In one of my Facebook status updates I said, “The Illusion has truly warped my view of life and I feel my soul looking for a better understanding, but of what?” Afterwards, one of my good friends asked, “What is The Illusion?”

It took me a while to figure out where I had first heard the term “The Illusion”. I think I had used the term on my own, originally. However, I ran across the term in Ainslie MacLeod’s “The Instruction” earlier this year. On page 34, Ainslie says, “The Illusion is, quite simply, the belief that what you see is all there is – that life begins and end on this Physical Plane.”

I am no expert on The Illusion that Ainsle portrays. I don’t feel comfortable trying to explain his position. I do, however, want to take a brief moment to explain what I mean when I use the term “The Illusion…”

I use the term, The Illusion, to describe a view point on reality that is commonly referred to as “normal”. But it’s more than that. The Illusion is a consciousness that encroaches upon each and every one of us. It morphs our sense or what is important in this plane. It tells us what we should be doing with our lives and how we should perceive others and their actions. It influences ever decision that we make.

The Illusion turns us into taxpayers, owners of cars and houses, consumers, religious finatics, and racists. The Illusion convinces us that war is a solution and that conservation is lifestyle choice rather than a necessity. Here in America, The Illusion tells us that it’s okay to make hasty decisions, because we’ll be able to find a way out or someone will help us.

Simply put, The Illusion is the set of lies that we are told and believe in on a daily basis. I honestly believe that we all feel we’re part of something bigger than our individual selves. And truly we are. I just have this feeling that what we feel we’re a part of isn’t really that which we believe it. Think about it. We are all Americans, but how many times has America turned out to be about something you didn’t believe in? If you doubted “our” intentions for invading Afghanistan or Iraq, then I’d wager you can understand what I mean. If you’ve ever wondered why it was okay for this country to be stolen from its indigenous peoples or why it was okay to enslave people to build a country that was founded by rejects, then perhaps you understand where I’m coming from.

The funny thing is, I can see The Illusion fading. Oh, you may not believe me. Instead, you may believe that The World is coming to an end in 2012. Or you may believe that Jesus is coming back for you. My best guess, though, is that freedom from The Illusion is coming. They say the truth shall set you free. However, I don’t think you can be see the truth for what it is while you still buy into The Illusion. I also think that you cannot be “free” until you’ve at least realized that The Illusion is not the truth.