Defining Illusionism

Illusion: n.

1. something that deceives by producing a false impression.
2. act of deceiving; deception; delusion; mockery.
3. state of being deceived, or an instance of this; a false impression or belief.
4. Psychol. a perception of a thing which misrepresents it, or gives it qualities not present in realtiy.
5. a very thin, delicate kind of tulle.

—Syn. 1. ILLUSION, DELUSION, HALLUCINATION, refer to mental deceptions which arise from various causes.

An ILLUSION is a false mental image or conception which may be a misinterpretation of a real appearance or may be something imagined. It may be pleasing, harmless, or even useful: a mirage is an illusion; he had an illusion that the doorman was a general.

A DELUSION is a fixed mistaken conception of something which really exists, and is not capable of correction or removal by examination or reasoning. Delusions are often mischievous or harmful, as those of a fanatic or lunatic; the delusion that all food is poisoned.

A HALLUCINATION is a completely groundless, false conception, belief, or opinion, caused by a disordered imagination; it is particularly frequent today in the pathological sense, according to which it denotes hearing or seeing something that does not exist; hallucinations caused by nervous disorders.

—Ant. 1. Reality

ILLUSIONISM: n. a theory or doctrine that the material world is an illusion.



“When the Illusion is Lost, Art is hard to find.” The Idealist Denise Caruso "I refuse to use the word 'content'," says Denise. "It's insulting. Artists create art; writers write ideas. The word will continue to be used, though, because media has become such a huge commercial enterprise. Everything is becoming a commodity - including art, including ideas." Excerpted from Digerati: Encounters with the Cyber Elite by John Brockman (HardWired Books, 1996). Copyright © 1996 by John Brockman. All rights reserved. http://www.edge.org/digerati/caruso/index.html	Illusion: n. 1. something that deceives by producing a false impression. 2. act of deceiving; deception; delusion; mockery. 3. state of being deceived, or an instance of this; a false impression or belief. 4. Psychol. a perception of a thing which misrepresents it, or gives it qualities not present in realtiy. 5. a very thin, delicate kind of tulle. —Syn. 1. ILLUSION, DELUSION, HALLUCINATION, refer to mental deceptions which arise from various causes. An ILLUSION is a false mental image or conception which may be a misinterpretation of a real appearance or may be something imagined. It may be pleasing, harmless, or even useful: a mirage is an illusion; he had an illusion that the doorman was a general. A DELUSION is a fixed mistaken conception of something which really exists, and is not capable of correction or removal by examination or reasoning. Delusions are often mischievous or harmful, as those of a fanatic or lunatic; the delusion that all food is poisoned. A HALLUCINATION is a completely groundless, false conception, belief, or opinion, caused by a disordered imagination; it is particularly frequent today in the pathological sense, according to which it denotes hearing or seeing something that does not exist; hallucinations caused by nervous disorders. —Ant. 1. Reality ILLUSIONISM: n. a theory or doctrine that the material world is an illusion.