{"id":2719,"date":"2023-07-15T06:34:32","date_gmt":"2023-07-15T13:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/?p=2719"},"modified":"2023-07-14T23:36:38","modified_gmt":"2023-07-15T06:36:38","slug":"the-delusion-of-illusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/15\/the-delusion-of-illusion\/","title":{"rendered":"The Delusion of Illusion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"29\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/theres-only-grace\/inbaby-hand3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?fit=135%2C135&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"135,135\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"inbaby-hand3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?fit=135%2C135&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-29\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=135%2C135\" alt=\"hand in hand\" width=\"135\" height=\"135\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The title of this post might be classified as a double negative which is where two negative words are used to express a single negative. Delusion and illusion both address the nature of deception or to deceive. However, what if someone becomes aware of an illusion and no longer is affected by it even though many still embrace it? Wouldn\u2019t that person be characterized as being delusional by the majority who still adhere to the illusion? Welcome to the spiritual journey of the mystic.<\/p>\n<h2>What is the Illusion?<\/h2>\n<p>Depending on who you talk to, the illusion for one group is the delusion of the other group. So, to pinpoint one thing is to recognize that someone is going to agree, and another will disagree. Therefore, let\u2019s start with this as the illusion: The world we inhabit.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not claiming that the planet and all the life which it supports is an illusion, but the organizational structures that mankind has created and continuously supports as a means of control over the populace. These structures include governments, bureaucracies, religious institutions, healthcare programs and the institutions with their associations, monetary and banking models, and a whole host of agencies, ideologies, and organizations whose purpose is to constrain the individual in any endeavor they chose to explore and operate in. In short, anything which has been generated from the mind of man and touched by his hands in any capacity is the illusion. It is impermanent, finite, and transitory.<\/p>\n<h2>What makes the Illusion?<\/h2>\n<p>The movie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Matrix-Keanu-Reeves\/dp\/B0094K35S6\/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=the+matrix&amp;sr=8-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Matrix<\/a> is a perfect example of what makes an illusion. It caters to the basic needs of the masses which subsequently become lulled into accepting that life cannot possibly exist outside of the controlled environment they are living in. The illusion employs any of a number of devices from the desire for physical objects to the mental constraints of peer pressure to keep people in the lines of what the intended purpose of the illusion has been crafted for, which as I\u2019ve already stated is control.<\/p>\n<p>In our society today anyone who brings attention to the illusion is immediately dismissed as a conspiracy theorist, a crank, a wack-job because of the grave danger of this person developing a following which might potentially tip the scales of the dominate power structure. This is a risk I\u2019m willing to take because I\u2019m only calling attention to the religious illusion. To many a religious illusion isn\u2019t important to the primary illusion being promulgated to the populace. You only need to look at how Jesus dealt with the illusion of his day to see what the effect was to the primary illusion.<\/p>\n<h2>Overcoming an Illusion<\/h2>\n<p>Jesus confronted the illusion of the religious establishment of his day when he claimed his sonship with the Father. This had never been done and was considered a religious crime to see oneself equal to the Creator. However, Jesus pressed forward with his radical message by driving home the key to breaking the power of every illusion.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joh 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Truth always breaks the stranglehold of an illusion. The difficulty comes in knowing what truth is and what are the half-truths which perpetuate the illusion. Half-truths are still lies which are formed around a bit of truth everyone can recognize but also given a twist which underlies the illusion rather than the whole nature of a truth. Consider this exchange between Jesus and Pilate.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Joh 18:37-38 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art you a king then? Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice. (38) Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Jesus had been brought to Pilate by the religious leaders under the half-truth that he declared himself to be a king. Their motives where that by making this claim about Jesus they would be showing their allegiance to Rome\u2019s illusion of power. However, Pilate knew the fullness of Rome\u2019s illusion which the occupied religious leaders could never understand: Kings establish and are responsible for the truths of their realm.<\/p>\n<h2>The Half-truth of Religion Today<\/h2>\n<p>The illusion in the religious environment today is designed to control the parishioners. This is mostly accomplished by shining a light on the moral failure of an individual sometime during their life and then reinforcing that failure as the reason God is displeased and removed from their life. Only true repentance can restore the union with God, but ultimately, only God can determine if the repentance was satisfactory. Thus enters Jesus to perfectly cleanse the impure through the blood he shed upon the cross for the salvation of the world. This sacrifice is the only means between humanity and the divine to restore the union corrupted through every moral transgression across the ages.<\/p>\n<p>This might seem correct at first to those who have committed themselves to any doctrine of the western clergy. However, the premise of this is founded on a God who is up-there and out-there; not involved in the daily affairs of mankind; only waiting for the day of final judgment when the coffers of hell can be filled with the unredeemed, back-slidden degenerates which inhabit this world. It also perpetuates a world renown barbaric <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Scapegoat-Ren%C3%A9-Girard\/dp\/0801839173\/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=rene+girard&amp;sr=8-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tradition of blood sacrifice<\/a> as an adjudicating tool for sin repreparations.