<p>In the modern digital era, people increasingly consume not for utility or need, but for the meanings attached to products. This shift, driven by the intertwining of capitalist logic and sign-value, has spawned a dual alienation: new forms such as the “sign cocoon”—a symptom of hyperreality where signs become more real than reality itself—and the “frictionless consumption” of digital payments create a closed loop between consumption alienation (capital manipulating individuals through signs) and mental alienation (individuals actively accommodating this due to “ego-attachment” – ātma-grāha). Individuals become mired in identity anxiety and spiritual emptiness. While Marxist alienation theory profoundly reveals how capitalist logic shapes social structures, it insufficiently explains the psychological mechanism of individuals’ active participation. Conversely, Zen wisdom on “breaking attachments” (po zhi) sees through the illusions of “attachment to self” (ren wo zhi) and “attachment to dharmas” (fa wo zhi), but struggles to address the social structural roots of alienation. This study employs interdisciplinary dialogue, placing Marxist alienation theory and Zen thought within the same analytical framework. It reveals their complementarity: the sign domination shaped by capitalist logic requires breaking external shackles through social structural change (e.g., regulating capital). Meanwhile, the materialistic delusions bred from “ego-attachment” require achieving inner clarity through “mindful consumption” (zheng nian xiao fei) and “wisdom through deconstructing attachments” (po zhi guan hui). This dual-path approach, addressing both internal and external dimensions, provides an integrated perspective for understanding alienation in the digital consumer era and offers guidance for individuals to break free from its constraints and regain their subjectivity.</p>