If we believe in an illusion, our actions will support it. Those who create and control these illusions manipulate those who believe them. To overcome reality illusions, we must learn how to challenge them. Is your image of reality healthy or tainted by a harmful ideology? It pays to find out.
All illusions are distortions of reality. Unhealthy ideologies distort our values and beliefs about reality. By rejecting an unhealthy worldview, you are escaping illusions of reality. It is about learning to see the facts and the truth.
People who escape harmful limiting beliefs are often given labels. They are called rebels, heretics, or anti-fascists. We prefer the term freethinker. A freethinker who has an untainted worldview. They don’t carry the harmful bias and prejudice of a distorted worldview. The world needs more people like this.
We hope you are a freethinker or are seeking to become one. We can show you the way by reimagining life’s purpose after escaping illusions.
Escaping the Illusions of Reality
To create a vision for happiness, you need a worldview free of harmful beliefs and values. Achieving this mental freedom can be challenging. Cultures dominated by harmful ideologies don’t like thinking outside their boundaries. It’s a challenge to their beliefs.
Whoever controls the dominant worldview gets to decide what is normal or abnormal. (1) The question is, did you choose your values after doing unbiased research? Or did you adopt them because you were brainwashed into them? Are they beliefs of choice or a reflection of what the dominant culture wants you to believe?
“Anyway, what does wrong mean? Who decides what’s wrong and what’s right?” — Hiroshi Ishizaki
Most people accept the dominant belief to fit in. To be successful in any given culture, you must learn to live within the boundaries they set. These are the parameters they deem acceptable. These boundaries become the standard or norm for beliefs and behaviors.
The greater the latitude of beliefs and values, the more homogeneous the culture. Different beliefs are acceptable as long as they do not harm others. Promoting positive core values of inclusion, equity, and equality makes a culture healthier.
Conversely, when a culture limits positive core values, it begins to fracture. Culture fracture happens when unhealthy values and beliefs about healthy ones are promoted. Any ideology that promotes gender, racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic prejudice is harmful.
Illusions are incorrect interpretations of reality. If you believe in an illusion, you can be manipulated by those who control the deception. To escape illusions created by deception, you must recognize them.
Learning How to Overcome Reality Illusions
Anyone can learn how to overcome illusions about reality. Reimagining life’s purpose after escaping illusions of reality is a process. Working with a group or counselor is very helpful. Find other like-minded people on the same mission.
The steps of the process are an emotional roller-coaster. It is scary to recognize and confront the sacred ground of your core beliefs. If you have harmful beliefs and values, you’ll see the actions they have orchestrated. This can lead to anger and shame.
You must regain your emotional equilibrium to remove and replace the harmful programming. Then, you’ll likely need to make some changes to your routine and relationships. Once you remove all the bad programming and harmful influences, you find freedom. You’ll have time and space to engage in things that create a positive return in your life and the lives of everyone you touch. You are free to create your purpose and vision.
1. Recognize Harmful Ideologies
The first step in creating a vision for your reality is to identify them. If you have any harmful beliefs and values, you need to confront them. These illusions of reality are created to control behavior. Here’s a short list of belief systems that create culture fracture.
These toxic belief systems have plagued our world for far too long. They create division and promote discrimination and violence while undermining progress. Here are the ten most harmful ideologies that we must fight against:
1. White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to people of other races. This ideology has been the driving force behind countless acts of racism and violence throughout history. It is the belief that the color of their skin gives them superiority.
2. Nationalism is the belief that one’s own country is superior to all others. While it is important to support the community, nationalism is toxic pride. It leads to hostility towards people from other countries.
3. Patriotism is toxic pride. It’s the belief that one’s country is always right, no matter what. This mindset prevents people from working for positive change. Nationalism and patriotism are used to hide bias and prejudice. Authoritarianism, capitalism, and commercialism are all shades of the same distortion.
4. Patriarchy is the belief that men are superior to women and should have power and control over them. This harmful ideology perpetuates gender inequality and discrimination.
5. Homophobia is the irrational fear or hatred of LGBTQ+. This mindset contributes to discrimination, violence, and marginalization of the LGBTQ+ community. LGBTQ+ is an acronym. It stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. The “+” sign recognizes the limitless sexual orientations and gender identities. Non-traditional gender identification threatens Judeo-Christian patriarchal bias and prejudice.
