What does an optical illusion tell you? It tells you that you have no direct access to reality. How do you begin to control a world you cannot see, a world that includes you?
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First, that thought shows you a world⌠Second, thought fools you into thinking that it reflects the world as it is⌠And third, until you perceive your thought in action, it controls your life. Thought hides itself.
Knowing how things are doesnât make you see them correctly, doesnât stop you from seeing things incorrectly. Stare at the image as much as you like, itâs all in vain. It will never surrender the truth, not to your naked eyes; you have to go in armed with a straightedge.
This is how fear works. It transforms our perceptual field. It changes how we allow ourselves to experience the worldâin order to circumvent the fear.
You said it yourself. I always noticed them. I noticed them because I couldnât help it. Only from the inside can you know what itâs like from the inside. Understanding isnât just knowing or learning what it is but knowing what itâs like.
I am reminded of what Einstein said on the death of his friend: He has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. For us believing physicists, the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubborn illusion.