Is the World Really Unreal?

What Is World?

There is nothing called a common world. Your world and my world are different.

I say Ceiba Pentandra—does anything come to your mind? It may not unless you are a botanist. It is a type of tree found in the Amazon rainforest, also called the Sabre tree. It grows up to 60 or 70 meters in height and has thorns on its trunk. The natives of the Amazon believe that evil spirits live in these trees and avoid going near or cutting them.

The words Ceiba Pentandra may not bring any image to your mind because you have never seen the tree or even an image of it. For you, this tree never existed until now. But now that I have mentioned it, you might search for it, see images, and read about it. Then it will enter your world.

So, what is your world? It is a collection of images, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations you have experienced since birth. Your collection is different from mine. How, then, can you call it an absolute reality? If something is real, it should exist identically for everyone.

There may be a world common to a few people. For instance, the Taj Mahal exists in the worlds of most Indians. But it may not exist in the worlds of desert dwellers in Congo who have never heard of or seen it. Thus, it cannot be an absolute reality.

Your world is made up of impressions left by sensory stimulations on your mind. If you have seen, heard, tasted, smelt, or touched something, it exists for you in your world. Nothing more.

When it is said that the world is asat (unreal), it means the world is merely a collection of impressions on your mind. Even these sensory stimulations, which leave impressions, are not genuine. They are like the blueness of the sky.

From a distance, the sky appears blue, but when you fly up to it, the blue is no longer there. The blue sky was an illusion, a lie. Every impression in your mind is like this—unreal.

Your world, therefore, is a collection of impressions, which are themselves lies or fiction. This is why the world is called asat in comparison to sat (truth).

This is not a conclusion, answer, or explanation I am giving you. It is a seed. If you nurture it with intelligence and discretion, it can grow into a tree.

Erasing Impressions

Attaining liberation means erasing these impressions forever—not just covering them up. Erasing requires jnana (knowledge) and divine grace. It is not easy. It involves hard work and, above all, divine blessings.

Someone might ask: if a person goes into absolute amnesia, does that make them a jeevanmukta? The answer is no. Memory and impressions are not the same. Memory is volatile, like data temporarily stored on a computer. Impressions are hardwired, deeply engraved elsewhere.

When power goes off on a PC, the screen goes blank. But when power is restored, most of the data returns. Similarly, amnesia might erase memory, but the impressions remain intact.

Erasing vs. Hiding

Imagine you have made a pencil sketch on paper. If someone enters the room and you don’t want them to see it, you flip the paper upside down. The sketch is hidden, but it is still there. After the person leaves, you can turn it over, and the sketch reappears. This is hiding, not erasing.

True erasing requires an eraser and effort. The eraser is jnana, supported by divine grace. Burning grass in a field might turn it to ash temporarily, but after the rains, the grass will regrow. Burning, therefore, is not a permanent solution. Similarly, the method of erasing impressions is crucial. If not done properly, the impressions will return.

To truly erase impressions, you need the right approach, the right knowledge, and divine grace. Only then can liberation be attained.

• The world is not one shared thing; each person lives in their own version of the world, shaped entirely by personal experience.

• You only consider something part of 'your world' if you have encountered it directly—through seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, or touching it.

• Just hearing a name or concept, like 'Ceiba Pentandra', means nothing unless it’s linked to a lived or visualized experience in your mind.

• What you call 'the world' is actually just a bundle of mental impressions formed by sensory contact.

• These impressions are not reliable representations of reality—they are like illusions, just like the sky seems blue but actually isn’t.

• Because these impressions don’t reflect truth and vary from person to person, this 'world' cannot be called absolutely real. Hence, it is called asat (unreal).

• The label sat (truth) refers to what is constant, unchanging, and not dependent on individual perception.

• Liberation (moksha) means to erase these mental impressions permanently—not just suppress or forget them.

• Sensory impressions are deeper than memories; they’re hardwired traces in the mind (vasanas), not just recallable data.

