Multiple commentators emphasize the phrase "he came to himself." They explain that a life of sin is portrayed as a kind of insanity or being "out of one's head." The prodigal was estranged from his true self and reality. Therefore, repentance is not just a change of mind, but a return to sanity—a moment of God-given clarity where a person awakens from the delusion of sin and begins to see their situation as it truly is.