Is physical reality just an illusion?

Nicholas Gonzalez8 said:Most people don't actually grasp how the Law of Attraction works, so whether they're trying to use it consciously or subconsciously, they end up failing to hit their targets. Still, Anthony Cook8 is spot on when he claims you always get exactly what you deserve. Think about it—if you're terrified of something, you're essentially inviting an opportunity to face that very fear. If your thoughts, your words, and your actions are rooted in negativity, the Law of Attraction is going to relentlessly show you the consequences of that behavior. To me, it’s primarily a tool for self-discovery, not some magic trick for pulling favors.

And if you actually want to use the Law of Attraction to manifest something you consciously desire, you have to be aligned with it on every level—your knowledge, your faith, and your gut feelings. Trying to trick yourself into getting something is a losing game; sure, you might get a temporary boost or a quick win, but then comes the inevitable crash because, ultimately, we revert back to who we truly are. And honestly, most people don't even know how to reach that state of alignment long enough to grab what they want—because deep down, behind almost every wish, there's a layer of fear, and fear is a massive repellant.

Regarding that fear thing—you have to walk right into it. You need to visualize the absolute worst-case scenarios, dive headfirst into the darkness, find your footing, and then push straight through. It’s about meeting force with force. Maybe toss in a little curiosity too—like, "Alright, let's see if things play out how I think they will, or if something else happens." Honestly, that sense of challenge can be exactly what pushes you to break past your own limits.🙂

Quentin Tarantino

Rebecca Sanders37 said:I honestly feel like my own consciousness is what breathes life and meaning into everything around me. Without my perspective, nothing really exists, you know? If I were to just vanish, the whole entire world would blink out of existence right along with me, like it never even happened in the first place. It’s all just one big illusion, if you think about it. Everything we see is basically just a dream.

So, are you telling me your own consciousness has gone and privatized life—and everything else around it—too? Is that really how we're playing this? 😁

Quentin Tarantino

If I were to suddenly vanish, the entire world would just blink out of existence along with me—as if it never even existed in the first place! I mean, what is all this anyway? It’s nothing more than an illusion. Everything we see, touch, and feel... it's all just one big dream.

Once you finally step away, all those illusions are going to vanish right along with you. The constant self-justification and all those little lies? Gone! It’s like everything just clears up, isn't it?

Scott Miller4 said:Great. 😁
Just so I don't have to hunt for a new link... how exactly do you explain this as being part of yourself?

Anyway, I was more trying to say that there’s such a thing as subjective reality—one that we actually influence, in the way you described. There's your subjective reality, mine, some other guy's, and so on, whereas objective reality doesn't really exist.

Think about it—when you’re dreaming about kids with albinism, do you see them as separate beings from yourself? Most likely, yeah, at least until you wake up. But then you snap into being awake, stumble upon an article about people with albinism, and suddenly you're looking at them as individuals totally distinct from you all over again, even though being awake feels just as "real" as that dream felt while you were under.

Everything I’ve ever known about reality, I’ve seen through my own eyes and processed through my own consciousness. Without my awareness, none of it exists for me.
Whether objective reality is actually out there or not doesn't even matter. What matters is who is perceiving it. And I am the one doing the perceiving. I am the center of my own universe. I *am* reality.

Nicholas Gonzalez8 said:Most people don't actually grasp how the Law of Attraction works, so whether they're trying to use it consciously or subconsciously, they end up failing to hit their targets. Still, Anthony Cook8 is spot on when he claims you always get exactly what you deserve. Think about it—if you're terrified of something, you're essentially inviting an opportunity to face that very fear. If your thoughts, your words, and your actions are rooted in negativity, the Law of Attraction is going to relentlessly show you the consequences of that behavior. To me, it’s primarily a tool for self-discovery, not some magic trick for pulling favors.

And if you actually want to use the Law of Attraction to manifest something you consciously desire, you have to be aligned with it on every level—your knowledge, your faith, and your gut feelings. Trying to trick yourself into getting something is a losing game; sure, you might get a temporary boost or a quick win, but then comes the inevitable crash because, ultimately, we revert back to who we truly are. And honestly, most people don't even know how to reach that state of alignment long enough to grab what they want—because deep down, behind almost every wish, there's a layer of fear, and fear is a massive repellant.

There’s this old-school saying that honestly applies perfectly to this whole New York City scene.

