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Forget positive thinking and embrace delusion!

Mike Birbiglia is one of my favorite comics. He crafts his life into entertaining bits that give humor and leave an impression on listeners like me long after the show is over. However, Mike wasn’t always as good a comedian as he became in his Spotify albums. He once described one of his first shows where he threw up before getting on stage and bombed only minutes into his set before leaving. In fact, he failed so many times in comedy that the only way he could find his success was through his hidden superpower.

Did you catch on yet?

If you didn’t, stay tuned. If you have, stick to the end so you’ll know what dangers to avoid once these powers are awakened.

Hail, viewer. I’m Crown Vic, your companion in the Palace of Possibilities. Today, we’re exploring a superpower that’s often misunderstood and underestimated. We’re going to talk about the sponsor, Nike. No, it’s not Nike. I wish. As you can see, that would be quite delusional. In fact, that’s the topic for this article, “Is There Power in Delusion?”

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If you googled the meaning of delusion, you’d probably get something along the lines of this:

“A delusional person believes things that couldn’t possibly be true. If you’re convinced that the microwave is attempting to control your thoughts, you are, sadly, delusional.” And “Delusional comes from a Latin word meaning “deceiving.” So delusional thinking is like deceiving yourself by believing outrageous and often harmful things.

For this article, however, let’s dare to be alchemists and transmute darkness into light. Let’s take the word “delusional” and transform it into a superpower intended to set us free from the cage of this reality. Remember, it’s all a state of mind. With that in mind, let’s look closer at the word “reality.”

Oxford Dictionary states that reality is “the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.” However, upon further research through AI, I have discovered that there are 5 known realities;

1. Physical Reality: This is the most common understanding of reality. It refers to the external world that exists independently of our minds, including everything we can perceive through our senses and measure with scientific instruments. Mountains, stars, planets, and even our bodies are all part of physical reality.

2. Perceptual Reality: This view emphasizes how our senses and minds shape our world experience. We don’t directly perceive the world itself; rather, our brains interpret the signals from our senses, creating our subjective experience of reality. Our brains construct colors, sounds, and even our sense of self.

3. Simulated Reality: Some theories propose that what we perceive as reality could be a complex simulation created by a superintelligence or other advanced technology. While this seems like science fiction, it’s a philosophical thought experiment that raises questions about the nature of our experience.

4. Social Reality: This perspective highlights how social interactions and cultural norms shape our understanding of reality. What we consider suitable, wrong, beautiful, or ugly are all influenced by the societies we live in.

5. The Nature of Consciousness: Another critical question is how consciousness fits into reality. Is consciousness a product of the physical brain, or is there something more to it? If consciousness is fundamental, then reality might be inherently subjective or relational.

This article will focus on this 5th dimension of reality and play with its subjective meaning.

Suppose reality is inherently subjective, and delusion is altering that reality. Can this alteration be used to change the course of our reality with a convincing shift to our beliefs? Could the physical reality merely be a manifestation of our past delusion, leaving the state of our future reality dependent on the power of our present delusion? What if our obsession with a microwave isn’t about mind control but about mind liberation?

Delusion can be a positive or a negative superpower, depending on how it’s used. And remember that famous quote about superpowers: “With great power comes great responsibility.” If we’re responsible with this superpower, it can be a tool to benefit our lives greatly.

Within the context of this article, delusion can be defined as an unshakeable belief in a goal and unwavering confidence in achieving success. In contrast, realistic thinking has its practical uses in seeing the world as others may see it. However, it can be limiting as it can restrict the freedom of dreams and world-changing goals that may alter how we live forever.

RESEARCH

In 2023, Zhang & Fishbach published a study, “The Impact of Investor’s Overconfidence Bias on Investment Strategy Based on Behavioral Finance.”

In this research, three points were made.

1. Focus on Overconfidence: The study explored how overconfidence, specifically an inflated belief in one’s abilities, can influence performance.
2. Positive Results: They found that people who were overconfident in their abilities on a specific task actually performed better than those with more realistic confidence levels.
3. Possible Explanation: Overconfident individuals may have exerted more effort due to their strong belief in success. This increased effort could have led to better results on the task.

Although this study focused on behavior in the marketplace, this delusional superpower can be applied in life.

There are many visualization techniques, but one technique that falls under the spell of delusion is the power of rehearsing and rewriting your day.

If your boss gives you a hard time, see them congratulating you the next time they see you. If you had a rough day and bills were piling up before you slept, see it as the day you wish to see and how those bills are checks.

TAKE ACTION

Remember, delusion is a superpower, and all superpowers require action to be put to good use. If you’re delusional about life in a positive way, how can you use your delusion in action? Do you see yourself as a great teacher who understands that a great teacher needs to make great connections with the students? Your next step should be to reach out more to your students to understand each student’s needs or take courses on how to be a better teacher in the classroom.

Be delusional, but don’t fall for the dark side. There’s a reason the term “delusional” is traditionally framed one way. Be wary of using this power to bypass accountability and responsibility. If you made some mistakes, don’t pretend that the mistakes that you made aren’t mistakes. If you missed paying the bill, don’t pretend that you paid the bill. Do what needs to be done to amend those mistakes. Use delusion as a form of brainstorming to help you see the results you want. Don’t use delusion to pretend that the bills don’t exist. Pay those bills, but at the end of the day, imagine those bills were actually checks before you fall asleep. This is your superpower, and it comes with great responsibility!

Use delusion as a motivator, not a replacement for planning and hard work!

CALL TO ACTION

I encourage you, the viewer, to use delusion as a tool in your meditation. If you’re looking for a like-minded community, check out my video on meditation.

SOURCES

I’m having a meditation challenge. Check out the video or click the link to learn more. In the future, follow my social media for more content and updates.

CONCLUSION

So, when life gets you down, throw a disco. Are you ready to get a little delusional to achieve your wildest dreams?