What is real? What is the illusion? What's the difference between reality and truth?

Question

We live in an illusion-somewhat 'cause of our senses.Hinduism-maya (illusion)says so, too, although I don't believe in religion.Does religion not give people a firm grip at life? Does it not lie out all which life has to offer, and deprive individuals of wondering? Religion keeps structure in our insane world. People do not wonder, they do not question Truth because for them, they “know” what to live for, they believe they know the truth, written in their holy scripture-they are conditioned to believe certain reasoning, say, from their caregivers. But they are not to blame. Mankind cannot stand not knowing. For if they did never know the truth, it would drive them insane wondering. They need to be confident that they are stable in life, that they do not live in an illusion, that they are experiencing ‘reality’. What they do not know, they make up, they lie, they deceive themselves. I think mad men (geniuses) go insane and commit suicide because they get to close to the truth.

Do we pick the religion? No, we don't. Our "caregivers" teach it to us. As you are growing up, are you going to say "No, mommy, God doesn't exist, you're liying to me" no, a 4 year old won't say that. As you grow, you begin to believe it.

If you grew up with no influence wahtsoever from anyone, would you come to the conclusion that there's a God who created the world in 6 days-(i think) and that there's a heaven/hell, be a good personm, don't kill anyone. I don't think you would come up with such answers, w/o infuence from pthe people.

Answer 1

though some use it as such, religion shouldnt give you all the answers, you should choose a religion based on what you feel is "true" within your heart and spirit. i dont think closness to the truth, as you percieve it, would cause you to go insane or commit suicide,,,, often the geniuses who do that,,,,,, are super sensitive,,,, narrow (meaning focusing to much on limited areas and not developing themselves across the board)
there is a difference between religion and spirituality,,,,,,,, with spirituality,,,, you may feel you know certain truths,, yet you still question, learn, reflect, during you life,,,,, you feel comfortable with your beliefs, you deeply feel what you think you know, yet you leave room for doubt,,,,,,
as to the difference in reality and illusion, often it is a matter of perceptive,,,, my reality may not be yours,,, yet that doesnt make mine any less real,,,,,

Answer 2

The five senses make us feel that the world is real. Seeing the solidity of the objects around us, feeling the impact of the senses, it is hard to deny the validity of what we see. Everything looks real and we never stop to question this reality. The mind is attached to the five senses and accepts everything as real without questioning. When we bump into a table or a wall and we feel pain, it is difficult to say that we are imagining it. When we see with our eyes, hear sounds, smell, or when we feel heat or coldness, we accept these sense impressions as real. We need the five senses and the mind to be conscious of the world, which means that the world is dependent on them. Without the senses and the mind the world does not exist for us. During sleep dreams seem very real, but upon awakening we realize that they were just dreams. So it is with this world we call reality. It is possible to wake from it too. Sri Ramana Maharshi, the great Indian sage, has said that the difference between a dream while sleeping and the dream we call wakefulness is only of duration, one short and the other one long. . The world we experience and the life we live, are the reflections of our thoughts. The mind creates a world of illusion. By changing our thoughts, we change the illusion and experience a different reality. We do not create a world, only an illusion that looks real. No unusual power is involved here. We are living in Maya and are changing the Maya. Waking up from illusion We can wake up completely, understand and become conscious of the illusion of Maya, and live, as we really are, as a pure, formless, beginning-less and endless consciousness. Due to illusion it seems as if we are all separated, having individual selves and each living a different life. Even when we wake up from Maya, its play may go on. We continue to see and experience it, yet it is of no concern to us anymore. Outwardly we may continue to live our life in the same manner, but we are really awake. . In the East, metaphors are used in order to demonstrate what illusion is in relation to Reality. A jewel made of gold may be called an earring or a necklace, but actually it is only gold. Before it became a jewel and after it is melted it is only gold. Clay is shaped into vessels such as plates, cups, or vases, but they are only clay. A mirage is not real, but yet we see it. A dream taking place while sleeping is not real, yet we experience it during the time of the dream as a reality. A hologram looks 3D, while it is actually flat. In the East, one of the metaphors of explaining reality and illusion is that of the rope and the snake. In the dark we may see a rope and mistake it for a snake. When there is enough light we realize that it was only a rope, and the snake disappears. It is only due to some kind of illusion that we see a world. Everything is in the mind.

Answer 3

This is an eternal question, the most we might do is keep up with the times as best as we can, life is seasonal and not all springs bring bumper crops.

What physical science is recently understanding is helping to shed light on intuitive truths that lay in our religious mysteries.
Since you mentioned the Hindu ideas I will stick with that language for you.

Every physical object is made up of waves of shortened frequency, because waves are non local, all objects are non-local - this is Brahman to our best current knowledge.
Waves have a quantum state called superposition, this means they have an unknowable potential of probable statesthat can only be physically recorded when the wave collapses and one of those states has entered entropy, the irreversible process. This is Shakti to our best knowledge.
The observer phenomenon, quantum entanglement shows us that the observed state is entangled with it's observer. When the wave superposition state is 'observed' it collapses into the short frequency of physical matter form and enters entropy. This is Atman and it's Maya, to our best knowledge.

