"Illusion is the first of all pleasures.

"
-- Voltaire

Many of us have heard of the saying that "Life is an illusion." It is casually declared by many, and with such certainty I
might add, as if to imply an understanding of reality. But what does the saying really mean? Is everything really an
illusion or is it wishful thinking on the part of humans? Or is it because as T.S. Eliot says, "Humankind cannot bear very
much reality," that we cling to our illusions even if they contradict the obvious?

To assert that everything is an illusion poses a problem. If everything is an illusion, why bother trying, improving or
aspiring? Since none of what you experience, see or feel is real anyway, then who or what exists? The assumption may
be that nothing exists. But isn't this in a way a diminishment of life?

Everything you and I see, touch, smell and hold is real -- is it not? Many schools of thought throughout time have
pointed out that the world as we know it is an illusion. How could that be? Does that mean every experience I've had, or
every person you have loved or cared about is an illusion? If not, then what do they mean by the statement?

Could it be that reality is not an illusion but that our version of reality is an illusion? In other words, none of us are
perceiving reality for what it is but rather for what we wish it to be. Unfortunately, one simply cannot see things as they
really are, cannot be aware of reality, with illusions acting as mediators.

There is a difference between what something is and what we think it is. Actually what
we think is utterly inconsequential to what is. Illusions do not exist in the world (out there) but in here. The inner world
is fertile ground for illusions to take root which then get projected into the world, thus influencing the perception of
others about reality. These distortions, in the realm of reality, have no purpose other than for distraction and delusion.

So how can we know if illusions are creating reality? Well, we can't while we are under their spell and we can know only
after the illusions no longer exist that we were living in illusion in the first place. When we begin to understand the
difference between reality and that which we impose upon it through own thoughts, choices and beliefs, we will be
made to realize that much of our despair, anger or pain was fueled by these mis-perceptions.

Most conflict, whether on a personal or collective level, stem from illusions. In our daily lives there is infinite opportunity
to create them. We create them about our jobs, finances, relationships, friendships, love and life in general to shield us
from that which we view as undesired truths. We do not want to live in reality but are comfortable living in illusion and
we believe that somehow the gain far outweighs the effort needed to eliminate them.

As human beings we are conditioned (illusions) to hold onto culture, religion, tradition and politics even at the expense
of our well being. From these elements our identity is shaped, and how this identity expresses itself is unique to each of
us. Only time will tell if this identity is congruent with the essential self. In other words, illusions are learned and then
passed on. Without knowing it, we live and express these distorted ideas, practices and patterns that influence our
perceptions of reality and in turn create our reality. And then we point and say, "Look, that's reality." But upon further
exploration, we realize that our perception was the illusion all along and not reality itself.

To summon the courage to question or challenge beliefs, assumptions and certainties ushers in a wiser and more mature
perspective on reality. It takes experience to no longer mistake one for the other, and with time, life will reflect this
distinction. Just recently we saw this distinction at play as Egypt and her people discarded their illusion of fear and
powerlessness to reclaim their reality for freedom. People around the world are removing the veils at lightning speed --
illusions be gone -- its about time, don't you think?

The author's comments:

Sometimes the imagination or illusions do take over and separate us from reality
Our five senses provide us with the ability to experience reality; however, it is our imagination that gives us insight into
the far greater and complex aspect of illusion. The world in which we live is perceived through our interpretation of
what we see, hear, and perceive through the five senses. The times that the senses are dormant are the times that
illusions are created. There are some who believe life is an illusion, but can anyone truly differentiate between the two?
This is the question that writer's ask as they twist and concoct their plots of reality mixed with illusion. Hallucination
plays a certain role that reveals the protagonist's mental and emotional state. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte
Perkins-Gilman and Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe are explicit examples of how authors divulge into the world of
illusion but also stay in touch with reality.

In Poes Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator is an exquisitely intelligent man. This is recognized in the manner in which the
narrator scrutinized and assayed his fascination with the old mans eye. His split personality lied between illusion and
reality which in the end drove him insane. There is said to be a fine line between illusion and reality. This is depicted
perfectly in the Tell-Tale Heart. The narrator delineated a story in which an old man is murdered simply because his
evil eye caused his unbelievable agony and disturbed his psyche. The narrator did try to persuade readers that he was
normal; however, it is quite evident that the lack of distinction between illusion and reality adequately indicates his
insanity. As the story presses on, the narrator receives an unexpected visit from officers of the law. They enter quite
jovially which is the reality aspect, but the narrators imagination tells him that the men are jeering him because they are
aware of his deed. The narrator hears the old mans heart beating and explains it as such, My head ached, and I fancied
a ringing in my earsit continued and it became more distinct. His incompetency to differentiate reality with illusion
caused him to confess his vile crime because his conscience weighed heavy. The narrators illusions blur his reality.

The Yellow Wallpaper also focuses on the aspects of illusion vs. reality, but in this short story illusions were used to
escape reality. The narrator uses illusions to protect herself from reality, as she is forced to live isolated in a designated
room. This is due to her husbands refusal to accept her mental disorder; thereby, pretending it did not exist. She was
forced to communicate with the outside world through the yellow wallpaper on her wall. She used the wallpaper to
elude everyday struggles, one being her depression. No one understood what she was going through except the
imaginary woman in the wallpaper. The narrator saw the woman trapped, knowing she needed to be freed from the
wallpaper. This woman is symbolic of the narrator herself, who is in need of liberation. The narrator mustered up the
courage to rip down the wallpaper thus freeing herself from any previous bondage, her husband, the ignorance of the
world, etc. The narrator though previously emotional weak, destroyed her illusions and then was able to grasp reality.
Her insanity was aided by the fact that there was no appropriate remedy to deal with her depression. The narrators
illusion may have given her physical emancipation; however, she was still subjugated to the world of insanity, illusions.

Illusion versus reality forms a significant component of many works of literature including my own: Reality vs. Illusion
My heart is pounding like a drummer
The thought of life always makes me wonder
This body of flesh and bones is going under
The thought of death always makes me think
Are we an illusion or is this reality
Stuck between two parallel dimensions
Searching for answers to these questions
Is life just an illustration
And is God the illustrator
Or is it a demonstration
And me the demonstrator
Or is this life really real
And this reality is what we really feel
Reflections in the mirror
Couldn't reflect our souls any clearer
So what we see reflecting just draws us in nearer
Yet still we can't separate our reality from our illusions
So we keep dreaming and fantasizing until our reality becomes our conclusions.