The Truman Show - An Amazing Metaphor

Something away from Astrology, I thought about writing on this movie named The Truman Show (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Truman_Show) and the amazing spiritual metaphor it holds within itself.


The Movie - The Truman Show is a 1998 Movie. It stars Jim Carrey in Titular Role along with Natascha McElhone and Laura Linney. The movie is about an insurance salesman Truman Burbank, who is oblivious of the fact that his entire life is on a TV show and his family members are mere actors. It is like a child who is born on the sets of a Reality TV Show. He is surrounded by actors, who are playing different roles in his life, like that of a Father, a Mother, a Lover, a Wife, a Friend etc. These actors are well aware of the fact that they are playing a role in Truman’s life but Truman was obviously considering them as his real relatives and friends.


Then comes a time when Truman starts seeing similar patterns in his life and realizing that his daily life is more like a setup and someone else is controlling this setup. He first tries to convince his relatives and friends but as they were part of the setup, obviously they didn’t listen to him. Then he finally tried to escape from the set of the show and eventually succeeded.


The Metaphor - And these were my realizations when I watched this movie 1st time -


1. Name - It is ironical that name of the Movie and the main character is Truman and the whole movie was set in a Lie. Everyone except Truman was a liar there. It can be understood as that we can see things easily in contrast. So, we can see the truth easily when it is surrounded by fakes and lies.


2. But then where this movie and its metaphor really mesmerizes me is that in a way it is story of all of us.


3. Understand this whole world as the set of a Reality TV Show and we have taken birth here.


4. We are keeping this ego of doing and acting in a certain way in our lives and because of our actions, things are happening in our lives but then script is already written by a higher power which we understand as God.


5. In the Reality TV Show, script was set for everyone around Truman and the kind of situations/circumstances Truman will face but no script could have been written about how Truman will act, react or respond to those people or situations in life.

6. Likewise, script is written for the situations in our lives and the roles people will play in our lives for our evolution but our action/reaction/responses are totally within our control. It depends on us that with every experience, we want to become better or bitter.

7. People around us are also playing their respective roles as Parents, Partner or Friends and we are keeping the illusion that we have chosen them. This is why, many spiritual masters have said that go through this life as if you are sitting in a theatre watching a movie. These different people are coming in your life and playing their respective roles and going away. Likewise, you are playing your respective role in their life.


8. Then comes the time when rare few of us start seeing the pattern of a whole setup of this world and outer life, just like Truman saw it. These few individuals try to make others around them aware of the same, just like Truman tried to do. And other people are so much part of setup or engrossed into it that they are unable to realize that it is a setup.


9. Result is that these few individuals would need to outcaste or isolate themselves in order to find a way by which they can escape from this Setup, just like Truman did. Actually, the moment you realize that it is a setup, you can’t stay in the setup. Process of escaping from setup begins at the same moment.


10. Reality Show creator Christoff (which is improvisation of the name Christ) says to this extent in an interview that Truman has the ability to lead a normal life and if Truman is absolutely determined to leave the show then he could but he prefers his cell.


11. I would understand it as Creator/God telling us that each of us has the ability to be awakened if we are absolutely determined but right now, most of us prefer to remain in our cages.


12. But the portion I like most in this movie is when Creator of Show Christoff has direct conversation with Truman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_zYn-HHcyA). It is like God talking to an Individual who just got awakened. Truman asks - “Was nothing real”? Christoff replies - “YOU are real”.


13. I would understand it as God telling us that Consciousness or Soul is the only reality and everything else around it is a setup.


14. Eventually, Truman leaves the show and enter into this world. I would understand it as the awakened person leaving the attachments of this worldly life and settles down within himself in his consciousness.


This whole movie is an amazing metaphor on our worldly life and how we still have power within ourselves to realize the truth that we are nothing but consciousness then we are out of this game.


There has been a lot of discussions worldwide over the purpose of life or purpose of this world. I think this movie sums it up well that the whole purpose is just entertainment. Just like, entertainment was the purpose of The Truman Show but we start taking things seriously due to our attachments. So, we can say that another purpose of life or of this world is to realize the true self. As I said, in the beginning, we can see the real only when real is surrounded by fake. Likewise, we can realize the immortal consciousness only when it is surrounded by everything which is mortal.


Finally, this movie also gives a message around Fate Vs Free Will. Till the time, Truman didn’t realize that everything was a setup, he was taking actions thinking that he was acting due to his free will but in actuality, everything was scripted & a setup and he was induced into taking some actions which he thought as result of free will.


Then came the point when he started realizing that it was a setup from that day onward, his action were truly out of his own free will and were neither according to script nor induced by the script.


So, till the time we are unawakened, we only think that we are taking some actions but in reality actions are being induced by higher power (Gunas of the Nature).


Then when we are awakened, we are aligned with the higher power and our free will and divine will are aligned with each other.


Only difference which happens is in the quality of actions. When Truman hadn’t realized anything, his actions were mundane and when he realized that it is a setup, he tried to go away from mundane life. You can be part of play or game only till the time you don’t realize that it is a play. Once you realize that it is a play, you cannot play it anymore. All you can do is being “Witness” of play from far.


Enjoy the play till then. Thanks,