? Welcome to the first episode in our new podcast series, Being Open: Spirituality and the Neurodivergent Mind. In this illuminating conversation, Tami Simon speaks with intuitive energy healer and awakening trail guide Sarah Taylor about the empowering revelations and approaches she has discovered throughout the course of her life—including the late-in-life realization that she has both autism and ADHD. 

Give a listen to this compelling and informative dialogue on: waking up to our interconnection; the shift from “head awakening” to “heart awakening”; Dzogchen and “the one taste”; the receptivity and porousness of neurodivergent people; the healing power of integration and embodiment; the critical importance of downtime and self-care; experiencing equanimity; unraveling the adaption strategies that no longer serve you; living with a high level of “raw sensitivity”; owning your truths—instead of masking your wants, needs, and authenticity; the misunderstood habit of “stimming” (or self-stimulation); the concept of samskaras (or energetic blockages in your subtle anatomy); reckoning with grief; the futility and harm of self-labeling; reframing limitations as gifts; managing your energy and seeking support when you need it; the connection between our increased understanding of the neurodivergent brain and the collective evolution of humanity; and more.

Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com. 

Customer Favorites

Gaur Gopal Das: Your Greatest Power

Gaur Gopal Das is a former Hewlett-Packard engineer who joined the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) as a monk in 1996. Since then, he has become a popular speaker and motivational coach both on YouTube and in public. In this podcast, he speaks with Sounds True founder Tami Simon about his new book, The Way of the Monk. Tami and Gaur also discuss his journey of becoming a teacher and sharing spiritual wisdom with others, the power of choosing to be positive, the practice of “feeding your faith,” and much more.

John Seed: A Cosmic Walk to Discover Your Ecological I...

After almost 50 years as one of the world’s leading environmental activists, John Seed has started to see an encouraging shift: “Caring about the Earth isn’t just for hippies and pagans,” he says. “More and more people are moving from having these ideas to exploring what we can do about them.” In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with the founder of the Rainforest Information Centre and co-author of Think Like a Mountain about his ongoing commitment to serving as a tireless steward of our planet and all its inhabitants. 

Give a listen to this inspiring conversation exploring: the illusion of separation underlying the environmental crisis; experiential ecology, or “the work that reconnects”; engaged Buddhism and activism as a spiritual practice; Joanna Macy’s renowned despair and empowerment work; waking up a culture in denial; transforming numbness into energy and action; creating a container for safely witnessing what’s going on; ceremony and bringing the sacred into our activism; the Council of All Beings practice; gratitude; a guided experience of “the cosmic walk”; Thomas Berry and the call for a creation story that unites us all; and more.

Note: This episode originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Acharya Shunya: The Five Phases of the Vedic Afterlife...

In the second half of Acharya Shunya’s talk, she shares her personal journey from tradition to transformation, offering practical tools and Vedic insights to help us embrace our greater purpose here.

Through her personal experiences, practical guidance, and teachings from her lineage, Acharya Shunya offers us a roadmap to awakening and living a more meaningful, empowered life.

Note: This interview originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Timeless Classics

The Wisdom in Our Emotions

Tami Simon speaks with Karla McLaren, an award-winning author and empath whose approach to working with emotions has helped countless numbers of people heal from trauma. She is the author of The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings Are Trying to Tell You, as well as the Sounds True audio learning series on The Language of Emotions about how to unlock and learn from the wisdom held within each of our emotions. Karla discusses what it means to be an empath, how to talk to children about their emotions, viewing emotions in terms other than positive versus negative, and learning how to listen to our emotions. (54 minutes)

Choosing to Live Well with Pain and Illness

Tami Simon speaks with Vidyamala Burch, who for over 30 years has lived with chronic back pain as a result of a car accident, multiple surgeries, and congenital spine weakness. Searching for a way to cope with her situation she started practicing mindfulness meditation to help accept and move beyond the pain. She is cofounder of the Breathworks organization in the U.K. where she teaches mindfulness-based approaches to living with physical pain and illness. She is also author of the new Sounds True book Living Well with Pain and Illness. Vidyamala speaks about what it means to turn toward pain and soften, and how to live one moment at a time. (56 Minutes)

Most Recent

E59: From Focus to Freedom: How Awareness Shapes Reali...

