Alan Watts once said, “The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.” It sounds easy, doesn’t it? But if you’ve ever been dragged into the depths by the chaos of your own mind, you know that just “being alive” can feel like fighting a dragon with no sword, no armor—just your raw, trembling will.

For me, Watts’ teachings weren’t just philosophical musings; they were a lifeline. As someone navigating the extremes of bipolar disorder, my battle wasn’t just external—it was a war within. Too much energy, and I’d soar too high, burning in the brilliance of mania. Too little, and I’d sink into the suffocating dark of depression. Zen Buddhism, as taught by Watts, helped me tame that dragon—not by slaying it, but by learning to understand it, to move with it, and to harness its fire. It didn’t hurt that after 16 years of therapy, a healthy dose of mushrooms rewired my brain enough to see my dragon not as a beast to fear, but as an untamed force I could learn to partner with.

The Dance of Philosophy and Chaos

Watts often compared life to a dance, a flowing movement without a rigid destination. But when you’re in the grip of mental illness, life doesn’t feel like a dance. It feels like a fight—a brutal, unrelenting struggle to keep your head above water. Watts didn’t deny the chaos. Instead, he invited me to see it differently, to embrace the messiness of life as part of the dance.

He said, “You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago.” For someone whose identity often felt like a shifting mirage—manic brilliance one moment, depressive void the next—this was liberating. It wasn’t about fighting the dragon of bipolar disorder or pretending it wasn’t there. It was about taming it, learning its rhythms, and letting its fire illuminate rather than consume.

Therapy helped me name the dragon, but studying Zen taught me how to tame it. And mushrooms? They gave me the courage to look it in the eyes and laugh. You can’t take yourself too seriously when the universe starts whispering, “Hey, maybe you’re both the hero and the villain in your own story.”

When I began studying mythology and storytelling, I often felt overwhelmed. Myths were vast, labyrinthine, full of heroes, monsters, and gods who seemed far removed from my reality. But Watts taught me that myths, like mental illness, are not obstacles—they’re mirrors. They reflect the universal struggle to find meaning in chaos, to turn pain into power.

This piece captures the raw confrontation between light and darkness, self and shadow. On the left, a monstrous, fragmented form emerges, its claws reaching outward, representing the primal chaos of inner fears and unspoken emotions. Its jagged tendrils drip into the void, symbolizing the inescapable pull of despair and anxiety. The right side shifts into abstraction—a solitary silhouette shrouded in smudged darkness, blending into the chaos around it. This figure, faceless and heavy, stands as the embodiment of resilience and stillness in the face of overwhelming shadows.
The split composition highlights the tension between externalized demons and the quiet, haunting internal struggles that reside within us all. The stark, monochromatic palette amplifies the emotional gravity, while the sketch-like, textured strokes evoke a sense of urgency and unresolved pain. This image speaks to the duality of existence—the battle to acknowledge and tame the forces within us, rather than being consumed by them.

Taming the Dragon: Zen and Mental Illness

Living with bipolar disorder is like riding a rollercoaster you can’t get off. The highs are dizzying, the lows are crushing, and stability feels like a distant dream. Watts didn’t offer me stability—he offered me something better: acceptance. Through Zen Buddhism, he taught me to stop resisting the ride, to stop trying to control what couldn’t be controlled.

One of Watts’ most profound lessons was the idea that life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced. “You are the universe experiencing itself,” he said. This perspective didn’t erase my pain, but it transformed how I related to it. My highs and lows were no longer signs of failure; they were part of the flow of existence, no more unnatural than the rising and falling of the tide.

Zen isn’t about erasing the dragon—it’s about taming it, understanding its fire, and learning how to wield it. In practical terms, this meant embracing the unpredictability of my energy. When the highs came, I rode their creative wave. When the lows hit, I allowed myself to rest, knowing that the cycle would turn again. Therapy gave me the tools, Zen gave me the perspective, and mushrooms? Well, they helped me see the dragon wasn’t just a monster—it was me all along.

Understanding Philosophy: A Journey into Existentialism

To understand philosophy is to plunge into the depths of existence itself. Ancient philosophers sought to answer fundamental questions:

What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? How should we live?

In modern times, existentialist thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus reframed these questions, acknowledging the absurdity of existence while challenging us to create our own meaning.

