Rolf A. Loch - 23 January 2021
Our perception of reality is, by its very nature, an illusion. In other words, it is an illusion to think your reality is real.
An illusion is defined as a false idea or belief, or as a distorted perception of reality. However, our perception is per definition a distortion of reality, simply for the fact that our brain functionality and our senses are very limited. Some perceptions are just more obviously distorted. We cannot possibly know everything and our brains cannot digest all possible information and uses many filters, called biases. Even our collective human knowledge (of which each one of us possesses only an extremely small fraction) is very limited of what can possibly be known. Both in the past and this day and age, the collective human arrogance made and makes us belief we know everything by now, only decades or centuries later to be proven wrong or incomplete all along. Hence, our formed beliefs and ideas, by their very nature, are incomplete and false as they are based on only a very small amount of information, and hence, a very small part of the truth.
For example, we can only see a very narrow range of the spectrum of Electromagnetic waves, which we call visible light from blue to red (400-700 nm). If we could only see X-ray wavelengths, we would see the world completely different. We can only hear a very narrow range of sounds between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. If we could only hear ultrasounds, like bats, we would perceive the world completely different. We can only sense a very narrow range of temperatures that our body considers cold or hot. Even within this narrow range, people experience this differently. What feels hot for some can feel cold to others. The same food can have a completely different taste and sensation for you than for me.
Your reality is formed by what you pay attention to. Every sensation, emotion and thought results in a perceived subjective feeling. What you think is true, what you perceive, is merely the best attempt of your brain to form an illusion that feels the most realistic to you, which we call an experience. Together, all our own experiences are combined in what we call reality.
Some illusions are just more obvious, leaving us thinking that the non-obvious ones are no illusions. The thoughts about the past or future are an even bigger illusion than being in the presence. Yet, most people spend most of their times thinking about the past or future. As another example, we are aware of the tricks of optical illusions, some of which are also more obvious than others. Optical illusions can be great fun, and your reality and everything else becomes funny once you understand that your reality itself is an illusion. You can take yourself less serious. Especially when you zoom out and see a slightly bigger picture of it all.
Furthermore, it’s also an illusion to think that you can be objective. And the more convinced you are of your objectivity, the more likely you are extremely subjective, especially when that conviction results in emotions of anger, resentment and resistance. Let’s emphasize it again, by the very nature of the brain’s functioning and human biases and perceptions, it is impossible for anyone to be objective. We can merely train ourselves and try to be less subjective.
The consequence is that when you believe someone else is wrong, you’re right. But when you believe you yourself are right, you’re wrong.
Understanding these illusions, brings you the illusions of freedom and enlightenment. You start to realize that we easily get stuck in the illusion of time, the illusion of separation, the illusion of love, the illusion of control, the illusion of mind and matter. And moreover, the illusion of Self, the illusion of reality and the illusion of truth.
Be careful though, it’s illusive to consider yourself illuminated. The more convinced you are of your illumination or enlightenment, the more likely you are still living in a big illusion of your Self. I still am. And this insight is probably also incomplete, hence still an illusion.