Do you ever feel like you are just a human being who sprang up from nothingness into existence, into a life you haven’t asked for, into a world you haven’t created, into a society you haven’t chosen, with a cultural history always already behind you out of which you must carve your own future, your own personal destiny? Do you ever feel like you are nothing but one, single, individual creature in a constant showdown against the natural world, in a universe so utterly separate from you, which is unfathomably mysterious, random and meaningless, empty and dark? Do you ever feel like you are an isolated ego, a strictly individual person, a soul “housed in a bag of skin”, a creature that is completely distinct from their friends, family members, neighbours – and the world? Do you ever feel like throughout the course of your life, you experience nothing but continuous striving, forever competing for wealth, status and power in this hopelessly futile attempt to control the chaos of your daily life? If so, then you should ask your doctor about – never mind, bad idea. But you should definitely check out Alan Watts’ The Book on the Taboo against Knowing Who You Are. (Get it, “check out”…?) 

Alan Watts, the British philosopher who has been described as the spiritual father of the 1960’s counter-culture, is known primarily for his work attempting to popularize and make accessible to Western audiences the world-views of the so-called “Eastern Philosophies,” found in Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism. Drawing on these rich traditions, Watts argues that this picture of the human being as an isolated ego “housed in a bag of skin”, the picture which many would consider to be a common-sense description of the human condition, is an illusion. You do not confront the universe. As Watts puts it, you are the universe.  In this short, concise work, Watts, with his trademark wit, spells out in his clear, humorous style, the idea that there truly exists only one thing: you. Taking his cue from the Hindu Vedanta philosophy, Watts discusses the idea that Supreme Being (you) becomes universe and its inhabitants, including every human and animal, as part of a cosmic game of hide-and-seek, all in order to escape eternal boredom. Each person’s life can be understood, at least in part, as a journey to re-discover their true identity as the Supreme Being in disguise.

For those interested in these ideas, Alan Watts was a prolific public speaker, giving numerous lectures, seminars and radio talks in his plain, conversational style, which often times seem indistinguishable from some of the best stand-up comedy routines. Most of these talks are available on YouTube, with such awesome, provocative titles as: “Changing the Perception of Time,” “The Architecture of Insecurity,” “The Key to Freedom,”  “You Are Who You Keep Seeking,” “Enjoying My Own Suffering,” and “Wisdom of the Ridiculous.” You can check these out without having to check them out.