| The ancient philosopher Plato (circa 427-347BC), | | | | Applying This to the Present Day |
| wrote many astounding works. One of his largest, | | | | This can be applied to each and every one of us. |
| The Republic, contains the oft-referred to Allegory of | | | | Every day we choose what we believe to be true. |
| the Cave. | | | | Plato referred to this as "eikasia" which he used to |
| Explanation of The Cave: | | | | refer to a human's way of dealing with appearances. |
| Prisoners are chained deep down in a cave, from | | | | It is the ability to perceive whether a perception is an |
| very early childhood. Their arms, legs, and head are all | | | | image of something else; allowing us to see that a |
| chained so that they cannot move, only stare at the | | | | dream or memory, or even a reflection in a mirror, is |
| wall before them. | | | | not reality. We all have puppeteers in our lives |
| Behind them is a huge fire. Between them and the | | | | influencing what we believe to be true, such as |
| fire is a raised path, on which shapes of animals, | | | | Plato's object carriers and Neo's Matrix. Our parents, |
| plants, and other items are carried. This casts | | | | teachers, governments and media all influence what |
| shadows on the wall, which transfixes the prisoners; | | | | we think. It is our job to "awaken", and sort through |
| and when one of the carriers speaks, the sound | | | | things diligently to see the truth for what it really is. |
| echoes throughout the cave so the prisoners believe | | | | This is our own personal "Path to Enlightenment", our |
| that it is coming from the shadows themselves. The | | | | own journeys out of the cave and in search of the |
| captives play a sort of "name game" with one | | | | sun. |
| another, giving names to the shadows, which are the | | | | How This Relates to Our Health: |
| only reality they know. | | | | Some of us today are seeing the truth of our |
| Now picture one of the prisoners is freed from his | | | | situation, and luckily our numbers are growing. We are |
| bonds, and is beckoned to stand and turn around. He | | | | sick, we are suffering, and we are dying. Why? Our |
| would sense pain in his body, and would be blinded by | | | | meat comes from factories. Our vegetables and |
| the glare of light. The shapes passing before him | | | | fruits are contaminated with pesticides and herbicides. |
| would seem less real than the shadows that they | | | | Our seeds are being genetically engineered, and can |
| cast. | | | | now be patented. |
| Upon leaving the cave, he is once again blinded by | | | | Our grocery carts are filled with the latest boxes and |
| the increase in light. At first he only sees dark | | | | packages of low-fat, low-carb, eat healthy, lose |
| silhouettes of things, then he begins to see objects | | | | weight GARBAGE, yet we scoff at the prices of |
| more and more clearly as his eyes adjust. | | | | organic foods. Where once was a bowl of dough |
| The last thing he would see is the sun itself, which he | | | | rising on the counter to be baked fresh from whole |
| learns creates all of the seasons, and shapes and | | | | grains for the family dinner table, now sits a box of |
| touches all that surrounds him. | | | | Bisquick. |
| Returning to the cave so that he may free his fellow | | | | Our milk contains pus and antibiotics, our meats |
| prisoners, his eyes do not adjust well to the | | | | contain nitrates, our drinks and many foods are laden |
| darkness. He cannot play their name game as quick, | | | | with high fructose corn syrup. In an effort to |
| and they believe him to be blinded from his venture | | | | minimize our waist-lines we consume the poisonous |
| away. They think that this will happen to them, and | | | | wood alcohol methanol, an ingredient in aspartame. |
| so do not want to be freed, and out of this fear | | | | We have stolen from the earth, taken what was |
| become murderous to anyone intending to do so. | | | | natural and healthy for us and made it unnatural and |
| Current Version: | | | | inherently detrimental. Our children are growing up on |
| A present day version of The Cave could be likened | | | | sugar and refined foods and we stare blankly when |
| to a movie many of you will remember; "The Matrix", | | | | someone tells us that we are clogging their arteries |
| and Neo's path to enlightenment. In the movie, Neo | | | | even before they hit puberty. |
| knows that there is more truth out there than what | | | | Our doctors prescribe us pharmaceuticals to address |
| he sees, and chooses to swallow the pill that will | | | | our health concerns, which in turn cause us more |
| allow him to progress further and learn. He soon | | | | problems that lead to more prescriptions. We |
| awakens to find himself bound in a liquid filled | | | | complacently believe that cancer, heart disease, |
| container. Breaking free, he begins a journey, learning | | | | diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome are just |
| about the realities of present life, negating all that he | | | | the side effects of growing old, and the |
| knew before. He begins to see the world for what it | | | | pharmaceutical companies will keep coming out with |
| really is; learning that his former world was merely | | | | more products to "save" us. |
| created by a computer program, known as "The | | | | Our waists are expanding, our hearts and livers and |
| Matrix". Neo goes on to realize that while he has this | | | | kidneys are failing. Our arteries are clogging at |
| knowledge and can accept it and live in what is truly | | | | alarming rates and yet still, what do we do? |
| reality, most people are not ready. They are too | | | | Supersize that, please. |
| fragile for the truth, and would resist or even die | | | | We MUST get back to reality. We MUST get back to |
| from the knowledge. Even some of those that | | | | nature. |
| learned the truth failed to thrive in the real | | | | I urge you all, break free of your bonds and WALK |
| environment, choosing instead to be placed back | | | | OUT OF THE CAVE!!! |
| within the false reality. | | | | |