Here is a picture of the human condition.

People sit in a dark cave, watching shadows cast on the wall, thinking that they are seeing reality. If you were to take one of these people into the light of day, they would be so dazzled that they could not see. But, given time, they could look around, see the real world, and even the source of all that illuminates it: the Sun.

Were they to go back into the cave, however, and try and explain the truth to the cave-dwellers, they would not only be laughed at, they would be killed. This is Plato's cave, one of the most vivid and memorable metaphors of all time. It is not that difficult to decode.

The cave-dwellers are the ignorant masses; the shadows are particular, physical, transient objects, rather than the eternal, universal "forms" of which all worldly things are pale imitations; the person who escapes the cave is the philosopher; the Sun is The Good, the source of all truth; and the death at the end alludes to the execution of Socrates, whom Plato describes as presenting the allegory, prefiguring his own demise.

The moral?

The rewards of philosophy are not acclaim, fame, and riches.

We're brain-dead believers in illustions, more likely to be blinded by the light than actually to see it - apart from philosophers, of course.


Don't be comforted by the thought that today's cave-dwellers are only those who sit transfixed by the television. Plato's cave is harder to escape than that. Not only artists, but also physical scientists are, in Plato's view, not attending tot he most fundamental things. This invites the question, if Plato's truth lies outside of the physical world, does it even exist?

Is it possible, or even desirable, to leave the cave at all?

What say you?

It seems what you are describing is the power of ignorance...?

...the blue pill ..or the red pill...

I think it is possible. It goes back to the old saying "YOU have to want to change". Nothing can change if you don't have the motivation, determination, will, and desire to move forward. Some people seem to be either afraid of change, or just so comfortable with the "familiar", that they don't seek change or advancement. Which is fine, some just don't have the drive that others do, but at the same time is kind of sad, they'll never know their true heights if they don't try, or what experiences they will miss out on.

Plato's Allegory of the Cave.I studied this in college.It's kind of the same idea as Jeanniebean's Holographic Reality.There is a greater reality of the Forms (JBs Higher Density levels) but we only see the shadows on the wall of the cave(our world) cast by the light of the greater reality

Smiles when you hold up the lamp to see the way do you look at the light or the path you wish to trod?

The human race has existed for barely a blink of the eye in comparison to the universe. I would be very deeply disappointed if I thought we knew all there was to know, but luckily this is not the case. It is obvious to anyone that there is such a huge reservoir of knowledge and understanding in this universe. It would be egotistic to not believe in the possibility that all we currently know is just the shadows. History has shown that even if for a short time we prefer the shadows to reality, in the long term truth always finds the light of day.

Plato's story describes peoples' resistance to view reality in a different way. This resistance has been shown several times in history, such as the discovery that the earth was round and not flat as previously believed. And, when the discovery that the sun was the center of the universe and not earth, this met with great resistance also.
I believe people have different purposes in life. Some are supposed to learn things while being "in the cave", and going outside the cave will not support their learning experience. While others are supposed to venture "outside the cave" to support their learning experiences in life. I think Plato preferred to go outside the cave and explore, and if told he couldn't, would not have been happy. And, vice versa, those "inside the cave" prefer to stay there to have their experience, and if told they must venture into the realm of the unknown, would not be happy.
I believe we should not judge what drives a person in their life; let them have the reality and experience they desire. And, try not to laugh at those who describe a reality outside the cave, and try not to riducule those who prefer not to discuss things outside their own reality.

What is interesting about Plato is that he enabled to pose questions or situations to have people contemplate the numerous possiblities of how to interpet a situation.

As one states ignorance another mentions their definition of what is meant by "the cave we dwell in".

And in the end we can nod our heads agreeing with the answers everyone gives.

