In the neighborhood where this is being written is a street named O’Sheridan. It has a small degree of notoriety among locals. Some hold the opinion that one isn’t a true resident of the city, an old-timer, unless one knows about the O’Sheridan illusion. O’Sheridan points directly at the state capitol across the lake. As one proceeds northward on O’Sheridan, one approaches the capitol. However, instead of appearing nearer, the capitol seems to recede and shrink. The effect is stronger, when one is in an auto, rather than walking, and it is more pronounced at night. Experiencing the O’Sheridan illusion produces a feeling of puzzled wonderment. One knows one is experiencing an illusion, but one doesn’t know why. Some illusions are more subtle, so subtle one doesn’t know one is suffering an illusion.

If one views a full moon on the eastern horizon, it appears enormous. If one continues to observe it, the moon seems to shrink and recede into the distance of space as it rises, especially if there is a cloudless sky. If one observes the same moon through an aperture, open just enough to allow one to see only the moon, and nothing else, the moon seems to have a constant size and distance, irrespective of its degree of ascension. The illusions of size and distance are a consequence of unconscious association of the moon with other objects in the field of vision. One has an idea about the size of the moon, and is familiar with the other objects, and is trying to rationalize what is being seen. In so doing, the moon is seems to be larger. Similar illusions can be produced by taking two identical objects—twin objects—and surrounding each twin with a group of other objects; with one group of comprised of objects larger than its twin, while the objects with the other twin are smaller than its twin. The twin surrounded by smaller objects than itself, will seem larger than its twin surrounded by larger objects, if both groups are in one’s field of vision. It is called the Ebbinhaus illusion.

As truth seekers, we want to see the truth, even about objects of perception. The Rosicrucian Prayer has a line which reads: “not more of light, but eyes to see what is.” We want to be free of illusion, which is not an easy task. It is possible. There are so-called primitive people, who are not subject to this kind of illusion. They are capable of judging size and distance without mistake. Some are so free of accepted cultural context, that, when shown a two dimensional sketch of a three dimensional object, they don’t see the object in the representation. They see areas of more or less darkness, and lines. As truth seekers, we want to be free of illusion, but not at the price of losing dimensional perspective, not an easy task. We need to increase our awareness to be aware of illusion, but not subject to it. We want to be free enough to chose what we see, and be accurate in our observation. This is not easy, but nobody ever said that knowledge, and living in truth, is easy.

Probably everyone has seen the Rubin face-vase cognitive illusion. It is what seems to be a white vase in a black background. Seen another way, it is two silhouette faces in black looking at each other on a white background. It is called a cognitive illusion because one can only cognize (or know) it, in only one way at a time. There has been much intellectual ballyhoo about this illusion. The Gestaltists see it as part of the basis for their psychological and philosophical system; and the great positivist philosopher, Wittgenstein thought it was seeing two disparate facts simultaneously. A distinction needs to be made between seeing, and knowing. It is quite difficult to perceive this illusion without cognizing it one way or the other. Almost always, it is seen only one way or the other. Because faces and vases are recognized through different parts of the brain, it is not possible to cognize it both ways simultaneously. A mystical aspirant could try to take the easy way out, and say something like “this is just another example of the limitations of the material world and the physical body.” We want more than that. If nothing else, this type of illusion compels us to look at all sides of anything presented to us. To see, and adhere to one side of things, either black or white, deprives us of the whole truth, and leaves us with a petty prejudice. There is more. Max Heindel tells us that with full blown desire world vision, one can see all of the pages of a book, and the relationships of their contents, simultaneously. Nobody ever said unfolding higher consciousness is easy.

There are many illusions and categories of illusions, too many to be discussed in a short essay. Most illusions are optical, though there are auditory and other sensory illusions. Some illusions become the basis of psychological theory. In Op Art, illusions are used to elicit responses from viewers, but not much can be said for them aesthetically. Mostly illusions are treated trivially, as a forms of entertainment, as novelties. As we have seen, for spiritual aspirants, they disclose our limitations in knowing the truth.