Deep spiritual states transcend the mind, but the mind can be a useful tool for spiritual growth. You know your consciousness can concentrate on a single object or expand to include everything in front of you. Likewise, your concept of self can be narrowly focused on your ego-mind, or it can expand to include thoughts of this vast universe. You suffer when your mind’s perception of reality does not align with its personal desires and fears. Spiritual growth involves letting go of this ego-mind and honoring all of life as your participation in the Divine Creation. True freedom is found in ceasing to contract awareness, which allows its natural expansion beyond the personal self.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E58: Beyond the Illusion: Awakening to True Consciousn...

The findings of modern science and the deep spiritual teachings are moving closer and closer together. Our entire outside world is composed of tiny atoms that our senses blend together to create what we call reality. Advanced physics has found that these atoms emanate from wavelets in the omnipresent Quantum Field. Spirituality has always taught that reality is an illusion, a dance of Light.

Every day, your senses take in this illusion, and you build a false sense of self based on the experiences you’ve had. This is your ego, and it is the cause of all personal suffering. Behind it is the real you, the consciousness that is aware of your thoughts, emotions, and the outside world. The meaning of life is to transcend the illusion and return to the source of consciousness. This is Enlightenment.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E57: Love Is Not Found, It’s Freed

Love is not something found outside but an internal energy that flows through your heart when you are open and unblocked. Your past personal experiences and emotional defenses create barriers that prevent you from feeling love continuously. The key to unconditional love is letting go of these blockages, embracing openness, and allowing life’s experiences—both positive and negative—to flow through without resistance. If you learn to do this, you will find that true love is not based on the conditions of people, events, or circumstances—it is about removing the blockages you have put in love’s way.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E56: From Distraction to Enlightenment: The Path of Aw...

Consciousness is eternal, infinite, and the fundamental essence of life. You become lost by focusing your awareness on your thoughts, emotions, and outside experiences. This distracts you from your true nature. In the end, true spirituality lies in recognizing that you are not the sum of your experiences; you are the indwelling consciousness that had the experiences. By letting go of the false identification with your ego, you can reconnect with the universal consciousness and experience true freedom.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E55: From Psychology to Spirituality: Transcending the...

Psychology focuses on understanding and managing the mind’s learned patterns, emotional struggles, and conditioned behaviors. Spirituality is about transcending these mental and emotional constructs to center on the consciousness which is aware of them. From this seat of witness consciousness, you can actually watch the mind create a false concept of self that is based on your past experiences. This false self leads to suffering unless the world matches how you think it should be. True spirituality involves realizing yourself as the conscious observer and learning to embrace life’s experiences as a gift from Creation. You can learn to free yourself from suffering and achieve a state of peace, love, and self-realization.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E54: The Sacred Time Between Birth and Death

Your life is the fleeting moments between your birth and death. During this time, true fulfillment does not come from external achievements but from an internal state of unconditional joy and love. Because we condition our happiness on outside circumstances, it often leads to suffering, attachment, and endless striving for some satisfaction. By letting go of stored past disturbances that have blocked your natural well-being, you can unlock a state of unconditional happiness and appreciate each moment as it unfolds.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

Listener Favorites

E19: Learning to Serve the Present Moment

True spiritual growth comes from ceasing to constantly focus on yourself—I, me, and mine. Instead of getting caught up in personal likes and dislikes, you can learn to serve the moment in front of you with your full heart and soul, without expecting anything in return. To do this, you must gradually become comfortable with both positive and negative experiences by letting go of inner resistance. Understand that spiritual practice is not about seeking rewards, but about deep surrender to the present moment and serving that moment as your gift to God.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E24: From Resistance to Service: A Journey Toward Spir...

The essence of a spiritual life involves embracing both acceptance and service. Most of our suffering comes from resisting reality and trying to control life’s outcomes. In truth, we have very little control over essential aspects of our lives. By accepting life as it unfolds, we free ourselves from unnecessary stress and anxiety. This acceptance is not passive; it leads to the ability to serve life in meaningful ways, bringing love, peace, and compassion into the world.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E14: From Thoughts to Awareness: Reclaiming Your Divin...