Thank you for your input

well i thought long and hard about this, i can honestly say, im staying in my cave, ive been here a while, redecorated twice, spent weeks battleing flat pack furniture, ive had the flatscreen positioned in the most profitable place to get the right sound, and all my mail comes here. and with the market the way it is, i dont think i`d get what its worth if i moved, and i`d end up somewhere smaller without a parking space and probably in a rough area.
so im staying, ok

nodding my head agreeing.

I say follow your bliss.

I have found that most people get angry if you attempt to free them from their ignorance. They like living in the cave and are threatened by people that have seen the truth.

Ignorance really can be bliss.

Insofar as I am aware it is impossible to leave the cave of physical existence short of dying.

As you've mentioned, there are many situations this allegory could be a metaphor to.

For example, it could be a metaphor for being blinded by dogma, or social expectations, etc. I have exited from those caves many years ago.

However, if we take this to the deepest philosophical meaning of being freed from the physical condition into a condition of pure spirit then I'm at a loss. I personally see no way to free myself from the restraints of physicality other than though the very death of my physical body.

Now some people may equate this allegory with a need to place 'spiritual values' over 'material values'. But I find that to be quite murky territory indeed.

For example, putting our energy and attention into human relationship could be thought of as a 'spiritual' quest. However, when someone close to you dies, you suddenly realize that even human relationships are ultimately physical because human existence is ultimately physical.

Jesus taught something along these lines by saying, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal."

But what does this mean? Other than referring to some reward after death it can have no meaning. For even human relationships are 'treasures of the earth'. Because human bodies writher and die. Humans are physical treasures just like everything else. In fact, inanimate objects may last far longer!

The only other thing I can imagine that this could apply to is that we should attend to what is emotionally fufilling rather than merely was pleases the physical senses.

Yet, let's face it that the very act of making love is without a doubt a physical experience.

In fact, if we had no physical bodies romantic love would clearly be gender-free. In fact, would it even make any sense to speak of spiritual love in terms of romantic love.

If there are no physical bodies they closest we could get with someone would be to share their thoughts. There could be no physical contact.

A hug, a kiss, a touch of reassurance, are all physical.

So, when it comes to Plato's cave world I don't know what to think. I left the caves of dogma, and social expectations a very long time ago. But to move beyond the physical into the spiritual? Well, in all honesty I have no clue what that would even mean.

I can certainly love another and cherish them and comfort them and support them, etc., etc., etc. And I even carry that over to nature herself and all of nature's creatures.

But isn't even nature herself physical ultimately?

It seems to me that if there is any non-physical existence I cannot possible know it until by body dies.

I like what AB wrote:



What sense does it make to focus on the light itself when you cannot become the light. All you can do is dream of the day that you might become the light. But in order to become the light surely you would need to cease being the physical body that you currently are. You can only become the light through death of your physical body.

Thus whilst you are held captive in the cave you may as well focus on the illuminated path. What else can you do?

Starring into the light can become its own form of blindness.

no matter how much darkness you pile on a flame/light...it will not put it out.

achieving the balance of light and dark within one's self is key...I believe that if you can "see" it within...you can find it elsewhere as well.

Stillness Speaks~ great book by Tolle

A modern version of the "cave" is the internet, the "source of all knowledge". One reads an article about "teaching fourth graders" and believs he/she understands about the topic without actually teaching any fourth graders. The reality that the article was shaped by the inadequacies and prejudices of the writer (the shadow) goes unnoticed; as the fact that source data probably came, at least in part, from other internet sources (more shadows).

The actual knowledge (the light of understanding) contained in the internet is vast. However, there is an infinite amount of tainted, twisted, polished, smooth, massaged, shadows that obscure the representation of the hard truth to be found. On the other hand it could be said that all internet knowledge is a shadow.

The only way to appreciate the true beauty of a mountain .....
is to take a hike.

I really do not think Plato did either, he could talk a good game, but he was searching just like the rest of us . . .

I never leave my cave.

(But I have my computer )

Thanks to smiless for referring me to this thread. Interesting stuff! :)

What cave?

I just Be.