Then there are phenomena which seem to be illusions but are not. They are every bit as important as illusions, for truth seekers. A perfect example is found in the neurophysiology of chronic pain. Suppose one suffers from sciatica, a condition of excruciating pain produced by pressure on the sciatic nerve. When there is a stab of pain, a neural impulse from the sciatic nerve makes its way from the peripheral nervous system, to the spinal nervous system, to the brain. When the impulse is registered in the brain, it is passed along to the etheric brain, which passes it on to the desire body, where it is felt as pain in the region of feeling in the desire world. Usually, there are all sorts of thoughts and emotions surrounding the pain. These too, are registered in the brain. When there are repeated, pain impulses from the same stimulus, as in chronic pain, the neural pathway becomes established like a well paved highway. The establishment also occurs in the brain, and it includes the things attendant to the pain, such as thoughts and emotions. Then suppose the pressure on the nerve is relieved. One would expect that when the stimulus is removed, the pain would cease, sometimes it doesn’t. This is possible, because the circuitry established by chronic pain, can also be stimulated by the nexus of thoughts and emotions in the brain, associated with the pain. If the thoughts and emotions have become habitual, and are expressed without the sciatic stimulus, the pain continues to be chronic. In the brain, physical and etheric, and the desire body, this pain is every bit as real as when the stimulus was pressure on the sciatic nerve. The only thing that has changed is the origin of activation. This is not a rare occurrence. It is so common that some spinal surgeons will not perform surgery unless the patient first takes a course in psychological pain management, and practices it. Sometimes such practice obviates the need for surgery.

In the Rosicrucian philosophy we learn that thoughts are things. Thoughts, and the emotions that attend to them, are every bit as real as things in the physical world. Moreover, they are causal, whereas things in the physical world are mostly consequences. Even the sciatic condition that causes severe pain is likely a consequence of a bad attitude stressing and distorting the body posture. It is difficult to change the physical body—“which of you by taking thought can add one cubit onto his stature?” The mind and the desire body are less mature in their development than the physical body, and they are closer to the Spirit. They are more amenable to change. As creative beings, it is our duty and destiny to develop and perfect, creative minds. In Rosicrucian philosophy courses, we are taught that a creative mind is one of the objectives of our participation in this evolutionary creation.”Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

The thoughts immediately above, are lofty goals and sentiments. One certainly cannot argue with them. However, their attainment is distant, when what we really need is something immediate, both in our lives and in this essay on illusion.

Real pain caused by attitudes, and not by physical stimuli, is an extreme example. Extremes often bring to light things which are normally subliminal in our, not so bright and clear, consciousness. As aspirants, we are seeking clear consciousness. The word clairvoyance literally means clear seeing. One element of clear seeing, is seeing what is—“not more of light, but eyes to see what is.” Sometimes our vision of reality is clouded by our attitudes. Bad attitudes are more than obscuration. As we have just seen, they can produce realities which are indubitable, such as pseudo-sciatic pain. We may be creating realities for ourselves, which are not beneficial for us, or for others, for that matter. We need to ask ourselves how much of our grief and suffering is auto-generated, and how much is destined, perhaps by bad attitudes from the distant past. The former is something we can change now, just as we an eliminate some chronic pain, which is a product of bad attitude habits. This is one of the reasons we retrospect. One might say, we change to eliminate illusionary reality, strange though that may sound, so we can see true reality for what it is.

Then there is the God Spot. The God Spot is a hypothetical location in the brain activated by mystical experience. The God Spot is the Holy Grail for some neuroscientists. If one could trigger a neural event which would produce a mystical experience in the subject, it would substantiate the philosophical stance of many neuroscientists. Because of the findings in their science, some of the most acclaimed neuroscientists are determinists. They do not believe in free will. To them, all actions are a product of neurophysiological conditioning, either by heredity or training. Some of their studies are quite impressive and persuasive.

