The Illusion of Reality: Philosophical and Scientific Perspectives
In a general sense, an illusion means a ‘deceptive appearance, false idea, belief or impression’ or you can say ‘an instance of a wrong or misinterpreted perception of a sensory experience.‘
According to Philosophy, there are many concepts of Illusion in human life. Idealism, Transcendental Ideology, Eternalism, Phenomenalism, Maya, and so on are all various theories that raise the interesting question, ‘How real is reality as we know it?’
Illusion is a central concept across some religions which say illusions arise from ignorance, distorted perceptions, and false beliefs, often linking them to concepts such as Maya or misconceptions about spiritual truths. Ultimately, overcoming these illusions is viewed as essential for recognizing and connecting with the underlying spiritual reality. Most religions preach nonetheless the same concept that there is all superior omnipresence and that we humans are just a part of the supreme almighty’s simulations.
Many scientists also postulate different theories of the Illusion of our existence. Some say we are all a part of a highly advanced external simulation, while some say a two-dimensional theory that briefly suggests that humans can perceive only two dimensions, there are even deeper layers in the universe that we cannot perceive through our eyes. Hence we Believe in what we See but I think maybe it’s the other way around, we See what we Believe. Quantum mechanics says that reality is what you choose it to be.
Let’s keep aside the Philosophical, Religious, and Scientific theories about the Illusion of human life which we never know for sure until proven. So the question is Are we living in an Illusion? I’d say Yes indeed! An illusion we created for ourselves. I like a famous quote that says ‘At some level, Everything is an Illusion and Nothing is an Illusion.’
From Evolution to Civilization: The Illusion of Human Progress
Humans are the most complicated beings on this planet. As evolution took place, humans started building a separate world around themselves-a world that did not align with the rest of the creatures.
Homo sapiens, the modern humans, first appeared around 300,000 years ago in Africa. Fossil and genetic evidence suggest that early Homo sapiens populations initially thrived in small groups, relying on advanced tool-making, hunting strategies, and social cooperation for survival. For millions of years all humans, early and modern alike, had to find their food. They spent a large part of each day gathering plants and hunting or scavenging animals. By 164,000 years ago humans were collecting and cooking shellfish and by 90,000 years ago humans had begun making special fishing tools. Early humans were nomadic. They used to move from place to place for various reasons like in the search of food, climatic conditions, external threats, etc. Mostly life was all about survival. But then, around 12,000 years ago, humans started farming, which gave them access to cultivate their food to meet dietary requirements. Eventually, humans started settling down in one place rather than wandering from place to place. Colonies were built up, societies formed and civilizations thrived.
In the beginning, humans used the Barter system to exchange goods, food, or any other essentials. But soon due to flaws in this system, humans started using Gold and Silver in exchange for their necessities and services. The paper currency system came into existence around 700 to 800 A.D. From the Barter system to paper money and from promissory notes to cryptocurrency, money has traveled way long into human lives and now it plays a crucial role in our existence. The wheel was invented around 3500 B.C. The marriage system was created around 2350 B.C. Humans invented a system to measure and track time. These systems have evolved through the ages and across cultures as humanity sought to understand and organize the passage of days, months, and years.
Exploring the Nature of Illusion in Human Existence
From evolution to the modern day, humans have built a world around themselves-a world which is run by a system. Humans started living for validation of this system. We believe that we are living in a world of our Free Will. But what we are living in is an imaginary or illusionary world in a way where there is a set of rules that allow us to live in their desired way.
Most of the human problems are created by humans themselves. Money, Education, Job, Marriage-Divorce system, Success, Pollution, many Health issues, Violence in the name of religion & land, Politics and so on every other problem is created by humans themselves. The life we imagine to be ours is based on the rules set by the society and it’s external validation. Here I’m not saying that there shouldn’t be a system at all.
