Being Born into a Dream

p. 8 - You Have Chosen to Remember: A Journey from Perception to Knowledge, Peace of Mind and Joy by James Blanchard Cisneros.

Imagine being born into a dream - a mass illusion transformed over thousands of years by billions of people into what today we call reality. The billions of people subdivided into territories they called countries, into belief systems they called religions and into groups they called races. Countries subdivided into states, provinces and cities, which were then subdivided into neighborhoods that subdivided into buildings or single-family homes. Religions divided into conservative and liberal sects, which then grew into more conservative and liberal branches. Races divided themselves by all of the above, including color, tone, ethnic makeup and financial status.

Each group then teaches and defends that its way is the way, and its truth is the truth. And each group creates its own reality out of what it believes. Each group then tries to sell us on its current forms and laws, telling us that this is what is "right."  Each teaches us that the closer we are to following its form, the happier, more successful and peaceful we will be. And somewhere deep within, we know that it is our right to be happy and to be at peace. So we buy into it, and regardless of how little sense the illusion makes, we keep participating for if we stop we will be judged as outcasts, trouble-makers or bums. We are taught that if we stop participating in the group’s way of life, our hopes for happiness, success and peace will also end. The group we are in tells us that if we go against the norm, we will not find happiness, peace or success. So we buy into the illusion the group offers us, believing that there is no other way. We carefully weave and contour the illusion into one we can live with for now. But my friend, regardless of how we choose to weave, contour and experience the illusion, it is still an illusion.

All these divisions, separations and sects continuously punish and judge each other for being different, and punish their own group members for not being the same. This makes little sense to our trueselves so we create a mask, or false self that allows us to live more comfortably in the illusion. I refer to this mask, or false self, as the ego-self. The ego-self or ego is not part of our physical bodies. The ego is a belief system within our minds. And so with our ego-selves, we shape the illusion into one we can live with. We call it reality - not our reality, but reality nonetheless. We defend this reality with all our might, for if it fails, we believe that so too will our chances at happiness, success, peace and joy.
 

	E-Mail this to a Friend	Back to Inspirational Quotes: Illusions in Life & Society

View larger images of front & back cover 
of the great spiritual / self development book You Have Chosen to Remember: A Journey from Perception to Knowledge, Peace of Mind and Joy by James Blanchard Cisneros.