The debate on the existence of the God Spot has not been settled yet. At present, there is prevailing agreement among neuroscientists, that spiritual and religious experiences (two different things), are spread around the brain, and not in one location. Every few years the argument shifts between: yes, there 284 is a God Spot, and no, there isn’t. Experiments with the God Helmet, which stimulated the temporal lobes with weak magnetic fields, produced mild mystic-like experiences in 80% of the subjects. Some even excreted floral smelling sweat which has been associated with mystics. None experienced a full-blown spiritual experience of divinity. The original experimental results have never been replicated satisfactorily.

There have been other side door experiments, and attempts, to produce mystical experiences. In recent years there has been a resurgence of scientific experimentation with psychedelic drugs. In the first wave it was LSD, Mescaline, THC, PCP, and MDMA (Ecstasy.) These drugs are still used in experiments, but now Psilocybin mushrooms and Ayahuasca seem to be preferred for experimentation. Almost everyone who takes these drugs has remarkable experiences. Some see colors, and strange things in the inner worlds. Most experience a change of perspective about the material world, and life in it. These experiences are the reason for experimentation by psychotherapists. They find many people are attached to life in the material world in unhealthy ways. People are caught up in the material attitudes and illusions, held by an unhealthy society. They are tense and limited, they feel psychologically trapped. They have nothing higher to live for. These kinds of drug experiences seem to break such a spell, and open the way to a new, more spiritual, life. This is the reason native peoples use Psilocybin, Ayahuasca and Peyote. To them, it is a liberating sacrament. The drugs take them away from the humdrum nature of material life, and into a higher reality.

The visions, and the other world states of consciousness, are real, or they have some semblance of reality. The so-called hallucinations are not different from things seen by clairvoyants in the lower desire world. The “higher reality” experienced is real, but the manner in which it is experienced may not be accurate—our consciousness alters our perception in the higher worlds. This writer has been told that the experience of higher worlds with drugs, elicits a feeling of puzzled wonderment, perhaps not unlike the experience of the O’Sheridan illusion. These experiences have set attitudes about them, which are determined by the nature of the drug. For some, these attitudes are as confining as the rigid societal attitudes the user is escaping, though more subtle. The religions of the native peoples, who use these herbal drugs, are founded in these set, common, experiences. They form a ritual.

If the experiences are real, and the things experienced are real, what is wrong with them? This is the very question asked by researchers studying them. Recreational users of hallucinogens also feel they should be free to use them. In recent years, laws have been trending in the direction of freedom of use, for both researchers and recreational users. One wonders what spiritual aspirants are to think about illusions, and what we are calling pseudo-illusory realities.

Each of the illusions and pseudo-illusions mentioned in this essay, poses a question for spiritual aspirants. Trying to partially answer these questions should be helpful for clarifying our aspiration, and coping with illusion when it appears.

For this writer, the answers are sometimes ironic. Truth seems to be that way. The use of drugs for experiment, either personal or clinical, is a question about freedom. Should people be free to use hallucinogens for research, psychotherapy, or recreation? This writer believes in almost absolute freedom for everyone, provided one is not harming others. Thus, he believes that if one is an adult of reasonably sound mind, he/she should be free to experiment with drugs, but with safety stipulations like not driving an auto, for instance. However, one must be clear about what freedom is. Warnings about the dangers of illusion and dependency must be given, as they are given with alcohol and tobacco. Aside from illusion, some people are benefited from minimal drug use. This writer has seen incidences where recreational users, or patients, have gone from minimal use, to healthy lives, even including spiritual seeking without drugs, but such incidences do not seem to occur frequently. More often recreational users lose sight of the original insights obtained in early experiences. They then lose themselves to the drug experiences, and they degenerate in body and soul, to the point that they can only talk about their “high”, the altitude of which, isn’t much. What began as something easy, eventually became hard.

