rancha.xyz Be free to choose their own route to self-knowledge, health and balance of body and soul.
About to complete twenty years of filming, “The Truman Show” (1998, Peter Weir) continues to be a pedagogical reference for dealing with specific themes of philosophy and psychology. Using the media and symbols, this film clearly reflects a process as complex as the awakening of consciousness.
consciousness and the world
Consciousness can be defined as the psychic act by which an individual perceives himself in the world. Therefore, the awakening of consciousness occurs not only when a person is aware that he is part of the world, that he exists, but when he is aware that he is something or someone in relation to the world.
This is also for us to understand how to perceive our importance. At that moment, a spark lights up in us. A spark that makes us doubt everything we’ve been told. And having reached that point, we can be content with what we know or overcome our fears and our insecurities to get out of the “cave”.
the cave myth
The allegory of the cave, as it is also known, was created by the Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 BC) to symbolize human knowledge. According to this theory, man would be like a prisoner in a cave and what he knows is just a reflection or shadow of reality. The real is outside the cave. One thing is hard to understand when we never leave the cave and get used to using and working with shadows. In this sense, we do not know the existence of reality or we are afraid.
What is our cave? Our cave is our home or the environment in which we grew up. The normal thing is that, since childhood, they have transmitted to us a series of values, ranging from religious to political values. When born in a community, we grow in contact with traditions that give us a sense of identity. So many people are reluctant to be new for fear of losing that identity.
As security-seeking human beings, there is a tendency in us to accept the familiar customs that people we care about practice. In this sense, neither society nor the family teach us to “look” (although we can observe). Critical opinion is not encouraged. Few children live in stimulating environments, which encourage them to analyze, compare and develop their own opinions, as well as to practice self-awareness.
Truman’s Awakening of Consciousness
The main character in this movie, Truman, is a man who can’t decide anything in his life. Since he was born, he was bought by a television show in which he is the protagonist. All the decisions Truman makes (dating, getting married, buying a house, working…) are not chosen by him. They are, in fact, actions guided by the creator of the program (who, in this case, is compared to a god).
Truman lives happily and oblivious to everything, inside the huge dome that was built as if it were a city. And when he suspects something or has a doubt, he cannot leave this world because he is controlled by fears and insecurities that limited him in childhood (for example, the sea and the trauma with his father). But there comes a time when you can no longer ignore your doubts because your world is not the same as before.
In fact, we are all Truman. The only option we have to be authentic is when this spark, this awakening of consciousness, occurs in us. And only our will helps us to overcome the fear that can create the scenario that awaits us.
The purest act of freedom is thinking
When this awakening of consciousness occurs in us, we acquire energy and determination to leave the comfort zone and our environment, encouraged by the feeling that by moving away we will see things more clearly … so that, from within, we ask ourselves: O do I want to do with my life? Do my beliefs continue to complete me? What do I believe or trust? What is my truth?
Your answers should be of more value to yourself than the opinions of others. They’re perfect for you, they’re made based on your size and not that of others. It is easy to think that we are not free, as we all have responsibilities (family, studies, work). But the truth is, the most accessible and purest act of freedom is thinking. We are free to think and imagine what we want, just as we are free to decide accordingly. Truman also has the opportunity to know the truth.
When we settle for the usual, just what we’ve been taught, we prevent evolution from happening. On the other hand, when we overcome the fear of the unknown and seek our own knowledge, we start walking down a road in which we acquire our own principles, values and beliefs, which are healthier, truer and, consequently, less dissonant. Ultimately, overcoming yourself will bring you more freedom and, for that, two ingredients are always needed: an awakening and an exercise in courage.
