Breaking Illusions: A Journey from Crisis to Renewal

Sometimes, when accumulated illusions crumble, life suddenly finds itself on the brink of radical change. At these moments, the habitual patterns and mental images that have guided our perception of the world for centuries vanish, leaving behind a sense of acute emptiness and a fractured personal unity. The inner world becomes unsettled, the boundaries between the personal and the collective dissolve, and the feeling of connection with the surrounding world loses its strength.

The essence of the experience lies in a sudden transformation of our system of meanings, when the familiar becomes alien. Often, such awakenings occur abruptly under the influence of extraordinary events—whether joyful or tragic. This moment serves as a kind of catharsis, during which the true face of a person, long hidden behind the masks of everyday life, is exposed and demands a reevaluation of existence. The sudden awareness of one’s own identity can trigger a profound internal crisis, yet it simultaneously opens the path to spiritual renewal.

Ultimately, the confrontation with reality becomes a trial that, despite its emotional shock, offers a chance for renewal and purification. The loss of traditional anchors forces one to seek new paths toward a genuine understanding of oneself and the world—a painful yet essential stage in personal development. Such a crisis is both destructive and transformative, providing an opportunity to start life anew by discarding illusory masks and discovering the true depth of human existence.

How do the moments when the illusory view of the world shatters occur, and what consequences does it have for the individual? When an illusory view of the world breaks down, there is a sudden shift in the perception of reality that can deeply unsettle a person. In such moments, one unexpectedly loses the system of meanings and images that typically help navigate the world. This loss results in a diminished sense of complete connection with both the external reality and one’s own "self."

For example, as noted in source ( link ), when the sense of world reality disappears, “the unity of universal consciousness dissolves, and subsequently—the unity of the self-aware personality.” In other words, the collapse of the illusion is accompanied by a deep internal crisis during which a person retreats into a subjective realm, losing the capacity to recognize true values and connect with humanity.

It is also important to note that such an awakening can occur suddenly, often as a result of extraordinary events—joyful or tragic alike. In source ( link ) it is stated: “At some point, the Lord reveals to him a true vision of himself. Often this is associated with extraordinary events... In order for a person to part, even for a moment, from a familiar mask, a jolt is almost always required.” This emphasizes that a sudden shift in self-perception compels a person to see the true face of their existence, a revelation that is often painful due to the instability and foreignness of the once-familiar masks.

Such moments can have far-reaching consequences for the individual. They provoke an inner cleansing and compel a reconfiguration of one’s worldview, although the risk of losing personal integrity is significant. In extreme cases—such as in pathological conditions like schizophrenia—the inability to filter incoming information leads to mental chaos, resulting either in turbulent, inappropriate actions or in complete withdrawal from the world, which ultimately threatens the integrity of the personality.

Supporting citation(s):

“But, not realizing the reality that each act of culture signifies and introduces into our consciousness, we cannot accept it as innately worthy or truly human. Illusionism—as an activity indifferent to reality—essentially negates human dignity: the individual becomes confined within subjectivity, thus severing their connection to humanity and, consequently, to what is humane. When the sense of global reality is absent, the unity of universal consciousness disintegrates, followed by the dissolution of the unity of the self-aware personality. A moment, though it is nothing, aspires to be everything; and in place of the law of freedom, the caprice of fate prevails. The perspectival nature in imagery and the schematic quality in language are outcomes of this detachment from reality; in fact, they are not mere outcomes, but a single consequence—rationality, which is also the law of the identity of abstract thought.” (source: link )

“In the modern world, a person often lives by retreating into a 'virtual space'—not only the computer-generated virtual world but also a fabricated, unreal one. They live by donning different masks: one at work, another with family, and a third with friends. Anything can become a mask by which a person shields themselves from life and from God. But at some point, the Lord reveals to them their true self. Often, this is connected with extraordinary events, whether joyful or tragic. In order for one to part, even momentarily, from the habitual mask, a shock is almost always required. And what is seen beneath the mask is not always pleasing. What, then, should be done subsequently? The spiritual individual resolves this situation with repentance—a necessary act to return to the path of true life, a life without masks, where one can live in communion with God.” (source: link )

Thus, the collapse of an illusory view of the world occurs through an instantaneous confrontation with profound changes in consciousness, when habitual ways of perception and social camouflage suddenly lose their grip. The outcome is both the disintegration of personal integrity and the possibility of reevaluation and spiritual renewal, even though the awakening itself is often accompanied by severe psychological shocks.