Ep. 30 – Flow: Symbolic Reality vs. Real Reality

Alan Watts Being in the Way

In a lecture on symbolic reality versus real reality, Alan Watts explains the importance of total sensory awareness and looking at our motivations.

"Symbolic Reality vs. Real Reality" is part of Flow, a three-part session in the TAO for NOW series of talks that you can listen to in full over at the Alan Watts Streaming Channel

Today’s episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/alan and get on your way to being your best self.

This time on Being in the Way, Alan Watts discusses:

• Being aware of all sensory inputs while meditating
• Allowing oneself ‘to be’ in a non-conceptual way
• Confusing the world of symbols for reality
• The limits to what we can enjoy in a material sense
• The uselessness of guilt
• Money, tithes, and western religion versus gurus
• Why our motivation and intention matters
• Experiencing life naked and directly
• The Taoist approach to letting go of your body-mind
• Using all five of our senses to witness our surroundings

This series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit Alanwatts.org for full talks from Alan Watts.

“The point is to be wide, wide awake and aware of your total sensory input without confusing it with the symbolic world of words and concepts so that you experience life naked and directly. Experience YOU naked and directly, without having in your head the concept of who you are a a role player, as a personality, as an ego.” – Alan Watts

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