The Illusion of Illusions

 Illusion cannot be an distortion or diminution of reality because every abstract idea in consciousness and every outer impression on consciousness always comprise real ideas and impressions. Consciousness can never directly perceive illusion. False ideas and impressions do not exist except as the results of false theories or systems. Even then, false ideas and impressions always equal the idea of nothing. For example, ether in space does not exist; that is, it equals nothing because its idea resulted from a false theory. All conscious systems, whether true or false, always comprise real ideas and/or impressions. Consciousness always covers illusion in false systems with either false ideas which equal the real idea of nothing or with true and real ideas.

Consciousness can only be aware of immediate real ideas and impressions. False ideas can only come into consciousness from false systems. Immediate ideas and impressions can never be false. But combinations of real ideas or systems can be false. Illusion always adheres to the falsity of the system, never to the real ideas and/or impression that compose those systems.

All illusions derive from false systems which always comprise true ideas and impressions. People have illusions for the same reason that they make mistakes in arithmetic. For example, one can write 2+3=6. But the "2," the "+," the "3,"the "equal sign," and the "6" are all real. The false system as a whole equals the real idea of nothing. The idea of nothing must also be real because it serves the useful purpose of indicating falsity. Every idea or impression on consciousness can only be true and real because they all serve useful purposes. One of the purposes of the idea of nothing is to indicate falsity.

The same can be said of false systems such as optical illusions. For example, a straight spoon in a glass of water may appear bent. But all of the constituent impressions of this false system are real. "Spoon," "glass," "water," "light," and "bent" are all real. The way the light reflects off of the water causes the straight spoon to appear bent. But consciousness supplies the real idea of "bentness" to this false system. The illusion in this false system cannot be in any of its real ideas or impressions, but in a kind of emptiness in the mind which it fills in with the real idea of  "bentness." Subtract all of the real ideas and impressions from this false system, and one is left with only the idea of nothing which is also real because it serves the useful purpose of indicating the falsity of the system. But consciousness never directly observes the illusion in this false system. As a universal rule, consciousness never directly observes illusion in any false system.

The real idea of nothing itself cannot be equal to illusion. The idea of nothing is as real as any other idea or impression because it also proves to be useful. The idea of nothing separates something from nothing as space between objects or ideas in the mind. The idea of nothing can be used to exclude any ideas that do not belong in any system that one intends to create. One knows that ether does not exist because this false idea which resulted from a false system of real ideas equals the idea of nothing. All of this put together can only mean that every idea and/or impression in consciousness must be true and real just as they are perceived.

What then is illusion? If it cannot be found in reality, then where is it? The only possible answer is that illusion must be less than nothing. Negative numbers somewhat indicate illusion. But no one has any direct idea of what negative numbers are. They seem to indicate a realm of nonexistence that lies below reality and the idea of nothing. The Bible (KJB) informs about this realm of nonexistence in Isaiah 40:17.

God created only positive and real ideas and impressions to be used only to create real and useful systems such as correct calculations. God created man in His image for the same purpose. Genesis 1:27. But in some strange way that positive consciousness cannot understand, a negative consciousness from the realm of nonexistence became a part of every human's inner being to influence every human consciousness to commit sins, which were invented as false systems, but which always comprise God's real and useful ideas and impressions. I Corinthians 2:7; Psalm 99:8; Romans 1:30. People observe the effects of an optical illusion, or make mistakes in arithmetic for the same reason that they experience excessive, but destructive pleasures, derived from invented, false systems. Illusion, mistakes, and sin derive from a negative consciousness in the inner beings of every human injected into their inner beings by a negative consciousness called Satan. Genesis 2:17; Psalm 99:8; Romans 5:12.

One may object that the illusion happens to be that the straight spoon only appears to be bent. But this conclusion only amounts to another way of saying that the spoon is really straight. But this conclusion admits that the "bent" in the spoon equals nothing even though both the appearance of the "bent" and the idea of nothing can only be real.

Since the real and useful idea of nothing cannot be an illusion, then one of the uses of the idea of nothing must be that it indirectly indicates an absolute nothingness within the mind. Since consciousness can only experience that which is real, then consciousness must always cover this absolute emptiness with a real idea such as a "bent" in a spoon in a glass of water. Similarly, humans participate in invented false systems called sin, which always comprise God's real and useful ideas, because of the influence of that absolute emptiness within their inner beings. Humans may derive excessive pleasures from these false systems called sin but they always prove to be destructive. Destruction always descends toward absolute nothingness. Consciousness always directly experiences that which is true and real, but the absolute nothingness within it influences it to participate in invented false systems called sin. Romans 5:12