‘By their fruits, you will know them’ (Mt 7:16).
You can know the difference between creative imagination and illusion just by seeing the effect that they have. Creative imagination captures our attention and in a positive way expands our attention, deepens our sympathy and understanding. It helps us to better see the depth of dimensions of reality; we see more under the influence of a creative imagination. But illusion separates us. This is the ego separating again. Illusion separates us from reality and instead gives us a false version of the truth. Now we live in a time where it is hard to know who or what to believe on many of the major events of our world. Trust is at a very low ebb with fake news, alternative facts, and politicians, sometimes the most successful politicians, being in a populist style, who basically tell people what they want to hear (and people, all of us perhaps, like to be told what we want to hear even if we know it’s not true, it’s kind of a false reassurance), so politicians who tell whatever version of the truth they find to be convenient at that time, whatever will help them better to survive.
( The Brick Wall of the Ego 2 by Laurence Freeman OSB )
