Awakening NOW is a documentary film by Jerel Mani, originally released in 2006
it has now being rereleased on its 20th anniversary in a fully remastered High Definition edition.
Six contemporary spiritual teachers share their perspectives on some of the most fundamental questions we can ask — about consciousness, awareness, and what it means to be truly awake.
The conversations filmed here were honest, unscripted, and timeless. Twenty years later, they remain just as relevant.
THE FILM
Awakening NOW grew out of a simple desire —
to sit with people who had genuinely explored the nature of consciousness and ask them what they found.
Six teachers from different traditions were filmed in extended conversations covering the fundamentals: the nature of the self,
the experience of awakening, the role of meditation, and what it means to live from a place of deeper awareness.
The film doesn’t try to resolve these questions or advocate for any single path.
It simply creates the space for the conversation to happen, and trusts the viewer to find what resonates.
Originally released in 2006, Awakening NOW is now available in a remastered HD edition for its 20th anniversary — on streaming platforms and, in the months ahead, with the full unedited interviews available here and on the Awakening NOW YouTube channel.
TEACHERS
The six teachers featured in Awakening NOW come from different traditions but share a common thread —
a direct, experiential approach to questions of consciousness and awakening.
Master Charles Cannon (1945–2023)
Master Charles Cannon, affectionately known as Master Charles, was a contemporary American mystic and master of meditation. His earliest years were marked by spontaneous, metanormal experiences of expanded, heightened and holistic states of awareness. His formative education was in the creative arts with emphasis on comparative religion and philosophy synchronicity.org
Swami Chetanananda
Swami Chetanananda is the abbot and spiritual director of the Nityananda Institute. From his college days, he knew he wanted his life to be about helping people and creating positive change in the world. Swamiji formalized his commitment to spiritual growth by being initiated as a swami (“master of oneself”) by Swami Muktananda on May 14, 1978. He took the name Chetanananda, which means “bliss of pure Self-awareness.” chetanananda.org
Andrew Cohen (1955–2024)
Was an American spiritual teacher and visionary thinker widely recognized for his original contribution to the emerging field of evolutionary spirituality. Through his talks, retreats, publications, and ongoing dialogues with the leading philosophers, mystics, and activists of our time, he is becoming a defining voice in an international alliance of individuals and organizations who are committed to the transformation of human consciousness and culture. andrewcohen.org
Gangaji
An American born teacher and author, has traveled the globe since 1990, speaking with spiritual seekers from all walks of life. Her message is powerful in its clarity and simplicity: True peace and lasting fulfillment are not only our birthright, they are the essential nature of our being. Gangaji invites you to discover the possibility of living your life in the freedom and joy of simply being. gangaji.org
Isira Sananda
is a global peace ambassador. Her role is to inspire humanity to reclaim their own greater potential of wisdom, love, peace and compassion. One of the modern world’s spiritual masters, Isira has been teaching meditation and inspiring self-realisation. isira.com
Swami Shankarananda
Swami Shankarananda Saraswati (Swamiji) is a meditation master in the powerful spiritual tradition of Kashmir Shaivism. This ancient yoga, which Swamiji calls Shiva Yoga, has been transmitted from master to student for thousands of years. theashram.com.au
