Seeing passed the illusions created by unawareness.

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

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In Plato's "The Republic" one of his most well-known stories is the Allegory of the Cave. This story is located in Book VII of The Republic. This classic piece of literature discusses the importance of cultivating a life of beauty, justice, wisdom, and knowledge. The story of the Allegory of the Cave discusses the trials and tribulations of living a life of integrity in a society filled of temptations.

I remember reading the Dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon in my Freshmen year of college to be brutally honest, was incredibly confused. I just wanted to pass my class. It wasn't until about four years since I graduated, I began to gain my own interpretation of the text, when I had my own spiritual awakening. I began to think for myself.

Summary of the Allegory of the Cave

Essentially, Socrates tells Glaucon there are prisoners in an underground cave and there is a steep hill to go in and out of the cave. The prisoners in the cave cannot move or turn their heads, to restrict their level of perspective. There is a fire burning behind them and the prisoners are able to see shadows and hear mumbled sounds. The prisoners have been locked in this underground cave all of their lives; therefore, they can only interpret the shadows and sounds by their level of awareness because this is the only experience they know.

Socrates then explains the difficulty of a prisoner to be set free out of the cave, because of the realization of shadows being actual objects and the world that was familiar to him was based on an inauthentic illusion. Socrates discusses that the prisoner may want to escape the reality of the cave because they are so enamored with natural beauty of the real world of around them that he will feel sorry for the people who do not perceive the world in the same way. The sign of true goodness is if the prisoner goes back into the cave to share the message of the natural beauty of the world beyond the smoke and mirrors in the cave.

Source: Gill, N.S. (2021, May 3). The Allegory of the Cave From the Republic of Plato. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-allegory-of-the-cave-120330

My Story and how it inspired me:

This story finally resonated with my soul on a spiritual level. I noticed the transitional phases within myself when I had my own awakening. I always struggled with not feeling "good enough" I was and still struggle with being a perfectionist to this day. I was a prisoner within my own reality. I would seek constant validation from those around me, my social media posts, the people I dated, or even the people around me with my people pleasing tendencies. (Maybe if I say yes or do this for them, they'll like me more sort of thing...) I relied on them to show me I was chosen, loved, wanted and valued. (Was that a good approach? the answer is no... Did that actually happen, absolutely not...)

After every romantic relationship I was in fell apart; I was left there heartbroken, dazed, confused, hurt, and angry. Once I was in the relationship, I'd try my hardest to make it work contorting and conforming to anything I thought the other person would like, completely abandoning myself. Cringy, I know, but that was my level of awareness. Not realizing if I aspire to have an authentic relationship, I would have to be 100% my true self, but at this point I was so far gone from who I truly was I didn't even know who I was, I didn't like who I was, and I genuinely didn't think anyone else would either.

I had the inability to be patient with myself or others, I just wanted to be loved, and I didn't know how to give that to myself.

I felt like I was thrown out of the cave. What I knew was gone, I didn't know who I was, and I felt lost, like my life had no meaning. So, I began to look within, I knew that my thinking was flawed. I truly desired to experience real love, so I decided surrendered to God. I needed to broaden my perspective; I knew at times my perspective of events I experienced were seen through my own wounded lens.

I immersed myself in self-help, spiritual texts and began to get my thoughts out on paper; even if my thoughts were messy, rude, uncouth, full of rage, and judgement. I began to get more in alignment with my true self. I truly wanted to learn how to love myself, but I had a deep seated fear that I would become an arrogant jerk. I genuinely didn't know how it all worked and I refused to put others down in order to make myself "feel better." I knew that mentality was flawed and I was genuinely scared that that was one of the steps for gaining confidence in oneself. All of my limiting beliefs started to bubble to the surface. My only logical solution at this point was to meditate even if it was for 10 minutes a day. As much as it pained me to sit with my thoughts, I began to find it soothing. I'd just turn the lights off in my room and sit there alone with my thoughts. Some days were much easier than others and to be honest at first, I dreaded sitting still. I like to be on the move, get stuff done, and "not waste time." But meditating became necessary for my constant ruminating and overthinking.

I began to isolate myself from my friends and family because I was extra sensitive to the world around me. Things began to trigger me (evoke a negative emotional response subject as anger, sadness, or defensive tendencies). I just wanted to stay in my bubble of Spiritual Solitude. I felt different, like no one understood me because I saw the world differently.

I loved taking walks in the cemetery, looking for signs from the Universe, and finding my sacred meditation spot. I would sit there and talk to God, ask for guidance, and just look for animals around me. It truly was an enchanted time in my life. I deactivated my social media accounts because I began to notice I had an unhealthy habit of comparing my life to other people's lives. I had to shift my focus to myself. I had to cultivate a loving awareness of who I am and what I bring to the table. I was consciously focusing on loving myself. Once I began this journey, I started to see the people around me differently: I saw that they are suffering like I was, I began to realize that we are interconnected, and we need each other for our own human evolution. I realized that we all suffer from pain in our own unique ways, and we can transmute that pain and injustice to empower us into the best version of ourselves.

Although this is a lifelong process: it's important to appreciate each phase of yourself, this is much easier said than done, trust me. Learning to forgive past versions of yourself who tolerated disrespect from others or moments when your ego was out of control: filled of shame, trust issues, and guilt of wishing you could handle things differently. It's all human and the beautiful aspects the evolution of life.

I am inspired by Plato's philosophy of embodying goodness. Anyone who feels lost, sad, or confused and just needs someone to talk to or support through a transitional time. I'm here for you. I aspire to create a more inclusive world where: we feel free to be vulnerable, authentic, and true. You are not alone. You are ENOUGH. We can help each other become the most authentic versions of ourselves.

With love,

Rachel