6. Anti-Semitism is the hatred or prejudice against Jewish people. This harmful ideology has led to countless acts of violence and discrimination. It is an example of how any group can be made a scapegoat for problems. The reverse is happening now. The State of Israel has become anti-Palestinian and is involved in genocide. It is just as harmful as anti-semitism.
7. Xenophobia is the fear or hatred of people from other countries. This toxic belief leads to discrimination, racism, and hostility towards immigrants and refugees.
8. Sectarianism is the belief that your religion is superior to any other. A closed-minded worldview like this leads to conflict and division within a community. This ideology can lead to discrimination and violence. The conflict in the Middle East between the Abrahamic religions (2) is a sectarian issue. Each religion believes it alone is right. They create holy books to justify wars, genocide, discrimination, and prejudice.
It is important to recognize and challenge these harmful ideologies. The religions that are behind this programming are the Abrahamic religions. With nearly 4 billion members (3), they control the programming of the culture. We can challenge the hate they promote by practicing empathy, understanding, and equality. When these values become actions, they create a more inclusive and tolerant society.
2. Escaping Illusions of Reality
It is important to remove yourself from the source of the programming. The more you expose yourself to the programming, the more likely you are to accept it. This means assessing the social media you consume and all of your relationships.
You’ll need to learn how to observe your self-talk. Use a diary to capture your thoughts. Look for signs that any negative ideological point of view influences your thinking. Then, write a script to replace the negative.
For example, if you catch yourself thinking, “Immigrants are stealing our jobs,” stop. Think about. Realize that this is an untrue statement. Immigrants often take on the work that residents won’t do. Replace it with, “Immigrants are good for our economy.” Reinforce this by stating that they create more new jobs than any other segment. They often do jobs that most residents do not want in agriculture and construction.
Reimagining life’s purpose after escaping illusions requires correcting harmful self-talk. Once you identify and reject harmful beliefs, you will need to make other changes in your life. You may have friends, family, and work associates who embrace these harmful beliefs. This can represent a significant issue to overcome.
Overcoming False Illusions of Reality
Recognizing that these ideologies exist is only the beginning. Ignoring them as insignificant only allows them to continue to thrive. Calling out and confronting these ideologies whenever it is safe will dismantle their power and influence. You must remove their influence from your worldview. Otherwise, they will continue to be used to control you.
However, we may not be able to confront co-workers who align with these beliefs. Guarding your words and actions is a safe way to avoid religious and political conflicts. However, ignoring hate and prejudice gives it tacit approval. For instance, a co-worker says, “It will be great to re-elect Donald Trump for president.” This statement puts you in a confrontational situation.
We need to work in harmony with our co-workers. It stands to reason that confronting them about their political beliefs will damage this relationship. Additionally, most workplaces have policies prohibiting the discussion of politics and religion. However, these issues still come up. Comments like the one above or political bumper stickers push the boundaries in the workspace.
One way to handle it is to say, “Talking about politics and religion is against policy. After all, you never know what political or religious of others. I’m sure you don’t want to taint your working relationships.”
In addition, always report this to your human resources department. You don’t know what other comments or things this co-worker has done. Confronting their illusions of reality in this way helps is non-confrontational. It helps them to see why their comments are inappropriate at work.
What you shouldn’t do is say your co-worker is an idiot for supporting a misogynistic liar. Trump is facing multiple felony charges. He plunged the world into a pandemic by dismantling the pandemic teams the last time he was in power. Although this is true, it will make working with them more difficult. In fact, by challenging them, you may place yourself in jeopardy of violating the company’s policy.
You won’t overcome reality illusions by presenting facts. They didn’t adopt their false illusions by checking facts. More than likely, they have been indoctrinated via social media, their religion, or both.
Escaping Illusions of Reality Imposed by Extremism
Some cultures have harmful and limiting sectarian beliefs that control society. Many societies have made strides in promoting tolerance and acceptance of differing viewpoints. Yet, there are still those who cling to outdated and oppressive practices. These practices stifle individual freedom and perpetuate discrimination.
