illusion
Mind's deceptive trick
An illusion is something that deceives the senses or mind—a false perception or mistaken belief.
Optical illusions trick the eye; a mirage is an illusion of water.
More broadly, illusion refers to any misconception: She had no illusions about the difficulty ahead.
To be under the illusion that something is true is to believe it mistakenly.
A magician's illusion is a trick designed to make the impossible appear real.
Phenomenal world's deceptive nature
- veilFabric that obscures
- simulacrumImitative stand-in for reality
- appearanceOutward visible form
- realityWhat actually exists
phenomenology · Descartes · solipsism · skepticism · empiricism · samsara · Buddhist · Hindu
Atmospheric optical deception
- apparitionVisible supernatural manifestation
- phantomInsubstantial apparition
- specterGhostly threatening presence
- phantasmIllusory supernatural appearance
vision · figment · chimera · will-o'-the-wisp · Fata Morgana · seeing things · tricks of the light · sensory
Deliberate deception for effect
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- conArgument against
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
deceit · sham · fake · ruse · subterfuge · chicanery · sleight · feint
Traditional explanatory tale
- fallacyError in reasoning
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- misbeliefFalse notion held true
- distortionTwisting from original state
fabrication · untruth · misinformation · canard · error · fiction · fantasy · pipe dream
Deliberate deception
- sleight of handSkillful manual deception
- legerdemainSkillful hand-based deception
- prestidigitationSkillful hand-based illusions
- conjuringPerforming magical illusions
Houdini · Copperfield · stage · performance · levitation · vanishing · sawing · escape
Something that extends outward
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- defense mechanismUnconscious self-protective mental process
- cognitive biasSystematic deviation from rationality
- confirmation biasPreferring belief-supporting information
wishful thinking · self-deception · sunk cost · hindsight bias · false memory · déjà vu · confabulation · rationalization
Lingering visual impression
- trompe-l'oeilArt mimicking three dimensions
- hologram3D image from light
- anamorphosisDeliberately warped image
- pareidoliaPerceiving patterns in randomness
Escher · Penrose · impossible object · Op Art · stereogram · moiré · forced perspective · refraction
maya
Phenomenal world's deceptive nature
- veilFabric that obscures
- simulacrumImitative stand-in for reality
- appearanceOutward visible form
reality · phenomenology · Descartes · solipsism · skepticism · empiricism · samsara · Buddhist · Hindu · enlightenment
mirage
Atmospheric optical deception
- apparitionVisible supernatural manifestation
- phantomInsubstantial apparition
- specterGhostly threatening presence
phantasm · vision · figment · chimera · will-o'-the-wisp · Fata Morgana · seeing things · tricks of the light · sensory · cognitive
hoax
Deliberate deception for effect
trickery · deceit · sham · fake · ruse · subterfuge · chicanery · sleight · feint · charlatan
myth
Traditional explanatory tale
- fallacyError in reasoning
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- misbeliefFalse notion held true
distortion · fabrication · untruth · misinformation · canard · error · fiction · fantasy · pipe dream · wishful thinking
trick
Deliberate deception
- sleight of handSkillful manual deception
- legerdemainSkillful hand-based deception
- prestidigitationSkillful hand-based illusions
conjuring · Houdini · Copperfield · stage · performance · levitation · vanishing · sawing · escape · assistant
projection
Something that extends outward
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- defense mechanismUnconscious self-protective mental process
- cognitive biasSystematic deviation from rationality
confirmation bias · wishful thinking · self-deception · sunk cost · hindsight bias · false memory · déjà vu · confabulation · rationalization
afterimage
Lingering visual impression
- trompe-l'oeilArt mimicking three dimensions
- hologram3D image from light
- anamorphosisDeliberately warped image
pareidolia · Escher · Penrose · impossible object · Op Art · stereogram · moiré · forced perspective · refraction · shimmer
- magical effectsinvisibility, teleportation, levitation, enchantment, hex
- magical imagerywands, wizards, witches, spells, potions
- mysteriousmysterious, cryptic, enigmatic, arcane, obscure
- optical illusionstrompe l'oeil, impossible stairs, duck-rabbit, afterimages, impossible triangle
- supernatural powerstelekinesis, telepathy, teleportation, levitation, invisibility
- Wonder & Magicmagic, fairy tale, enchantment, fantasy, myth
illusionreality
What actually exists
truth · fact · actuality · verity · the real thing
- optical illusionMisleading visual perception
- shattered illusions
- no illusions
- visual illusionMisperceived sensory input
- stage illusionsPerformed deceptions before audiences
- grand illusion
disillusion, disillusioned, illusions, illusive, illusionist, disillusionment, disillusions, illusionary, illusionists