Plato's famous Allegory divides reality essentially into 2-worlds, the Visible, Sensible World, &, the Intelligible World, which is at a higher level as one leaves the cave & begins to seek deeper, higher meaning & purpose... No longer, then, are the shadows or statues, the underground copies of daylight objects, the sole reality; but, instead, there is an unwavering ascent toward higher epistemological knowledge, the theory of knowledge, towards Noesis (rational activity) which refers to The Sun, The Good - The Beatific Vision.
This highest knowledge is attained thru stages: Dianoia (“smart person”) to Episteme (‘wise person”) &, finally, Noesis (“wisest person”) which represents the highest human knowledge, i.e., one who has seen ultimate reality, having left the cave & ventured beyond into the realization of higher & higher levels of consciousness & being…
In the allegory, Plato likens people untutored in the Theory of Forms to prisoners chained in a cave, unable to turn their heads. All they can see is the wall of the cave. Behind them burns a fire. Between the fire and the prisoners there is a parapet, along which puppeteers can walk. The puppeteers, who are behind the prisoners, hold up puppets that cast shadows on the wall of the cave. The prisoners are unable to see these puppets, the real objects that pass behind them. What the prisoners see and hear are shadows and echoes cast by objects that they do not see.
In "Allegory of The Cave," Plato goes on to present the hypothesis that one of the prisoners (who he often referred to as the philosopher or intellectual) would eventually be released or escape from his chains and flee the cave.
At first, Plato says that the Freed Prisoner would be confused at what he saw. He would suffer sharp pains; the glare would distress him, and he would be unable to see the realities of which in his former state he had seen the shadows....
In conclusion, Plato's story of the cave brings up many philosophical points and most importantly, addresses the issue of society's role in our lives. To some degree, we are all influenced by the thoughts and actions of others; however, at the same time, we have the ability to question, draw our own conclusions, and ultimately make our own choices.