Acharya Prashant explains that our perception of the world is heavily influenced by conditioning and memory. When we see an object like a tree, our physical eyes see the form, but our mind immediately attaches meanings and stories based on past impressions. He suggests that while we cannot stop the mind from creating meanings, we should choose meanings that lead us toward truth and liberation rather than those that create further mental entanglements. He emphasizes the importance of self-observation and questioning the utility and peace-giving nature of our thoughts to avoid being trapped in our own 'bad company.' He further clarifies that true awareness or 'hosh' is not about following social norms but about recognizing one's own unconsciousness. Real awareness is always indirect; it is the realization that one was previously asleep or deluded. Acharya Prashant uses the analogy of water trapped in an ear to describe our state of being. Just as we get used to muffled hearing and only realize the blockage when the water finally comes out, we are often unaware of our spiritual deafness because we have become accustomed to it. True awakening brings a fresh and sudden realization of how unconscious we truly were.