In the Shape of your Shadow
How do we know when we are awake or when we are dreaming?
How do we know what we perceive is “real” or just “illusion”?
Taoist challenges (400 BC) towards definitions of reality and illusion, contain a metaphor of spiritual awaking. In the story of Zhuangzi's dream of butterfly (476–221 BC), the transition between “man” and “butterfly” refer to the transformation of material things. They indicate spiritual transformation. I am wondering if the “I” from different dreams is the same as the “I” of the awaking world? What is the boundary between “reality” and “dream”?
In the allegory of Plato’s Cave (380 BC) a group of people are chained to the wall of a cave for their whole live. Facing a blank wall they considered the shadows of themselves reality. Shadows on the wall might not be reality.
A fire lightning the walls of the cave might have created shadows.
Could we differentiate "reality" from "non-reality" through senses?
When one experience something so called “reality”, like in Zhuangzi’s case, how do we know if it is only another level of “dream”?