"If you think you're the crazy one and everyone else is sane—you're actually the sane one.
But if you think everyone else is losing their minds while you're the only normal person left—then yeah, you're definitely the crazy one."

And honestly, what is there to misunderstand about the Law of Attraction? People have taken this whole "power of positive thinking" thing and cranked it up to such an absurd extreme that instead of it being just a helpful little tool you can pull out when life gets messy, they’ve turned it into some kind of absolute Truth—like it's the fundamental fabric of reality itself. It's wild.

Look, using positive thinking as a technique? Sure, fine. But treating positive thinking as your entire worldview? That's just straight-up narrow-minded egocentrism.

Anthony Cook8 said:It really isn't, though. If we're talking about the illusion of life, we're specifically discussing the underlying reality and the reasons why life itself is considered an illusion...

In reality, it is; because the original poster simply started a thread about reading something they didn't quite grasp, asking someone more knowledgeable to clarify. That’s all there is to it.

Notice how people aren't actually writing about "life," and notice how nobody is even responding to that specific point. He mentioned reading somewhere that the world is an illusion—which he found confusing—and touched upon infinite consciousness; frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if he had been reading something by David Icke, for instance. The actual subject matter here is the nature of reality—the metaphysical claims made by various spiritualists and alternative thinkers—rather than the concept of "life" itself.

The true answer to this thread lies precisely in that distinction, particularly in explaining what those types of people actually mean when they employ such metaphysics. But no, people here just want to talk about the Law of Attraction and whatever else...

Does anyone happen to know where I might be able to pick up some pink sunglasses?

Anthony Cook8 said:We attract exactly what we need for our growth and lessons in the moment; that's what I meant when I wrote about attracting what we truly require...

It feels more like hindsight bias, a way to rationalize and assign value to our past experiences... It's an internal process. I don't see how this could be some external law directing things toward us or acting like a magnet...
It’s more likely that out of all the experiences available to us—if we choose at all—we simply pick specific ones based on our own needs. A lack of awareness regarding those choices (believing there's an energetic pull toward a specific experience or a perfect choice) isn't helpful... In my view, it just leaves a person vulnerable to manipulation and illusions...

Nicholas Gonzalez8 said:Most people don't actually grasp how the Law of Attraction works, so whether they're trying to use it consciously or subconsciously, they end up failing to hit their targets. Still, Anthony Cook8 is spot on when he claims you always get exactly what you deserve. Think about it—if you're terrified of something, you're essentially inviting an opportunity to face that very fear. If your thoughts, your words, and your actions are rooted in negativity, the Law of Attraction is going to relentlessly show you the consequences of that behavior. To me, it’s primarily a tool for self-discovery, not some magic trick for pulling favors.

And if you actually want to use the Law of Attraction to manifest something you consciously desire, you have to be aligned with it on every level—your knowledge, your faith, and your gut feelings. Trying to trick yourself into getting something is a losing game; sure, you might get a temporary boost or a quick win, but then comes the inevitable crash because, ultimately, we revert back to who we truly are. And honestly, most people don't even know how to reach that state of alignment long enough to grab what they want—because deep down, behind almost every wish, there's a layer of fear, and fear is a massive repellant.

Abstract ideas that simply never take shape.

hiddenbear3 said:Does anyone happen to know where I might be able to pick up some pink sunglasses?

Honestly, if I could, I’d buy them for you myself right now.

Anthony Cook8 said:Honestly, if I could, I’d buy them for you myself right now.

It really feels like the Law of Attraction isn't doing its job here; you have this intense desire, yet it just won't manifest. It’s exactly how I feel about those pink sunglasses I’ve been eyeing—I want them so badly, but they just seem out of reach.

Maybe I just need to manifest even harder, and then they might finally show up.

Nancy Wilson2 said:In reality, it is; because the original poster simply started a thread about reading something they didn't quite grasp, asking someone more knowledgeable to clarify. That’s all there is to it.

Notice how people aren't actually writing about "life," and notice how nobody is even responding to that specific point. He mentioned reading somewhere that the world is an illusion—which he found confusing—and touched upon infinite consciousness; frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if he had been reading something by David Icke, for instance. The actual subject matter here is the nature of reality—the metaphysical claims made by various spiritualists and alternative thinkers—rather than the concept of "life" itself.

The true answer to this thread lies precisely in that distinction, particularly in explaining what those types of people actually mean when they employ such metaphysics. But no, people here just want to talk about the Law of Attraction and whatever else...

Personally, I don't buy into the Law of Attraction. I think things happen randomly in this world; you meet random people, someone can coldly screw you over even if you've been nothing but kind to them, and events unfold completely independent of your thoughts. You can't control everything in your life because you have no idea what the next moment will bring or how you'll react to it. More specifically, you simply cannot have absolute control over everything. That's why I don't believe in God or any concept of "infinite love." I do believe in love, sure, but just like everything else in this world, it isn't perfect. The only thing that might feel perfect is a single fleeting moment filled with genuine wonder, but even that passes. The only real meaning in life is finding something to connect with and working at it—meaning, work. And that depends entirely on our natural inclinations and interests. And yeah, I've read David Icke, and I definitely don't believe aliens are running the world; I think that's bordering on a serious psychosis :P
It seems like people have drifted away from the actual topic, but hey, whatever happens, happens.

hiddenbear3 said:It really feels like the Law of Attraction isn't doing its job here; you have this intense desire, yet it just won't manifest. It’s exactly how I feel about those pink sunglasses I’ve been eyeing—I want them so badly, but they just seem out of reach.

Maybe I just need to manifest even harder, and then they might finally show up.

But when there's nothing external to grab onto... you just have to click into it and realize it's already within you. It doesn't come from the outside.
I can offer you some kindness 😁

Joy is always internal; it doesn't depend on anyone or anything else. I remember one day I was feeling pretty low and everything felt out of sync. A friend called me and asked, "Wait, why are you laughing when you're having such a bad day?" and I just instinctively replied, "Because I'm happy."

That is truly the best feeling in the world, and it doesn't come from the world around us. It’s about letting go, rather than clinging to the idea that you should be feeling something different than what you actually are in the moment.

Those are the real pink sunglasses...

Anthony Cook8 said:But when there's nothing external to grab onto... you just have to click into it and realize it's already within you. It doesn't come from the outside.
I can offer you some kindness 😁

Joy is always internal; it doesn't depend on anyone or anything else. I remember one day I was feeling pretty low and everything felt out of sync. A friend called me and asked, "Wait, why are you laughing when you're having such a bad day?" and I just instinctively replied, "Because I'm happy."

That is truly the best feeling in the world, and it doesn't come from the world around us. It’s about letting go, rather than clinging to the idea that you should be feeling something different than what you actually are in the moment.

Those are the real pink sunglasses...

Joy isn't found by simply typing out the word "joy"—that's just dark magic. Real joy is when you are genuinely joyful. Just imagine if everyone instantly became whatever they typed online; how would you even envision that? Would you want to force yourself to be something you aren't?

No matter how many times you repeat those affirmations, you aren't actually joyful unless it's real; otherwise, you're just trying to convince someone else of who you are, which is nothing more than dark magic.

hiddenbear3 said:Joy isn't found by simply typing out the word "joy"—that's just dark magic. Real joy is when you are genuinely joyful. Just imagine if everyone instantly became whatever they typed online; how would you even envision that? Would you want to force yourself to be something you aren't?

No matter how many times you repeat those affirmations, you aren't actually joyful unless it's real; otherwise, you're just trying to convince someone else of who you are, which is nothing more than dark magic.

Well, Dana Brooks3, if that's the most important takeaway from everything I've written, then I guess I've done my job.

Brandon Mitchell said:Personally, I don't buy into the Law of Attraction. I think things happen randomly in this world; you meet random people, someone can coldly screw you over even if you've been nothing but kind to them, and events unfold completely independent of your thoughts. You can't control everything in your life because you have no idea what the next moment will bring or how you'll react to it. More specifically, you simply cannot have absolute control over everything. That's why I don't believe in God or any concept of "infinite love." I do believe in love, sure, but just like everything else in this world, it isn't perfect. The only thing that might feel perfect is a single fleeting moment filled with genuine wonder, but even that passes. The only real meaning in life is finding something to connect with and working at it—meaning, work. And that depends entirely on our natural inclinations and interests. And yeah, I've read David Icke, and I definitely don't believe aliens are running the world; I think that's bordering on a serious psychosis :P
It seems like people have drifted away from the actual topic, but hey, whatever happens, happens.

Exactly. As I previously stated, it is somewhat reassuring to know I am not hallucinating—especially since the original poster seems to be in agreement with me.

