Acharya Prashant responds to a question about the gigantic catastrophes threatening humanity, which Carl Jung described as psychic events. The questioner asks for a way out of these man-made disasters, which are manifestations of the human psyche. Acharya Prashant begins by stating that the way out is the way in. He explains that while we see the physical consequences of psychic events, such as wars, nuclear disasters, and climate catastrophes, the inner disaster or chaos is, in itself, catastrophic, even if its external effects are not visible. He asserts that we are all messed up within, and this inner chaos sometimes manifests externally. He compares this to the buildup of tension between tectonic plates, which is invisible for a long time before a massive earthquake erupts. The core principle of Vedanta, he says, is that the world is a projection of the mind. If the mind is not taken care of, the world will inevitably be a messy place. He criticizes our education, culture, and upbringing for not teaching us to look within. Our senses are designed to look outwards, perceiving the world as an objective reality. This outward focus is a deviousness that prevents us from understanding who we are within. We are born with this outward-looking configuration, and our conditioning reinforces it with the philosophy that happiness is obtained through external acquisitions. This creates a double whammy: we are born defective and raised in an insensible way, leaving us oblivious to our inner environment, which is where we truly live. He illustrates this by noting that in deep sleep, our existence seems to cease for us, proving that our existence is within our own mind. Acharya Prashant argues that when a disease becomes commonplace, it is normalized and no longer seen as a disease. Similarly, our inner chaos and insanity have become the norm. He explains that technology is merely a tool, a direct function of our inner mental condition. Science is pure knowledge of the material, but what we do with that knowledge depends on our inner orientation. If the user is violent, possessive, fearful, and ignorant, then technology will be badly misused. The problem is not technology, but the desire of the user. He concludes that our very nature is being displaced, as we are told that being animalistic is our nature, whereas Vedanta says our true nature is a state of joyful understanding.