We all might have heard about Honey bees. Honey bees usually live in colonies. The colony usually has a caste system, consisting of a queen, drones, and workers. Several thousand worker bees cooperate in nest building, food collection, and brood rearing. Each member has a definite task to perform, related to their adult age. But surviving and reproducing take the combined efforts of the entire colony. Individual bees (workers, drones, and queens) cannot survive without the support of the colony. Each colony has only one queen because she is the only sexually developed female, her primary function is reproduction. Drones (male bees) are the largest bees in the colony. Their main function is to fertilize the virgin queen during her mating flight. Drones become sexually mature about a week after emerging and die instantly upon mating. Although drones perform no useful work for the hive, their presence is believed to be important for normal colony functioning. The social structure of the colony is maintained by the presence of the queen and workers and depends on an effective system of communication. Every creature on this planet-trees, animals, insects, reptiles-has their own system that is required for their survival.
Finding Harmony in Illusion: A Conscious Approach to Existence
Then what’s the difference between humans and the rest of the world? The answer somewhere lies in our conscious awareness and our tendency to over engineer life. Unlike other species that live in harmony with nature, we humans try to dominate, dissect, and define it which in turn affects us in every possible way. We have built layers upon layers of artificial means like money, status, borders, beliefs, and identities. These are not necessarily wrong, but they are not absolute truths either. They are constructs born out of necessity, shaped by fear, and fuelled by imagination.
Even the simplest things we celebrate like birthdays, anniversaries, and special days-are illusionary in a way. We celebrate the passing of another year as if it marks some universal milestone, but time itself is a man-made construct. The Earth doesn’t recognize your birthday; it simply orbits the sun as it always has. We measure our lives in years, attach value to numbers like 18, 30, or 60, and let those numbers dictate our choices, expectations, and even emotions. But biologically, psychologically, and spiritually—we are evolving in ways no calendar can define. So what are we truly celebrating? A number? A societal expectation? Or an illusion that makes us feel in control of something as fluid as time?
We hold our stuff dear to us-our accessories, jewelry, electronics, and all the stuff that humans created but most of them are not even necessary for us but we imagine that the more expensive the stuff we possess, the more superior we are and get so much attached to this materialistic stuff that we start to judge or degrade others based on the materialistic things a person holds. The same goes for money. Money plays a key role in modern human life. Money gives us so much power that in today’s world a man is ready to do anything & everything for money and with money. But isn’t money created by humans just for the sake of their convenience? Why did it become so important in our lives? Because we made it. Money and all the stuff it gives us pushes us into an Entitlement. Isn’t this entitlement an illusion? Most of the people on social media are living in virtual reality, they find their happiness based on their likes and followers. But when it comes to the Reality of Life they are not as happy as they show it. Isn’t this an Illusion? An Illusion of Virtual Reality?
Animals kill to eat. Humans kill for profit, pride, or politics. A tree gives without asking. We calculate everything before giving. Ants build colonies; humans build empires-but often at the cost of the planet that nurtures them. The land we own, we believe to be ours doesn’t belong to us. It belongs to nature, the universe. Humans are making rapid progress in Artificial intelligence which will take over in the coming years. With AI there are already so many fake photos, videos, and news on the internet that in the near future we will lose a sense of Reality for real. It will become hard to identify what’s Real and what’s Fake. The actual outcome of AI in the progress of Mankind will be based on the way and the purpose we use it which will be seen in the near future. Our strength is our intellect, but our weakness is our detachment from instinct and simplicity.
We have reached the moon, decoded DNA, and built machines that think. Yet, many struggle to sleep peacefully or find meaning in their lives. Isn’t that the biggest illusion of all? That with so much progress, we’re still lost!
The real question might not be “Are we living in an illusion?” but “Can we live more consciously within it?” The goal isn’t to escape the illusion, but to understand it, to not be enslaved by it, and to find harmony in this layered existence.
Perhaps reality isn’t about what’s real or unreal, but how aware we are of the roles we play in the grand Illusion we call Life.
Inkwellery by Abhi 
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