| In the book The Republic, Plato tells the story of | | | | discovered to be real, both inside and outside the cave. |
| prisoners of war that were held captive in a cave for | | | | He told his friends of the cut-out monsters that terrified |
| such a long period of time, they could not remember | | | | them. About the sun outside the cave that was much |
| their lives before their captivity. These men were | | | | brighter than the fire that illuminated the cave. The free |
| forced to face the back of the cave wall for decades, | | | | man told his friends about all the wonderful things he |
| while a fire burned behind them for illumination. The only | | | | had discovered again in his new found freedom. |
| objects that the prisoners could ever see were the | | | | After hearing everything the free man had to say, the |
| cave wall, their own shadows and the shadows of the | | | | prisoners showed disbelief, mockery, and hatred |
| beasts guarding them. This was both terrifying and | | | | toward the free man. They thought, how could this |
| paralyzing for the men. | | | | man know better than they did? How dare the man |
| One day, one of the men found the courage to look | | | | pretend to know more than they did. |
| back at the fire and the beast guarding them. What he | | | | The free man left the prisoners in the cave and |
| found were ordinary men guarding over them. The | | | | walked back out into his freedom. |
| guards had cut-outs of monsters and projected the | | | | In today's world, we are allowed to walk anywhere |
| shadows to the back of the cave where the prisoners | | | | we want to inside the cave, its encouraged. The |
| were held. This was the easiest and most effective | | | | cut-out monsters are projected on every wall, floor |
| way for the guards to control the prisoners. | | | | and ceiling as well. Our scary shadows come from the |
| The knowing prisoner found an opportunity to escape | | | | same place that lights our cave. TV, Radio, Internet, |
| the cave and did so as soon as he could. When the | | | | Newspaper etc.. Once we free ourselves from the |
| free man stepped out the cave, he could not believe | | | | Maya (Illusion) we can walk back outside the cave and |
| his eyes. The sun, that he now remembered, was | | | | remember who we truly are, again. The first step for |
| much brighter than the cave fire. He smelled the | | | | the free man was to recognize the Maya. The second |
| flowers, remembering their scent from his youth. The | | | | step was to understand who he was not. The third |
| free man watched as people went about their daily | | | | step was to understand who he was, to "Know |
| lives, remembering his life before captivity. | | | | Thyself." |
| The free man was overwhelmed with the joy of | | | | As far as us going back into the cave to save our |
| remembering his former life, his real life. The free man | | | | fellow prisoners...the Illusion is slowly fading away. Many |
| wanted to free his fellow prisoners as soon as he | | | | will cling onto, "the good old days." Cling onto |
| could and planned his quest. The next day at an | | | | the projections of shadows that were on their cave |
| opportune time the free man made his way back to | | | | walls. Others will finally leave the cave and find a sun |
| the cave. When he found the guards away from their | | | | brighter than the cave fire and a SELF greater than |
| posts, the free man sprang into action. Running to his | | | | they could have imagined. |
| fellow prisoners and telling them of everything he | | | | |