During a lecture in New York, Swami Vivekananda narrated a lesson that he had learnt during his travels in the deserts of Western India. As he travelled through the desert for days on foot, he was surprised to see, every day, beautiful lakes with trees all around them and the shadows of the trees reflected in the cool waters of the lakes. He wondered why it was called the desert when there were so many lakes. For nearly a month, he travelled through the desert, watching these lakes. Then, one day, he was very thirsty. He decided to drink water from one of the lakes and started walking towards it. As he came near, the lake and the reflection of the trees in it vanished. With a shock, Swami Vivekananda realised that this was mirage that he had read about several times. Every day of the month, he had seen it, but had not realised that it was a mirage. The next morning, he began his march again. As he walked further, again there was a lake. But there was one difference. This time, he knew that it was a mirage.
In today’s digital world, there is a profound lesson to be learnt from Swami Vivekananda’s experience. The illusion that he saw was total, convincing and daily—till he watched it from afar. The moment he needed actual nourishment from it, it vanished. In the modern world, social media platforms, instant messaging apps and algorithmically curated feeds project a vibrant world filled with hundreds of ‘friends’, immediate responses and continuous life updates. On the surface, we seem to be surrounded by an endless oasis of human intimacy. Yet, much like Vivekananda’s desert lakes, this hyper-connectivity is often a digital mirage. A double-tap on a photo, a broadcasted story or a brief text exchange gives the illusion of connection. But these superficial interactions rarely offer emotional refuge. When real human thirst strikes—the need for empathy, understanding or physical co-presence—we reach our screens only to find cold glass.
We also need to keep in mind what happened after Swami Vivekananda realised that it was a mirage. The next morning, the lake reappeared as vividly as before. The illusion had not changed, but his perception had. Technological progress is a one-way street. Technologies already invented will not get destroyed; there will instead be many more. Technology has numerous benefits, so it is not feasible to shun it and retreat into isolation. What we need is the clarity of Swami Vivekananda’s awakening.
Once we develop the ability to differentiate between digital visibility and authentic human connection, the illusion will lose its power to deceive us. We can then navigate the digital desert without falling for its mirages.
During a lecture in New York, Swami Vivekananda narrated a lesson that he had learnt during his travels in the deserts of Western India. As he travelled through the desert for days on foot, he was surprised to see, every day, beautiful lakes with trees all around them and the shadows of the trees reflected in the cool waters of the lakes. He wondered why it was called the desert when there were so many lakes. For nearly a month, he travelled through the desert, watching these lakes. Then, one day, he was very thirsty. He decided to drink water from one of the lakes and started walking towards it. As he came near, the lake and the reflection of the trees in it vanished. With a shock, Swami Vivekananda realised that this was mirage that he had read about several times. Every day of the month, he had seen it, but had not realised that it was a mirage. The next morning, he began his march again. As he walked further, again there was a lake. But there was one difference. This time, he knew that it was a mirage.
In today’s digital world, there is a profound lesson to be learnt from Swami Vivekananda’s experience. The illusion that he saw was total, convincing and daily—till he watched it from afar. The moment he needed actual nourishment from it, it vanished. In the modern world, social media platforms, instant messaging apps and algorithmically curated feeds project a vibrant world filled with hundreds of ‘friends’, immediate responses and continuous life updates. On the surface, we seem to be surrounded by an endless oasis of human intimacy. Yet, much like Vivekananda’s desert lakes, this hyper-connectivity is often a digital mirage. A double-tap on a photo, a broadcasted story or a brief text exchange gives the illusion of connection. But these superficial interactions rarely offer emotional refuge. When real human thirst strikes—the need for empathy, understanding or physical co-presence—we reach our screens only to find cold glass.
We also need to keep in mind what happened after Swami Vivekananda realised that it was a mirage. The next morning, the lake reappeared as vividly as before. The illusion had not changed, but his perception had. Technological progress is a one-way street. Technologies already invented will not get destroyed; there will instead be many more. Technology has numerous benefits, so it is not feasible to shun it and retreat into isolation. What we need is the clarity of Swami Vivekananda’s awakening.
Once we develop the ability to differentiate between digital visibility and authentic human connection, the illusion will lose its power to deceive us. We can then navigate the digital desert without falling for its mirages.
