Seeing Beyond Illusion

Take a look at this heart. At first glance, it seems to move, swirl, even beat before your eyes — but it’s just an image on the screen. Your mind reacts, interprets, and tries to make sense of what it sees. What feels real in the moment is, in fact, an illusion.

This is the outer illusory form in action — the ego, our habitual self. It is the part of us shaped by habits, learned responses, memories, fears, and expectations. It reacts quickly, interpreting through filters, and is easily fooled by appearances.

Motion illusions like this heart show us something fundamental: perception is not always reality. The habitual self can be tricked because it responds to patterns, context, and learned assumptions rather than seeing what truly is.

Rubin's Vase

Other illusions illustrate the same truth. Take Rubin’s Vase — sometimes you see a vase, sometimes two faces. The habitual self flips between interpretations, reacting to cues and prior experience. Or the checker-shadow illusion, where two identical squares appear different because one is in shadow. Your mind insists they differ, even when they are the same.

Checker Shadow Illusion

Each of these examples reveals how the habitual self interprets the world through conditioning. Our thoughts, emotions, and actions are influenced by past patterns, learned judgments, and assumptions. The mind is constantly trying to make sense of sensory input, and in doing so, it can easily be misled.

By observing these illusions, we can begin to notice the habits of our own perception. How quickly do we jump to conclusions? How often do we mistake appearances for truth? The outer illusory form — the habitual self — moves through life reacting rather than seeing clearly.

The Habitual Self at Work

Every day, life is full of subtle “motion illusions” — situations where the ego reacts automatically, assuming it understands what is happening. A comment that feels critical, a sudden change in plans, a memory that triggers emotion — the habitual self leaps into action. It interprets, judges, and responds based on conditioning, not on direct perception.

Just like the heart that appears to move on the screen, our thoughts and reactions can be misleading. The mind insists, the ego reacts, and we are caught in patterns we don’t always notice. Habits of thinking, emotional loops, and automatic behaviors all operate through the same mechanisms: learned responses and assumptions about the world.

Optical illusions are more than curiosities — they are mirrors. They reveal how quickly perception can be misled, how the habitual self tends to leap to conclusions, and how appearances can deceive. The habitual self is not wrong for responding — it is simply functioning as it was conditioned to do. Awareness of this, however, opens a space to step back. To observe the reactions, the judgments, the interpretations, without being entirely swept away.

Seeing Clearly

Experiential Exercise: Pause and Notice

While looking at the motion heart illusion:

1. Notice the apparent movement, swirl, or pulse of the heart. Allow yourself a few seconds to observe the illusion.

2. Pay attention to your mind’s reaction — surprise, curiosity, disbelief, or fascination. Recognize these responses as the habitual self at work.

3. Pause. Simply notice the reaction without trying to stop it or change it. Observe how quickly the mind interprets, labels, and reacts.

4. Feel the difference between the automatic reaction and the simple act of noticing. Even as the heart seems to move, you are aware of the stillness behind the perception.

Through this simple exercise, you can directly experience how the habitual self interprets appearances — and begin practicing clarity while observing the outer illusory form.

About Jennifer Lasell

I’m a psychic medium, spiritual life coach, and energy healer, dedicated to helping people connect with their intuition and inner wisdom. My work is rooted in meditation, reflection, and deep listening, offering guidance with care, presence, and respect for each person’s unique path.

I provide spiritually guided readings and a gentle, sacred space where spirit-to-spirit connection supports every session. With the guidance of your spirit guides and guardian angels, we explore your questions, insights, and inner guidance—helping you notice the wisdom that already lives within you. As a spiritual life coach, I also help you translate these insights into practical steps, empowering you to move forward with confidence, clarity, and alignment.

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