Necessary Illusions

[Headstrong]

I think this is the right board to put it on. Haha. Anywho...

What are some necessary illusions? What are their functions in society? Why do we need them?

So far I have time, free will in combination or separate of religion/God, fate/destiny, and possibly dreams.

I was watching some YouTube videos and one spoke of collective and personal illusions.

I guess one could propose that our whole existance is a mere illusion.

Brain-scrambling I tell ya...

[Fissiongrid]

I guess one could propose that our whole existance is a mere illusion.
I think we really aren't in a position to draw any conclusions here. We have no way of proving anything of that sort.

Not necessarily directed towards you:
Leaving things unknown is not something to be looked down upon. Why do you think there are so many agnostics?

[vkut79]

I guess one could propose that our whole existance is a mere illusion. Brain-scrambling I tell ya...

Ultimately if you follow this line of thought and dissect the core of our perception of reality then inevitably you will realize that the distinction between illusion and reality breaks down. The concepts "illusion" and "reality" only have meaning when we already have a working definition for what reality is or what it is not. Some of those "illusions" that you named, like time, are an inseparable aspect of the reality we all experience and for that reason it doesn't make sense to call it an "illusion". In calling it an "illusion" you assume some underlying knowledge of what reality is or what is not that is not backed up by any obtainable evidence.

[Zilal]

I don't think there are any necessary illusions, but I think there may be necessary assumptions. Things we need to assume for anything we do to have any point. The existence of God is not one of these, but I think the existence of reality may be--that is, that I am not simply imagining everything.

[vaguely dissatisfied]

If illusion is similar to perception, which is basically a warped or twisted version of individual reality, then yeah.................we're all suffering from illusion. And, I think, in those short moments of time when, for some of us, the veil is lifted..... we are actually able to momentarily comprehend the true meaning of hopelssness.

Too dark?

[vkut79]

Is the veil ever lifted?

It perhaps could be partially lifted, but never completely, I don't think.

[ssfanatic]

I think there is one necessary illusion that we deal with everyday. Control.
We, as humans, need to have some extent of control over everything. Why is religion so popular? We want to control our destiny.
Then the question comes to mind...How much control do we really have? There is where we run into the illusion.

[Headstrong]

I think there is one necessary illusion that we deal with everyday. Control.
We, as humans, need to have some extent of control over everything. Why is religion so popular? We want to control our destiny.
Then the question comes to mind...How much control do we really have? There is where we run into the illusion.

Touché. Now we're talkin. :-)

[vaguely dissatisfied]

Is the veil ever lifted?

It perhaps could be partially lifted, but never completely, I don't think.
Perhaps depression is a lifting of the veil?

[Homini Lupus]

By saying existance is an illusion you make a distinction between noumenon (wich is uknowledgeable) and phenomenon (wich is how the senses and the brain represent noumenon in your mind).

I think also freedom is an illusion we need. We need to think we are free to keep the idea of responsibility.

Maybe even Justice is an illusion. Right now I think it's just the sum of laws and vengeance. Laws are written while vengeance is what you need when you feel wronged. Nothing against laws in general terms. It's just I don't see why turn it in moral terms; you break the law, you pay if you are caught.

[vaguely dissatisfied]

By saying existance is an illusion you make a distinction between noumenon (wich is uknowledgeable) and phenomenon (wich is how the senses and the brain represent noumenon in your mind).

I think also freedom is an illusion we need. We need to think we are free to keep the idea of responsibility.

Maybe even Justice is an illusion. Right now I think it's just the sum of laws and vengeance. Laws are written while vengeance is what you need when you feel wronged. Nothing against laws in general terms. It's just I don't see why turn it in moral terms; you break the law, you pay if you are caught.
Yes. There is a huge difference between justice and the law.

[muguly]

We create our own realities by the way we interpert events. When we chose to alter the truth to fit us, it is necessary. When we chose to ignore obvious problems, it is necessary. Our realities require constant evaluation to seperate my "reality" from the truth. Once this is done, the only real illusion left is a cloud of smoke.

[Vortex]

I guess one could propose that our whole existance is a mere illusion.


Existence Exists.

[ssfanatic]

We create our own realities by the way we interpert events. When we chose to alter the truth to fit us, it is necessary. When we chose to ignore obvious problems, it is necessary. Our realities require constant evaluation to seperate my "reality" from the truth. Once this is done, the only real illusion left is a cloud of smoke.
I agree full heartedly. Ive given this some thought. As we grow and try to understand the world, we conform our reality. Then, those of us who actually move to the second step, when we notice that our naive perception of the world is ridiculous, we begin to reform into actuality. Though we never reach complete actuality, some can view a large part of the bigger picture.





ssfanatic added to this post, 0 minutes and 47 seconds later...

Existence Exists.
Cogito, ergo sum.