Acharya Prashant addresses the question of how to regain one's inner child, emphasizing that the child is already present but often suppressed by a need to appear mature, serious, and respectable. He distinguishes between being childish and being childlike, noting that true maturity involves being both an adult and a child simultaneously. He explains that the mind's defense mechanisms often oppose the innocent impulses of the child. Furthermore, he clarifies that the heart is distinct from both conditioned thought and biological instincts. While thoughts and instincts are interconnected parts of the mental baggage inherited from society and ancestors, the heart operates beyond them. He describes the heart as unreasonable, joyful, wise, and dangerous, suggesting that people often avoid living from the heart because they prioritize safety over the exhilaration and ecstasy that the heart provides.
