Delusion and Delusion analysis
What is the biggest delusion? Do you know? Before we go further, we should be clear about the meaning of delusion.
A delusion is a belief that is not true in reality.
Usually delusions are of negative kind, but occasionally one can identify delusions with positive effects also. Analysing delusions for increasing positivity is Delusion Analysis.
Some examples
You believe - you are not good looking
This is quite a common belief held by large number of humans, especially of female kind of young age. Reason:
Even in this modern literate age, in most countries young women are evaluated and chosen by young men by their looks rather than their intelligence and inherent worth.
It is a negative delusion and curable most of the time. By this delusion resulting loss belongs directly to you.
You believe - you are weak in maths
You are pursuing technical or science subjects and need to be strong in maths. But you cannot get over this strong fear in maths. Result is an inherest weakness in your foundation of knowledge and of course progress forward.
This is a negative delusion and generally root cause in this fear originates early in childhood and persists throughout life.
Of course this is curable. By this delusion you stand to lose in many ways.
Both these two delusions are called by the names of fear, inferiority complex and so on. Technically we classify these as delusions. Reason:
Your beliefs are not based on sound and reliable reasoning, truths and principles. In reality truth is different – it is positive – for you.
Look around, analyse. You will find ample evidence of what we say. Nevertheless, in time we will show you enough reasons for you to start believing.
Firm beliefs opposite to your delusions take time to grow.
You believe - whatever you think or say is always right and others are wrong
With trivial reasoning, and easy experimentation, this can be proved false any time. This delusion not only undermines the believer, it may also affect a very large number of people adversely.
Other names of this delusion are superiority complex, egotism and so on. Wealth, material success, and intellectual success amongst others, are the root causes of this type of delusion.
Why do we call this as delusion? Because:
- Any living thing is inferior to every other living thing in many ways.
- Superiority is only temporary - every living thing will die.
- Practically all points of view are subjective and all statements have counter-statements.
- Superiority, if not translated into anything positive and lasting, is valueless.
Can this be cured? We believe - by clear reasoning and effective practices, this can be cured for the good of all.
We know now what delusion is. All these examples unfortunately are of negative kind.
Can you think of any positive delusion? What are the delusions that are good to have?
Positive delusion
Peeking hanky
A celebrity cricketer when walked to the crease to start batting, you could see a corner of his hanky peeking through his right pocket. That was his belief. He considered that action to bring good luck and success to him.
Why do we call this a delusion? By no conceivable reason you can say with any amount of certainty that merely by hanging a corner of his hanky out of his right pocket he would definitely score a lot of runs.
Should we laugh at him? Never ever make that mistake. All of us have this type of delusion in some way or the other. These do not harm the person or others but definitely increases the confidence of the believer. This is a positive delusion.
Commonly these are called as idiosyncrasies – a tough word undoubtedly.
Suprio Sir is such a good teacher
My niece told me the other day, “Suprio Sir is a great teacher.” I assumed that by this she meant him to be a great man and surely a model for her. He may be a good teacher to my niece, but in private life, in his mind and in other spheres of his life he may not be as great as my niece thought. By believing in the greatness of the man though, my niece could create a model valuable for her growth – a positive delusion.
Most of our beliefs or perceptions of good, bad or great are biased and technically delusions. Still these help in most cases where these are of positive kind.
Now the important question: what is the biggest delusion in human life?
If we know our biggest delusion, it would help us a great deal to rank and rate our other more earthly delusions.
Think over. Think through. Then only start reading again.
Biggest delusion
A few decades back I lived away from my family for a few years in a faraway place, alone. Coming home on a short leave, one fine morning as I just stepped out of the compound of my building, the idea struck me like lightning – ohh, why didn’t I think of it before!
Every human, every life form - can never think and cannot ever accept - that it will die. That one day it will cease to be from this beautiful earth with total certainty. This is the biggest delusion in human life.
Take away this delusion, world as we know will stop.
Personal immortality by far is the biggest and strongest delusion of positive kind in human life.
Now we ask, "What are our other delusions? Can we do anything about them?"
Our recommendation for delusion analysis
- Identify all delusion you have – don’t leave out anything. This process itself will enable you to know yourself - a great gain.
- Classify the delusions in two classes: positive and negative.
- Apply your reason and all other techniques that you know or don’t know (if you don’t know, learn) to vanquish, erase, and get over the negative delusions.
- Nurture the positive delusions: these are your friends, always helping you with improved confidence.
If you engage in delusion analysis seriously and steadfastly, be sure of a great wealth of knowledge and progress forward. That will be the outcome for certain. In time you would find yourself a changed and more positive personality for sure.