An egregious example of a rigid sectarian ideology is the Islamic State (ISIS). It dominates the countries of Iraq and Syria. This extremist group imposes extreme interpretations of Islamic law. They use these beliefs to carry out brutal acts of violence against those who challenge their authority. Women are forced to cover themselves from head to toe. Religious minorities are persecuted, and dissent is met with swift and severe punishment.
Saudi Arabia is another culture that enforces rigid sectarian ideologies. The Saudi government wields immense power to control the thoughts and actions of its people. The ultra-conservative Wahhabi interpretation of Islam is enforced through a strict legal system. It restricts the rights of women and religious minorities. To criticize the government or the royal family is forbidden. Those who do are subject to punishment up to and including execution.
North Korea is another culture that enforces a rigid sectarian belief system. The sectarian beliefs focus on the ruling Kim dynasty. It has created a personality cult around its leaders within the hierarchy. It indoctrinates its citizens from a young age to worship and obey them. Dissent is not tolerated. Anyone who speaks out against the regime is subject to torture, imprisonment, or even execution.
Escaping illusions of reality in these cultures must be done with care. Finding like-minded freethinkers is difficult, and access to social media is prohibited. Many countries use camera survivance systems to track people and who they associate with.
These examples remind us of the dangers of cultures clinging to obsolete ideologies. We see how sectarianism restricts basic human rights, beliefs, and values. So, we must fight against these oppressive beliefs that undermine democracy. Only by challenging them can we ensure freedom and equality for all.
3. Reimagining Life’s Purpose After Escaping Illusions
When you can think outside the constraints of harmful illusions, you become what Leo Tolstoy called a freethinker. Those with unhealthy ideological positions hate freethinkers. That’s because freethinkers undermine everything bigots, racists, and science deniers stand for.
What happens when you finally break free from those illusions and begin to see the world as it truly is? How do you redefine your life’s purpose and find meaning in the midst of newfound freedom?
Escaping the illusions of reality is no easy feat. However, it is a crucial step in self-discovery and personal growth. It forces us to confront our deepest fears and insecurities. We must have the courage to question our beliefs and assumptions. This helps us to reevaluate our goals and aspirations. In doing so, we open ourselves up to a world of limitless possibilities.
Once we liberate ourselves from illusions, we have the freedom to reevaluate our priorities. This can be a challenge. We may have spent decades living according to someone else’s expectations. So, this freedom is a tremendous opportunity to rediscover ourselves. Then, we can chart a new course based on our true desires and passions.
Reimagining life’s purpose after escaping illusions requires a willingness to embrace change. It means letting go of the familiar and stepping into the unknown. Trusting that the journey will lead us to a more fulfilling and authentic existence can be scary. It requires us to listen to our inner voice, follow our intuition, and take risks in pursuit of our true calling.
One way to begin this process is to ask ourselves what truly brings us joy and fulfillment. The Repetitive Question exercise is an excellent way to find out. By asking the same question repeatedly, we drill down to our subconscious. This way, we find out what really brings us joy instead of what we are told brings us joy.
How do you find joy and fulfillment? Do you find it pursuing a creative passion or building meaningful relationships? Are you driven to be an activist and make a positive impact in the world? Or is it more important for you to find peace and contentment? By identifying our priorities, we can align our actions and goals with our true purpose. This is the key to a more purposeful and fulfilling life.
It is important to remember that reimagining life’s purpose is an ongoing process. It is not a one-time event. As we continue to grow, our goals and aspirations may change. So, we must be flexible and reassess and realign our paths. Staying open to change and remaining true to ourselves is key. When we are honest with ourselves, we can create an authentic life. Authenticity helps us set our internal compass to achieve positive goals. We can create a life free from the constraints of illusions and false beliefs.
In Conclusion
Escaping the illusions of reality is a powerful first step in the process of change and growth. It opens the door to a world of infinite possibilities and opportunities. By reimagining our life’s purpose after escaping illusions, we redefine our lives. Embracing change, trusting our instincts, and following our hearts create an authentic life. So let go of the illusions that hold you back and start reimagining your life’s purpose today. Your true potential awaits.
References
(1) What is Normal anyway? Scientific America
(2) Abrahamic Religions. Wikipedia
(3) List of World’s Religions by Population. Wikipedia