The illusion will always be, on some level, and that level will be its reality.

The truth, I guess, is that eternity is in the eternal question.

The difference between them? Maybe there's no difference but what you make of it, they are quantum entangled and non local. The question is part of the reality, and the reality is part of the eternity and the eternity, is the question.

Answer 4

Our lives are an illusion. If we attempt to distinguish between reality & truth. The obvious: What does reality mean to you? What is your truth? Please! I don't believe "Mankind cannot stand not knowng." SOME. Certainly that is true. &, if the only stabiltiy is in deceptions & lies--well--let them be! I don't ask for answers that have no questions, (think about that). Nor I do I believe that "conditioning" is a factor, unless someone is predisposed to accept the dogma. Thus, I don't beleive in differences in illusion or reality. I believe that choices are made. Do you think that there is an ABSOLUTE reality? As opinionated as I may seem, I don't.

Answer 5

Some people could definitely be driven mad trying to rationalize the truth, but such a thing cannot be defined with something coarse like words. Language is based around metaphor, which is a relational argument. Meaning that words are defined with other words, it is a cyclical domain. Poetry might convey some of the feeling of an experience, but the experience itself still dwarfs the words of the poem, not to mention the experience is unique, and no authentic recreation will be the same.

So what's real and what's the illusion, and how do you realize it without rationalizing its conclusion? You sit in stillness and contemplate. You meditate; you quiet your internal dialog, sit very calmly and still, and concentrate on the experience of "now". You don't think about the future or past, only observe what is happening as it happens. Once you can maintain this for a few minutes without disruption, shift your attention to the feeling of your breath and observe your breath.

You see when you meditate you reflect on the nature of the self and you begin to see the illusions we construct for ourselves dissolve. Illusions like thinking our likes and biases are correct, or that objects we "own" are actually ours when in reality those objects are an acclimation of particles that are impermanent and given enough time will crumble or shatter. Even our bodies are rented and will one day be dust (again)! We look at things and think "thats a book, and thats a TV, and thats a cat" like they are separate, but they are all apart of the same substrate, with electrons hopping back and forth between molecules in the air and in the object. We might call an object a book for simplicity, but in reality that book is a mish-mash of particles holding that form for now. What they once were and what they will be are very remote from how we think of the book. Social complexities are another big illusion, we all think it matters what we look like, and many people die in the name of beauty, but in reality you are how you are and worrying about it will only be time and energy wasted on worrying when you could just let it go and be content instead. We makes our own hells in our heads with wanting and desire. When you want something, you create a difference between how you are now, and in the moment, and how you could be if you had what you wanted. If you are not in the act of "being" content because you are not in the condition that you want, then you are faultfinding and being discontentment, creating suffering for yourself.

The illusion is our perception of reality diverged from how it actually is, and only meditation will pierce that veil. When you meditate you are improving your abilities of mindfulness and single-pointed concentration; of how deeply you can understand the implications of an event or object. When you get really good you can enter a state of mind called jhanas, or bliss states. These are states of mind where you are so calm and concentrated on the breath that you relinquish all desire to "do" anything and instead put your energy into "knowing". The bliss states are physically pleasurable, and more pleasurable then an orgasm. I'm not kidding either. And when you come our of a jhanas (usually a couple hours later) your mind is super sensitive and perceptive, and you will see through many illusions quickly in this state. All this stuff was layed out by the Buddha, and he said DO NOT JUST BELIEVE HIM. Find out for yourself if you want to know. Don't trust your scriptures or teacher, find out for yourself. Internalize what you read and find out and decide if it makes sense. If you think knowing the truth of life is worth knowing, then try meditation and see if it works. If you never try, then you are trusting those same biases and filters of what you think is true without any research. Hypothesize and Test! Good luck!

Answer 6

Something real is concrete, can be seen, touched and smelled and felt. An illusion is something imitating a real thing. The difference between the two is when we try to touch them and feel them, we see that the illusion is fake. They both look the same but only one is real.

But there are times that the real can't be seen, smelled, touched, but can be felt by faith. Someone real is felt but can't be seen here in earth. He is Jesus. He is not an illusion. You need faith to really know He's real. You don't need proofs, you will really feel it's true and you'll feel God movin in your life!

Answer 7

Reality is a personal experience. The awakening to illusion is also a personal experience. I can tell you what I believe to be illusion but you will only accept it if you can know it for yourself. Both reality and illusion are subjective. All experience is subjective.

Answer 8

real is wad u can feel throughout... illusion is where u feel a little unreal or impossible..
the difference between reality and truth is not very much different.. just the meaning of it is phrasing more strongly..

Answer 9

I myself am no big fan of organized religion, and agree strongly with your statement. I best discovered a strong outlook on this idea through reading my favorite author
terrygoodkind (terrygoodkind.com) author of the sword of turth series.
Wizards First Rule:
"People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it’s true, or because they are afraid it might be true."

Hope this helps, and if your a fan of fantasy I recommend this author.

Answer 10

Reality is what you look at and truth is in your heart!