delusion versus illusion

​Question:  It “seems” from everyday experience that humans tend to be delusional...more so than otherwise...the efforts to provide direction toward “seeing” or “waking up” has a poor record for being of interest to us...is there anything to be said about this pattern except to point out its possible illusory nature? 
 
Response:  Yes.  You can point out actual Illusion.  
 
It is helpful to bear in mind that delusion is belief.  Not so, illusion.  For example, you see what appears to be water on a highway.  You even see reflections of more distant objects in the “water.”  As you draw near, however, the “water” disappears.  It was a mirage.  An illusion.  Before recognizing the illusory nature of the experience, it’s easy to be fooled into believing that there’s actually water on the road.  This is delusion.
 
My concern in The Grand Delusion is that people are regularly deluded into believing substantiality is Real—which is the source of virtually all pain and distress.  I wrote the book to help people wake up from this “grand delusion.”  (You may want to listen to my elucidation of the last page of Chapter 10 in The Grand Delusion.  You can find it if you scroll down on the home page and click on the Wednesday discussions.  Click on the talk, “What We’re Missing,” dated Feb 17, and then click again at about the 45-minute mark and follow to the end of the talk.)