<\/p>\n<p>Paul\u2019s statement to believers how they should, \u201cwork out their salvation with fear and trembling\u201d has become a tool in the illusion to keep a person focused on not only what they did to put them in the place of a lost soul, but also what works they must continually strive towards to remain above the dung heap they have been delivered from. This too is simply a half-truth. It demonstrates the depth of the delusion even after the means to salvation have been entered into. Only a revelation of truth can overcome this stranglehold upon the believer.<\/p>\n<h2>Truth to Set One Free<\/h2>\n<p>What I am about to offer you is not new. You have read it in your bible any of a number of times. Yet, it is under this clarifying light of truth where the scales can fall from the eyes which have been looking through a glass darkly. First and foremost, truly understanding the nature of God is vital. This is the primary place where every deception springs from because in the illusion we have been indoctrinated, <em>\u201c\u2026who can know God; God\u2019s ways are not our ways, and God\u2019s thoughts are not our thoughts.\u201d<\/em> Rarely are we informed that it is possible to know the ways and the thoughts of God.<\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>God Is<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p>This statement brings God right into your present situation. Some want to offer a claim how \u201cGod was,\u201d but that relegates God to the past; or claim how \u201cGod will,\u201d which places Him in the future. God always IS.<\/p>\n<h3><a title=\"Limitations of an Omni God\" href=\"http:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/26\/limitations-of-an-omni-god\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><strong>The Omni Nature<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/h3>\n<p>We profess it but deny its validity. God is omnipresent, all present; God is omnipotent, all powerful; God is omniscient, all knowing. We\u2019ll gladly praise God as being \u201cAll in all\u201d but fail to recognize the fullness of this truth.<\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>God is Love<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Everything is a demonstration of the love of God. Everything means all things. Look about you and there is not one object which is not of God\u2019s love.<\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>God is Good<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p>From the beginning, all of the works of God were declared \u201cgood\u201d and mankind, the last creation, was deemed \u201cvery good.\u201d God\u2019s goodness is a direct result of His Love. To call something \u201cevil\u201d is to enter into the illusion of humanity where finite thoughts die on the tree of good and evil.<\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>God is All-Power<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p>This is a reiteration of God is omnipotent. There is only one power in all of creation. To believe in another power is to accept the illusion. Nothing is greater than God.<\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>God is One with All<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p>All of creation came from God. He is one with all which He creates. It is impossible for God to separate Himself from anything in His creation for in doing so, all of creation would cease to exist.<\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>God Knows Us<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p>We were with God before the foundation of the world. He knew us before we were conceived in our mother\u2019s womb. Our name is written on the palm of His hand. There is not a single time we have ever been able to hide our actions or thoughts from Him.<\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>God is Grace<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p>In God\u2019s kingdom He sits on a throne labeled by the subjects of the realm as the throne of Grace. The subjects have made this distinction because every word which comes from it is regarded as being \u201cgrace.\u201d Grace is the activating power of God\u2019s Love and its Goodness.<\/p>\n<h2>Living Truth<\/h2>\n<p>These statements about God\u2019s nature are merely a sampling of an infinite God. There are so many more to uncover in your daily meditation and contemplation. Saying you know these things but not living them is merely living the illusion of the religious. Living them out pierces the veil of the illusion and shines a light on how to model the life of Jesus in this world.<\/p>\n<p>There are a multitude of people who have become discouraged by the illusion of religious institutions across the globe. They prefer to regard themselves as being spiritual rather than adhering to some denominational doctrine. No longer willing to be led along a path which promises a divine encounter but only focuses on human failings, these people long for the promise of divine sonship they know exists but has not been presented as a vital element to their spiritual journey. It is safe to say that they have reached their delusion of the illusion. The path is now open to experience true communion with the Father.<\/p>\n<p>Some might think that this path requires what is being bantered about as \u201cdeconstruction.\u201d Unfortunately, anything constructed, torn down, and then rebuilt still possesses the finite fingerprint of man and will in the end be burned up like hay and stubble. No, this path requires only two things to direct your gaze upon; first, <em>\u201cexcept the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it;\u201d<\/em> second, <em>\u201cbe still and know that I am God.