For Watts, philosophy was not about dry intellectualism but a living, breathing inquiry into the nature of reality. He taught that understanding life begins with accepting its paradoxes: joy and sorrow, light and dark, chaos and order. This existential approach resonates deeply with the hero’s journey and the myths of transformation.

Existentialism challenges us to confront the void, to acknowledge the absurdity of life without being consumed by it. It asks us to create meaning in a world that offers no guarantees. Watts, Campbell, and Jung all tapped into this idea, showing that the search for meaning is not an endpoint but an ongoing process—a journey as vital as the destination.

The Connection Between Watts, Campbell, and Jung

Alan Watts, Joseph Campbell, and Carl Jung might seem like they come from different worlds—philosophy, mythology, psychology—but their work converges in the realm of the human experience.

Joseph Campbell gave us the hero’s journey, a universal narrative of transformation. He showed us that the trials and tribulations we face are not meaningless—they’re the crucible in which we forge our strength.
Carl Jung gave us the tools to navigate that journey. His concept of archetypes—the hero, the shadow, the trickster—revealed the psychological underpinnings of myths and how they mirror our inner worlds. He taught us that to become whole, we must face the darkness within.
Alan Watts taught us how to live within that journey. While Campbell’s hero embarks on a quest and Jung’s archetypes guide the way, Watts reminds us that the journey itself is the point. Life isn’t about reaching some final destination; it’s about embracing the ride, no matter how wild it gets.

Together, these thinkers offer a framework for understanding ourselves. Campbell provides the map, Jung explains the terrain, and Watts teaches us how to walk it—or dance with it, if you prefer.

The Mythology of Healing

Myths aren’t just stories—they’re survival guides. Persephone’s descent into the underworld mirrored my own trips into the depths of depression, teaching me that even in the darkest places, there is the potential for return. The trickster reminded me to find humor in chaos, to see even my lowest moments as opportunities for growth. And Heracles’ battle with the Hydra taught me that some struggles are multi-headed, requiring patience and strategy rather than brute force.

Watts’ philosophy tied these lessons together. He taught me that healing isn’t about defeating the dragon; it’s about taming it. Myths gave me the tools, Jung gave me the language, and Watts gave me the courage to live the story.

Reflective Prompts Inspired by Alan Watts

What does your dragon look like? Reflect on the challenges you face and how they shape your story.
How do you navigate chaos? Write about moments when you’ve felt out of control and how you found your way through.
What lessons can you learn from your pain? Explore how your struggles have shaped your growth.
How can you embrace the dance? Consider how letting go of control might change your relationship with uncertainty.

Closing Thoughts: The Journey Ahead

Watts once said, “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” This is the heart of his philosophy—and the heart of living with mental illness, of navigating storytelling, of being human. The dragon is not your enemy. It’s your partner in the dance.

As we delve further into Philosophy & the Psyche, we’ll explore how thinkers like Watts, Campbell, and Jung illuminate the path to healing and self-discovery. This journey is not about taming chaos but learning to flow with it, to find meaning in the mess.

Alan Watts: A Brief Biography and Legacy

Alan Watts (1915–1973) was a British-American philosopher, writer, and speaker who became one of the foremost interpreters of Eastern philosophy for the Western world. Born in Chislehurst, England, Watts showed an early fascination with Asian culture and religion, eventually moving to the United States to pursue a career in theology and philosophy. He earned a master's degree in theology and became an Episcopal priest before leaving the clergy to focus on his passion for writing and public speaking.

Watts authored over 25 books, exploring topics such as Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and the philosophy of living in the present moment. His accessible style and ability to bridge Eastern and Western thought made him a popular lecturer, often described as a spiritual entertainer. Watts’ teachings emphasize the interconnectedness of all things, the importance of living fully in the moment, and the art of embracing life’s uncertainties.

Books by Alan Watts

The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety
The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
Way of Zen
Become What You Are
This Is It: and Other Essays on Zen and Spiritual Experience
Nature, Man and Woman

Media and Legacy

Alan Watts’ voice and ideas continue to resonate through various media:

Television and Radio Programs: Watts’ lectures were broadcast on radio and television, including his series Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life.
Recorded Lectures: Hundreds of recorded talks, available online through platforms like YouTube and the Alan Watts Organization.
Websites: The Alan Watts Organization continues to preserve and share his work, offering resources for both new and seasoned seekers.

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Alan Watts and the Art of Taming the Dragon

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Alan Watts and the Art of Taming the Dragon

The Demons Within: Myth, Mental Illness, and the Stories We Tell

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