• Losing memory, like in amnesia, doesn’t free someone from these deep-rooted impressions—they remain beneath the surface.

• Hiding impressions is like flipping a paper over to cover a drawing—it’s temporary. True freedom comes only from erasing the drawing altogether.

• This erasing is only possible through jnana (clear spiritual knowledge) and divine grace. No shortcut exists.

• You can’t simply burn away desires or suppress thoughts and expect them to disappear. They’ll return unless uprooted with proper methods.

• The right technique, deep understanding, and divine blessings together are essential for lasting freedom from impressions and achieving liberation.

What does it mean to say 'the world is not real'?
It means the world is not an objective, shared reality but a private collage of impressions in each person's mind. These impressions are built from sensory input and are not truly permanent or reliable. So, what we call 'the world' is just a mind-map, not the truth.

Why does each person’s world differ?
Because no two people have exactly the same experiences. A place, object, or idea only enters your world if your senses have touched it. Without that contact, it doesn’t exist for you—even if it exists physically.

Isn't the physical world still objectively there, whether we know about it or not?
The point is not about physical existence, but mental reality. Unless something leaves a mark on your mind, it’s as good as non-existent to you. That’s why your 'world' is personal, not universal.

Why is the world called asat or unreal?
Because it is nothing more than temporary impressions on the mind, formed by unreliable senses. These impressions are not stable, not absolute, and constantly change. Like the blue sky that vanishes as you approach it, the world is illusory.

Can something that feels so real truly be called unreal?
Yes, because feelings are shaped by perception, and perception is often deceptive. The senses project an image that seems solid, but on deeper inquiry, it collapses—just like dreams feel real until you wake up.

If the world is unreal, how do we function in it?
You function within it like playing a role in a play. It serves a purpose, but knowing it’s a stage helps you avoid clinging to the illusion. That clarity is part of spiritual maturity.

What are impressions, and why do they matter?
Impressions (vasanas) are subtle mental traces left by repeated experiences and desires. They shape your habits, likes, fears, and worldview, becoming the blueprint of your inner world. These impressions are what bind the soul.

Can we live without impressions?
Yes, but it requires intense spiritual work. A liberated being (jeevanmukta) has dissolved all such impressions, living in total freedom without the weight of past conditioning.

Aren’t impressions just memories?
No, memory is surface-level and can fade or be forgotten. Impressions are deeper, subconscious patterns that continue to influence you even if you forget the actual event.

What’s the difference between hiding impressions and erasing them?
Hiding is like turning away from them temporarily—they’re still there. Erasing means they are gone, completely removed from your inner landscape.

Isn’t suppressing bad thoughts good enough?
Not at all. Suppression only pushes them deeper. They’ll resurface later. True freedom comes only when the root impression is pulled out fully.

How do I know if I’ve truly erased an impression?
When a situation that used to trigger you now leaves you untouched, without inner disturbance or reaction—that’s a sign the impression is gone.

Why can’t amnesia make someone liberated?
Because amnesia erases memory, not impressions. Even if the conscious mind forgets, the subconscious still carries those traces and reacts from them.

Isn’t forgetting a form of letting go?
Not really. Forgetting doesn’t uproot the cause. It’s like a weed cut above the ground—it’ll grow back unless you remove the root.

How do you know impressions stay even after memory loss?
You can observe how people with amnesia still show emotional triggers, habits, or phobias tied to forgotten experiences. This proves impressions remain.

What is needed to erase impressions completely?
A blend of jnana (deep knowledge of truth) and divine grace. The effort must be precise and aligned with higher wisdom, not random discipline.

Can I erase impressions just by meditation or prayer?
Those help, but without right understanding and divine intervention, they are not enough. You need both awareness and surrender to clear the roots.

Isn’t this too mystical or superstitious?
Not at all. It’s a psychological and spiritual principle. Habits and mental patterns don’t dissolve just by wishing—they need insight and inner transformation backed by a force greater than ego.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi