illusion

illusion \i-'lü-zhən\ n 1 : an artificially constructed image or impression created to mislead the mind into accepting what is not real 2 : a distorted or inaccurate idea of the true nature of things 3 : Most of our decisions in life are influenced by illusions, choosing between what we wish we could do and what our parents, priests, or peers have said we should and must do. The force that conjures illusions controls the average person. This force is also his major weakness, see FEAR 4 : Corporate media, the master illusionist, exploits both major and minor chords that play human weaknesses (lust, greed, pride, sloth avarice, gluttony, anger, envy, despair) capitalizing on the power of illusions to fool the masses into accepting a false reality that fails to harmonize with our true spirts. We know this, when we are still. But most of us are too busy and find it much more convenient to sing along with conventional mainstream illusions – they are more readily believed, see EASY 5 : What we presume as functional is far from the true nature of things. Certainly our belief in illusions is highly dysfunctional. We think our personalities are who we are. Our race, gender or the car we drive is our identity. Our religions the only way to God. We believe government rules, law enforces order, and freedom is the constitution of our country. We have accepted a standard of living that all should seek to achieve. Those few who go above and beyond this standard are lifted up as role models – Look, see! This is success. This is who you should aspire to be. The many who don’t reach these heights become susceptible to another illusion – You are a failure. You’ll never amount to anything. Those who lie between this dichotomy accept mediocrity, settling with the most common illusion of all – It doesn’t get any better than this, and if it does, it just wasn’t meant for me. There are those who defy such constructions, though their resistance is futile. Not because the systems of control can’t be defeated, but because it’s assumed control is an illusion. Fighting what does not exist is the ultimate obstacle illusion, one that cannot be overcome until the distorted vision is corrected, see TRANSFORMATION 6 : I have stumbled over obstacle illusions for most of my life. From the moment I wake up I am under the illusion that there is a concept of time, and a name for the day. That I am a black woman with overdue bills to pay. I must work to live, willingly do whatever it takes. I still believe that without struggle, there is no gain. But when death comes for me, none of this will matter. This led me to question, why does it matter so much in life? 7 : I read a book that provided my answer: it only matters if we choose. This fictional story by Richard Bach was a bestseller in the 60s, aptly titled Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. I’ve read it twice, the first time without much effect except to tease me with how free I could be if only I lived in an alternate universe. The second time I read it was after my first month of complete sobriety. The tale includes a handbook for the advanced soul. When faced with a question or otherwise confounding situation, the main character turns to this how-to manual for the Messiah in training. Though I am not trying to be anyone’s savior, I do aspire to be Christ-like, so I turned to a page at random, holding a couple questions in my mind, undecided as to which one I wanted answered: Can I stay sober? Where will this new direction take me? The answer on the page I opened to was liberating: “The world is your exercise book, the pages on which you do your sums. It is not reality, although you can express it there if you wish. You are also free to write nonsense, or lies, or tear the pages.” In other words, both failure and success are illusions. The direction is your choice.