\u201d<\/em> This is the way out of the illusion if you\u2019re willing to take it. Only you can decide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The title of this post might be classified as a double negative which is where two negative words are used to express a single negative. Delusion and illusion both address the nature of deception or to deceive. However, what if &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/15\/the-delusion-of-illusion\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amazonpipp_noncename":"","amazon-product-isactive":"","amazon-product-single-asin":"","amazon-product-content-location":"1","amazon-product-content-hook-override":"2","amazon-product-excerpt-hook-override":"3","amazon-product-singular-only":"","amazon-product-amazon-desc":"","amazon-product-show-gallery":"","amazon-product-show-features":"","amazon-product-newwindow":"3","amazon-product-show-list-price":"","amazon-product-show-used-price":"","amazon-product-show-saved-amt":"","amazon-product-timestamp":"","amazon-product-new-title":"","amazon-product-use-cartURL":"","amazon_featured_post_meta_key":"","_amazon_featured_alt":"","amazon-product-template":"default","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[4,6,5],"class_list":["post-2719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-19","tag-grace","tag-mike-hillebrecht","tag-teaching"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2ITDy-HR","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4539,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/06\/stories-of-illusion-free-forgiveness\/","url_meta":{"origin":2719,"position":0},"title":"Stories of Illusion-Free Forgiveness","author":"mike","date":"March 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"M3:Week 1: Maya in Atonement Constructs (Yom Kippur\/Sukkot Focus) Day 6: Stories of Illusion-Free Forgiveness Today's Veil to Pierce Following eternal mercy without offering, we now reflect on stories of illusion-free forgiveness\u2014the narratives where grace operates without the deceptive veil's atonement constructs, revealing forgiveness as simple, immediate recognition of unity.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2026 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2026 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2026-postings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/piercing-the-veil-201x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3424,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/11\/the-illusion-of-maya-breaking-free-from-the-worlds-grip\/","url_meta":{"origin":2719,"position":1},"title":"The Illusion of Maya: Breaking Free from the World&#8217;s Grip","author":"mike","date":"December 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever felt like life is a scripted play, where you're the unwitting actor trapped in roles you didn't choose? That's the grip of Maya, the ancient illusion that veils the true nature of reality. In Hindu philosophy, Maya isn't just deception; it's the cosmic force that makes the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2025 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2025 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2025\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hand in hand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4319,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/01\/illusion-hiding-the-infinite-source\/","url_meta":{"origin":2719,"position":2},"title":"Illusion Hiding the Infinite Source","author":"mike","date":"February 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Week 5: The Deceptive Veil Hiding the Divine Essence Day 1: Illusion Hiding the Infinite Source Today's Veil to Pierce As we begin Month 2, transitioning from the foundational unveilings of deceptive distortions, we now explore the veil that hides the infinite source of grace\u2014the divine essence from which all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2026 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2026 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2026-postings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/piercing-the-veil-201x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4639,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/23\/unknowns-as-illusion-opportunities\/","url_meta":{"origin":2719,"position":3},"title":"Unknowns as Illusion Opportunities","author":"mike","date":"March 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"M3:Week 4: Veils on Eternal Horizons Day 2: Unknowns as Illusion Opportunities Today's Veil to Pierce Building directly on grace-guided planning, we now contemplate the unknowns that stretch before us as illusion opportunities \u2014 the deceptive Maya veil that turns uncertainty into fear or paralysis after the Passover and Easter\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2026 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2026 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2026-postings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/piercing-the-veil-201x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3403,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/13\/breaking-free-escaping-maya-and-the-matrix-into-true-awareness\/","url_meta":{"origin":2719,"position":4},"title":"Breaking Free \u2013 Escaping Maya and the Matrix into True Awareness","author":"mike","date":"December 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From Maya's veil [Previous Blog: Unveiling Maya \u2013 The Ancient Veil of Illusion] and Matrix echoes [Previous Blog: Decoding the Matrix \u2013 Modern Echoes of Ancient Deception], freedom calls. How do we escape these illusions? What awaits beyond? This probes exits through surrender and awareness, entering non-dual reality. Later, biblical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2025 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2025 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2025\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hand in hand","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/inbaby-hand3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4333,"url":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/08\/illusion-fragmenting-the-embodiment\/","url_meta":{"origin":2719,"position":5},"title":"Illusion Fragmenting the Embodiment","author":"mike","date":"February 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Week 6: Deception in Manifested Forms Day 1: Illusion Fragmenting the Embodiment Today's Veil to Pierce As we launch Week 2 of Month 2, extending from the encounters with unveiled divinity, we now address the deception that fragments the embodiment of the divine\u2014the deceptive veil where the infinite source appears\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;2026 Postings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"2026 Postings","link":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/category\/2026-postings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mikehillebrecht.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/piercing-the-veil-201x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2719"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2719\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2725,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2719\/revisions\/2725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mikehillebrecht.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}