Digest #11 - Escapism Isn’t the Answer

American cartoonist Lynda Barry said “We don’t create a fantasy world to escape reality, we create it to be able to stay.”

In modern culture, escapism is not only normalised, it is often glorified! Social media, entertainment, food, and travel are no longer seen as supplementary in our life but as necessary relief from it.

Is life meant to feel so overwhelming that we constantly crave escape?

Interestingly, escapism has evolved beyond just entertainment; we now look for distraction in things that appear meaningful.

Flooding our minds with podcasts without applying what we hear, consuming endless self-improvement content without real change, or turning to meditation simply to numb discomfort - these are subtle ways we avoid what reality is asking of us. This raises the question: can spirituality also become a form of escape?

In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna reached a point of complete collapse and considered retreating from the battlefield. Yet Krishna did not support this impulse. Instead, he guided Arjuna to develop the clarity and strength to face it.

Krishna explains in Bhagavad-gita (3.4) that freedom does not come from renouncing what we need to confront. In fact, this is what often keeps us trapped in the very overwhelm that draws us to escape in the first place.

When approached sincerely, spiritual practice becomes transformative. Meditation, reflective study of spiritual books, engaging with those that uplift us, has immense power to steady the mind, fortify relationships, and provide a clearer sense of purpose. Reality becomes easier to face, to such an extent that we naturally detach from this perceived ‘need’ to escape.

This is why the Bhagavad-gita is deeply practical - it grounds us so we can participate in life more fully, not withdraw from it.

This week, reflect on how you approach spirituality. Consider that real spirituality is not an escape from life’s challenges, in fact, it is what prepares you to meet them.

One-Minute Practice

The next time you instinctively reach for your phone:

Place it back down and notice what arises within you: restlessness, boredom, the urge to avoid a particular situation or feeling.

Then, gently return your attention to what is in front of you.

When done consistently, this small act of discipline strengthens our ability to practice tolerance and stay present, rather than turning away at the first sign of discomfort.

Watch the video below by S.B. Keshava Swami which emphasises how spirituality enables us to face life more consciously: