The Five Illusions of Man

Last Updated on August 24, 2023 by The Unbounded Thinker

For years, many philosophers and spiritualists have exposed several illusions of man.

I have studied these deceptive appearances and discovered the following five illusions of man.

The Illusion of Expectation

We always think that everybody must be the way we expect them to be, and we hate it when people don’t behave the way we want. We fail to realize that we’ll live peacefully with others when we embrace their flaws and avoid trying to control them in some manner.

The illusion of expectation also occurs when our expectations influence our experiences. For instance, some food might taste bad to us because we expect it to taste bad while some people might find the food yummy because they expect it to be delicious.

The Illusion of Attachment

The illusion of attachment occurs when we think we are one with our material possessions. It also occurs when we think our skills, academic qualifications, and achievements define who we are. This illusion reinforces egoic consciousness.

The Illusion of Immortality

Today, we seldom contemplate the fact that we are mortal beings because we think we will live forever or we will live a very long time. We forget that anyone’s death is around the corner and we avoid appreciating our loved one’s presence because we somehow think that they will live forever. This illusion of immortality prevents us from treasuring every moment of life because it makes us forget that life is short and we were born to die.

The Illusion of Achievement

Today, most of us believe we will be blissful and worry-free if we achieve success. We are unaware that we might be more vulnerable to worry, anxiety, or depression when we achieve success.

We don’t know that many successful individuals have committed suicide. These people believed success will eradicate all their problems, but to their surprise, they had more problems when they succeeded.

The Illusion of Separation

Organized religion has made us believe that we are separate from God. We think God exists in heaven while we exist on earth.

We are unaware that there is no separation between God and every creature, including us, because God manifests himself through ‘his’ creation. We forget that we are one with God because God’s spirit keeps us alive.