Ironically, recreational users want the freedom, to give away their freedom. In drug use, one is freed from everyday consciousness, whether healthy or unhealthy, but one is not freed from the drug. Mystical aspirants seek the freedom to change their focus of consciousness at will, to whatever state of reality they may choose. That is real freedom. The drug directs one’s consciousness to a limited range of experience, and not very deep into the spiritual worlds. That might be enough for those who are happy with a larger cage. It is an ironic illusion, to think that one can only be free, if one has to take a drug to be free. Some have carried this illusion about freedom to an absurd degree. Heroin was introduced to free users from morphine addiction, today methadone addiction is used to free users from Heroin addiction. What about methadone addiction? There are enough problems for neophyte trainees in clairvoyance, without adding the burden of induced illusions.

The experiments with the God Spot, highlight questions for aspirants. Our various bodies, which are specialized out of the stuff of the worlds in which they function, are called vehicles of consciousness. Through them the Spirit, the Truth Knower, awakens consciousness by experiencing, and creating, in their respective worlds. Our various bodies are our laboratories, and ateliers, in our evolutionary work. Our dense bodies, for example, are wonderful instruments. The sense of smell can detect the presence of an oder in parts per billion, and some blind people can discriminate one color from another with the sense of touch. As perfect as our vehicles of consciousness may be, they cannot be completely perfect. This is, in part, due to the fact that they are works in progress. It is also impossible, because of the very nature of concretion is limitation. The concrete worlds are unknowns, becoming known through an interaction, called the spiritualization of matter in the Rosicrucian philosophy. A painter may be creatively drawing out the qualities of lapis lazuli pigment in a painting, and even potential qualities of the blue hue, may be drawn out in the process. Scientists include instrument error, such as the imperfect transparency of a lens, when calculating their findings. As mystical aspirants, we are always working with incomplete unknowns, using imperfect apparatus. Thus, one of the major questions for us, as truth seekers, is “What is the significant truth of an experience, and what is a product of the apparatus?” The pain, produced by activating an established neural with thoughts and desires, has a different significance for a healer, then pain produced by a pinched nerve. The experience produced by activation of the “God Spot” by electromagnetism is almost exclusively illusionary, except for its petty existential reality, but most of the subjects did feel something associated with divinity. The evolution of the brain is not fortuitous. There had to have been divine experience for there to be an apparatus evolved to register it. It is extremely important for us to know what of an experience, is in the apparatus, and what is in the reality the apparatus registers. In activation of the “God Spot”, it is all in the apparatus, but it points to something highly meaningful by existential inference; in pains induced by attitude activity, it is mostly in the apparatus, but it is meaningful for healing, nonetheless. Psychedelic visions of the inner worlds pose a similar problem. They are activated by something external—“what happens in any world effects every other world”—and they have an objective reality, like the psychogenic pain, but whether they are significant or meaningful is another question.

To answer this question, a snippet of a story is helpful. When Aristaeus lived and ruled in Arcadia, all of the bees died. In his distress, he sought a reason for the plague. His mother, Cyrene, who was of semi-divine origin, told him the river god Proteus, who was a great prophet, could answer his question. Aristaeus was purified and instructed to force Proteus to answer, because Proteus was a reluctant prophet. Aristaeus sneaked up on Proteus during his nap. Aristaeus grabbed him and held him fast. Proteus went through many transformations to evade prophesying. He became a bear, a bearded lion, a serpent, a panther, water, and even fire. But, because Aristaeus never relaxed his grip, Proteus eventually had to relent, appear as himself, and give Aristaeus his answer.

In the Rosicrucian philosophy, we are told that neophyte clairvoyants are taught to hold their attention on what they see. If they don’t, many elemental denizens of the desire world will transform themselves in the style of Proteus. Eventually, a trained seer will see through illusions and see the truth as it is, and know it is true by intuition. Spiritual sight is more than clairvoyance, it is clairvoyance with intuition. Intuition is truth—“Ye shall know the truth and the truth will make you free.” Sustained concentration of attention is more than a beginner’s exercise. It grows in importance as we progress. Max Heindel tells us it can burn through anything, to get to the core of anything. By applying concentration to intuition, one discerns the difference of reality from appearance, and truth from illusion.

