Acharya Prashant explains that the phobia of lizards is a bodily reflex. He states that one is carried away by this reflex because of giving too much importance to one's own body. The issue is that the mammalian body does not like the reptilian body, a dislike rooted in evolutionary history where mammals were preyed upon by giant reptiles like dinosaurs. This fear has become ingrained in our DNA and cells. So, even though the dinosaur has now become a humble lizard, these age-old, ancient memories stored in our cells get triggered. The speaker clarifies that the genius and use of spirituality lie in realizing the distinction between oneself (consciousness) and the body. The body is described as a conditioned, programmed machine with its own attractions and aversions. However, one is not obliged to follow the body's dictates. The correct relationship is for consciousness to be the master and the body to be the servant or resource. This is illustrated by the example of waking up to an alarm; while the body wants to sleep, consciousness can command it to get up. This understanding is then applied to the phobia. The fear of the lizard is a bodily dislike. However, there is a catch: if one indulges in the body's pleasures and attractions, such as loving a puppy or enjoying favorite foods, one will be forced to suffer its aversions, like the fear of a lizard. Both attraction and aversion are two sides of the same coin of bodily conditioning. The affinity for pets like dogs and cats is also evolutionary, stemming from domestication. True freedom comes from realizing that you are not the body and thus are not a slave to its programming. The world controls people through their body-identification, by threatening damage to the body. When you understand that the body is merely a neighbor and not your true self, you are freed from this control. Therefore, to be free from pain and fear, one must also be cautious and detached from pleasure, as both arise from the same bodily conditioning.