Regarding David Icke, my mention of him wasn't about his conspiracy theories involving fourth-dimensional humanoid reptiles; rather, I brought him up because he discusses the very same concept you touched upon at the start—this idea of some infinite consciousness or love, or whatever one chooses to label that New York City brand of mysticism—mixed with a touch of holographic universe theory. It’s quite the cocktail. However, when someone with even a rudimentary grasp of physics actually sits down to read the first page of his book—where he touches on atomic structure—they quickly realize the man hasn't exactly earned his seat at the table; he is simply being superficial, likely having skimmed Wikipedia to assemble a decent (okay, let's be honest: terrible) pamphlet.

But that is beside the point. If you happen to have picked up your metaphysics from him, and if it still feels unclear, then don't just worry—simply understand that whenever you encounter someone rambling about "consciousness" and "frequencies," you can be certain they are talking nonsense to a degree that precludes any serious consideration.

That said, if you are still determined to find an answer—despite the fact that there isn't much substantial ground to cover here—I included that YouTube link above for a reason.

Brandon Mitchell said:So, I was reading somewhere that everything physically surrounding us is actually just an illusion. Honestly, that sounds a little insane to me. It makes me wonder what "reality" even means, because trying to identify myself as some kind of infinite consciousness feels totally out of reach. To me, everything boils down to the body and the mind. I wouldn't go identifying my spirit with some abstract soul or any of those similar concepts, because at the end of the day, it’s all just brain chemistry and psychological states. One is inextricably linked to the other and they both function in tandem, so trying to separate them feels like nothing more than pure fantasy. I don't see how that could possibly be real, so... I guess you guys can weigh in? I've never really been into spiritual circles or anything, so I don't actually know the full depth behind these ideas. I've dabbled in looking into Buddhism and Krishnaism here and there, but that's about it. I'm not a believer in God.

You can read just about anything; human imagination is limitless. Someone could claim there are millions of dirty underwear orbiting the planet that we just can't perceive. An illusion is really just what happens when someone gets high and jumps off a building thinking they can fly.

I suppose some people find comfort in these wild theories. Then you have people who hear something like this and believe it for various reasons. Maybe they're just afraid of death or non-existence, so they cling to things like future lives or reincarnation. It's probably just a defense mechanism to make life easier to stomach.

Also, nobody ever mentions this part. The whole "spirituality" scene—all the yoga, Reiki, and whatever else—is full of psychotic people. This entire field acts as a haven for neurotics and people who are emotionally or mentally unstable, and I think that's something worth keeping in mind.

Anthony Cook8 said:Well, Dana Brooks3, if that's the most important takeaway from everything I've written, then I guess I've done my job.

Exactly! I really ought to give myself a pat on the back for enduring such a marathon session.

Anthony Cook8 said:But when there's nothing external to grab onto... you just have to click into it and realize it's already within you. It doesn't come from the outside.
I can offer you some kindness 😁

Joy is always internal; it doesn't depend on anyone or anything else. I remember one day I was feeling pretty low and everything felt out of sync. A friend called me and asked, "Wait, why are you laughing when you're having such a bad day?" and I just instinctively replied, "Because I'm happy."

That is truly the best feeling in the world, and it doesn't come from the world around us. It’s about letting go, rather than clinging to the idea that you should be feeling something different than what you actually are in the moment.

Those are the real pink sunglasses...

why assume someone couldn't have their worst possible feeling permanently etched into their consciousness? why can't they be stuck with that, while joy remains unreachable?

Anthony Hayes2 said:why assume someone couldn't have their worst possible feeling permanently etched into their consciousness? why can't they be stuck with that, while joy remains unreachable?

I never saw it that way. You don't actually lose anything essential. If you were a jokester, you'll still be one—maybe even more so. You won't lose that ability to laugh, to find joy like a kid, or even those moments where you need to vent some anger or just have a good cry.

But honestly... so many people spend their entire lives gripped by anxiety, and it really isn't necessary.

I know people who wouldn't call themselves "spiritual," yet they live completely carefree because they possess this profound inner security.

There isn't just one "right" way to exist, one specific technique, or a single perfect path. Life can be fundamentally different and much better than the grind most people endure. We all have the capacity to actually live happily rather than just surviving the struggle until the end.

For goodness' sake... where on earth were you people during physics class? Did you start acting like know-it-alls back in elementary school?