Cognitive illusions, such as the Rubin face-vase illusion, suggest other knowledge spiritual aspirants would benefit from. In the Rosicrucian philosophy, we are told that our precious self-consciousness is new, and still very small. We have come to our self-consciousness, here in the chemical subdivision of the physical world. This is the most limited realm in which our evolution transpires. It is because of this limitation, that we began our career in self-consciousness here. In this severe limitation we can learn the ABCs of self-consciousness in the simplicity of reality, without the confusion of multiple distractions found in the less limited desire world, for example. It is not an accident, or some devious demonic curse, that we can see only one perspective of the face-vase illusion at a time. There is nothing wrong with seeing only one perspective. If done without bias, it is a fulfillment of the first step in awakening self-consciousness. It is “seeing what is.” One cannot confidently cognize more, or other things, until one has cognized one thing clearly. However, it is only when we think there is only one perspective, and it is our perspective, that problems arise. In our fallen insecurity, we become attached to our perceptions and perspectives, we personalize them, and this engenders many of the problems of materialism. There is irony in this attachment. One expects that discrete perspective differences in objects of perception, would produce discrete awareness in the consciousness of the observer, not fixity. This is the reason why, in our observation exercise, we try to see things a clearly as possible. However, self-conscious awakening, has developed concurrently with perception, during a time when we have been exiled from awareness of the higher spiritual worlds. Among the consequences of this, are personal identification and insecure possessiveness of material things. The Rubin face-vase illusion is not really an illusion. It is a demonstration of how the brain has evolved to cognize one perspective at a time. It also clearly shows multiple, potential perspectives in a simple, black and white object. Identification, attachment, prejudice and other attitudes surrounding materialism are the illusions. Yes, they do exist, but they don’t have to, and they are an unnecessary encumbrance, when they do.

Seeing a thing as it really is, such as the moon on the horizon, is difficult because we are attached to our conceptions of the moon, and the other things which might be on the horizon, such as trees. When the associate things are removed, so is the illusion about the apparent size of the moon, as we saw with the aperture. However, the attachment to our conceptions of things, is not healed by removing the things, and the illusions will return, once the associate things are restored. The illusions are due to our attachments to our conceptions, to the associate objects, or the conceptions themselves. Associations are necessary in creation and evolution. A single musical note has many potential qualities. Some of the qualities come out in the associations of the note with the notes preceding and succeeding it in a melody line. Others come out according to the association with the chords in which it may be found. Yet others are brought out by other things, such as the mood of a musical movement. Our behavior around some people, is different from our behavior when we are around others. The difference may, or may not, be to our liking. Again, if it is not to our liking, the reason is not necessarily due to the association, or to the others. It is most likely due to ourselves. Becoming a hermit will not solve this either. “The fault dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” Ironically, turning away from the objects of illusion, and turning inward and delving into ourselves alone, is where we find resolution. Whether by retrospection, or some other means of self-correction, we must come to terms with the divinity within, and we must cleanse ourselves of unhealthy attachments, to see things as they really are. No other being in heaven or earth can do it for us. “Gnothi se auton,” know thyself.

We cannot rid ourselves of our conceptions of trees or moons, or even the trees and moons themselves, but we can cleanse ourselves of attachments to our conceptions which cause illusions. In the Rosicrucian philosophy we are told to do this by astute observation. We are urged to observe things as clearly, and as exactly, as possible, and to get glasses if we don’t. The primitive hasn’t formed abstract conceptions of things; we have, and it would be a severe regression to rid ourselves of them, i.e., to form some kind of psychological aperture or blinder, if that were possible. It is a matter of freedom. We are free to focus on whatever we choose, to the exclusion of everything else. This kind of freedom is one of the objectives of our concentration exercise. It isn’t easy, but nobody ever said spiritual development is easy.

Every now and then, it isn’t a bad idea to take a trip down O’Sheridan, or to watch the moon rise, to see how we are doing.