In this talk, Michael explains that the mind need not be an obstacle to spiritual growth but can actually be a great tool when used properly. This involves realizing you are not your thoughts, any of your thoughts—rather, you are the awareness observing them. By remaining centered in this awareness, free from the pull of personal thoughts and emotions, one can experience great states of natural joy, love, and divinity.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E28: From Distraction to Liberation

Spiritual growth involves recognizing and releasing the ego, which is a construct of accumulated experiences and unresolved emotions. True liberation comes from allowing life’s events and emotions to flow through without resistance, enabling one to reconnect with pure, universal consciousness. By shedding the ego and embracing this state, individuals can experience a profound sense of unity and peace.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E25: The Ego and the Self: Navigating the Inner World

A spiritual person recognizes that they are not their thoughts, but the awareness observing the thoughts. While the impersonal mind is a powerful tool for intellectual and creative tasks, the ego mind is merely a mental construct that constantly seeks validation and control. By practicing witness consciousness and letting go of the ego, one can transcend mental noise and experience inner peace and spiritual fulfillment.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E74: The Art of Undistracted Living

Liberation comes not through meditation alone but by ceasing to be distracted by the personal mind. Distractions have their root in resisted past experiences that form the basis for your preferences and desires. They end up causing great suffering and pull consciousness away from its natural, divine seat. The key to spiritual freedom lies in allowing reality to unfold without resistance and practicing letting go on a daily basis. This practice helps dissolve the ego and reveals the true self—a permanent state of peace, love, and service to others.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

Timeless Classics

E46: From Attachment to Liberation: Redefining Life...

Society is focused on setting external goals for career, relationships, and wealth, but this does not always lead to satisfaction. True well-being arises from working through internal disturbances rather than avoiding them through external compensation. This is achieved by letting go of past emotional blockages and being open to the richness of life’s experiences, both positive and challenging. Ultimately, this path leads to a deeper state of consciousness and liberation, fostering joy and harmony both within yourself and in your relationships with others.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E47: Unraveling the Ego: Returning to Pure Awareness

Consciousness is the fundamental essence of your being, distinct from the physical and psychological objects it is conscious of. But your conscious awareness gets so distracted by external objects, thoughts, and emotions, that it becomes identified with them. This identification forms the ego, the false sense of “I.” The spiritual path involves letting go of distractions and false identifications in order to remain in the true “seat of self,” a state of pure awareness and joy. The ultimate realization is reconnecting with the source of consciousness, leading to unity with the divine and a life of peace and ecstasy.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E48: Spiritual Awakening: Transcending Lower Self

Spiritual growth involves realizing that our lower self is the ego-driven construct that arises from past experiences, emotional reactions, and stored mental patterns. Most people live disconnected from their true self and are constantly entangled in their thoughts, emotions, and external perceptions. True spirituality is the realization that one’s higher self is the consciousness observing these transient experiences, not the experiences themselves. This leads to liberation from identification with the ego. The ultimate goal is to return to the seat of consciousness and achieve a state of peace, love, and unity while engaging with life as a fully conscious, nonreactive being.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E49: Breaking Barriers: Finding Joy Within

There are two very different approaches to achieving a beautiful, love-filled life. The first is externally focused—seeking joy, love, and peace through outside circumstances, people, or actions. The second is inward, asking why these very natural states are blocked internally and taking responsibility for removing those blockages. Love and joy are inherent to everyone but are obscured by stored emotional pain, fears, and responses conditioned by past experiences. By letting go of these internal blockages and facing life’s challenges with openness rather than resistance, you can cultivate love and inner freedom as your unconditional state of being.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

 

E5: Ceasing to Let Your Mind Limit Your Happiness

“In a split second,” teaches Michael Singer, “your mind can make you miserable or ecstatic. All it takes is a thought.” Our hopes, dreams, opinions, and preferences—all of these are constructs that we’ve made up. And they pit us against reality, limiting our contentment and joy. So what can we do about it? In this episode, Michael answers that question.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2024 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

E50: From Personal to Universal: Transcending the Ego&...

Life’s events are not personal; they are shaped by the force of cause and effect. Countless past causes are resulting in the moments that are unfolding in front of you. You take it personally because you are looking at life through the limited veil of your ego-mind. The personal mind was formed from the past experiences that made the strongest impressions on you. This distorts your perception of reality to your own limited frame of reference, creating unnecessary fear, anxiety, and suffering. By recognizing this truth, you can transcend your self-concept and align with the broader universe, unlocking profound love, peace, and self-awareness.

For more information, go to michaelsingerpodcast.com.

© Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2025 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

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