Alan Watts — The Four Things You Lose When You Wake Up

Alan Watts explains what truly happens when one begins to awaken — not in the romantic sense of bliss or enlightenment, but in the raw, unsettling realization that everything we once took for granted begins to dissolve.

In this rare and profound talk, Watts explores the four things we lose when awakening occurs:
1. The ability to take the social game seriously.
2. Our innocence about human motivation.
3. The illusion of a solid, continuous self.
4. The belief in the ultimate importance of our own story.

What remains, he says, is not despair — but freedom.
Once you see through the game, you can never unsee it.