The prodigal son coming to himself remembers his father.  He does not remember the Father till he comes to himself.  He began to rediscover his Father’s image (The Paternal image) within himself.  This image of the Father is what essentially made him different from the pigs.  The one thing these pigs cannot do is come to themselves.  At last, the prodigal son came to himself.  He did what that lost sheep could never do.  He reflected.  He bent back on his own act of thought, something only a human being can do.  Angels and animals cannot do it.  Only human beings can reflect on their own active thoughts.  A sheep can never return on its own.  Because there can be no return without reflection.  That is why the fallen angels will be forever fallen.  They have no ability to reflect.  It is already over.  The animal has no ability to reflect either.

A human being is distinguished by the freedom of reflection, which enables him to bent back on his own active thought and reconsiders.  The prodigal came to himself and rediscovered his soul saying I will arise and return to my Father.