– updated August, 2026
Being a parent, teacher, lover, musician, or tourist is something we first simulate within ourselves. It’s like rehearsing a role in a play. Then we act it out in the world we perceive outside us. By accepting that everything we appear to be is a pretence, we undo the belief in being someone specific. Eventually, this belief no longer seems to cloud what cannot be simulated: the formlessness of Oneness.
From Duality Hack #2.1 in the free eBook Alexius’ Duality Hacks.
When you believe you are someone definitive, you’re bound to end, as everything definable is limited. But if you only pretend to be someone, the formlessness of Oneness that made that pretending possible remains when the pretending ends.
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What you seem to think and feel when believing you are someone definitive is like what you feel when you pretend it, except there’s no need to suppress thoughts and feelings considered politically incorrect. When you pretend to experience them, they are neither right nor wrong.
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These words you read on a device do not reside inside it. The device contains code that simulates them on your screen. Likewise, the formlessness of Oneness does not contain substantial appearances, yet it allows them to be simulated.
Please be aware that undoing the belief in being someone does not require physical death. By pretending to be someone definitive, you undo the belief in being definitive, because you are not what you pretend to be. [Photo: Alexius]
Where you pretend to be, you are not
Whether you see yourself as mundane or spiritual, you can’t return to Oneness. Because it is formless, it leaves no place for any definite thing. However, since you are not what you pretend to be, you are not a specific being when you pretend to be mundane or spiritual.
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What and where we appear to be is empty space, according to science. This is why we need not change anything to return to reality. On the contrary, changes just strengthen the belief that empty space is solid.
Undoing the belief that empty space is substantial isn’t about opening up or surrendering to a higher power. Rather, it’s about accepting emptiness. You can do this by consciously pretending to be something, since we’re not what we pretend to be. Then emptiness no longer seems to hide that we are formless Oneness, not tied to any particular thing.
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You can’t extend the content on a protected compact disc, nor can you expand Oneness into more than one. This isn’t because Oneness is protected, but because it’s formless and thus endless. Therefore, if you believe you see more than one, you deceive yourself. Fortunately, your mistake is easily corrected when you pretend to see more than one, for what you pretend is unreal.
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Consciousness requires more than one. Thus, being aware of something, whether mundane or spiritual, denies that which is One. Thankfully, if your awareness is a pretence, nobody betrays Oneness.
A dot on a computer screen consists of numerous square pixels. They’re so small and tightly packed that they form an unbroken whole that appears round. If you spread out these pixels in a straight line, what once looked unified appears as separate points in space.
Next, if you make the line curved, like a spiral, you experience time. From any point on the curved line, there’s an unknown future behind the next curve and a lost past behind the previous. This introduces the experience of time, linking space and temporality.
This is comparable to dividing the formlessness of Oneness into a reality defined by time and space, except that there are no separate elements in Oneness. But there are no separate elements in Oneness. So, it’s impossible to extend Oneness into a world separated by time and space. Consequently, it’s not a matter of returning to Oneness but of seeing that separation is made up. However, when we ever so slightly believe it’s real, it seems to take time to discover that it’s a hallucination.
Thankfully, we can speed up this discovery by pretending to be in a world defined by time and space, as we are not where we pretend to be. This playful approach enables us to have fun appearing as someone in a world separated by time and space until our pretence completely unveils the formlessness of Oneness.
Believing or pretending to be someone
Interaction is key to making a world with more than one feel real. However, you interact through your imagination. Your interactions depend on what you imagine others think of you. Thus, a world with more than one is make-believe.
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Metaphorically, the universe is a shadow of Oneness. But a shadow is empty, so what you believe you get from the universe is imagined. Nevertheless, if you accept the universe as a Fata Morgana – a mirage forming illusions – you lose nothing by taking part because, like roleplay, it’s make-believe.
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By not believing but pretending to be someone, your conditioned behaviour starts to fall apart. Hence, you experience the moment as it is rather than constantly editing it to avoid feeling upset by conflicting ideas of fairness.
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In a virtual world, you can’t know what’s real. But you can realise that being there is unreal – a pretence.
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When you don’t believe in a world with more than one, you see it as a backdrop for joyfully pretending to be what and where you’re not.
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Fearing something requires believing in separation. But if you only pretend to be scared, you don’t reinforce that belief. Thus, fear becomes part of a playful setup.
Metaphorically, the universe is a shadow of oneness. But since a shadow is empty, you imagine what you believe you are getting from the world. Nevertheless, if you accept the world is like a fata morgana, you can have fun appearing as someone in it. You have nothing to lose because, like roleplay, it is make-believe. [Photo: Alexius]
Feelings aren’t bothersome when you pretend to feel them
When things don’t go as planned, and frustration sets in, you can resolve it by pretending to be disappointed. Since you are not what you pretend to be, feeling frustrated makes no difference
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Knowing everything is a pretence, you can playfully engage in as many friendships as you wish. After all, having friends is just another playful act of pretence.
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When you revolt against your parents, you depend on them to become better. Hence, you and your parents are two sides of the same coin. The same goes for detachment from the world: it depends on the world. In short, you remain part of what you avoid. But not if the avoidance is something you pretend. What you pretend, you are not.
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If you don’t suppress specific feelings to preserve a unique self-concept, you can pretend to have those feelings and have fun acting them out.
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Be aware that pretending something is not about hiding feelings. Recognising your feelings is essential so you can accurately pretend that you feel them.
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If there’s somebody you dislike, remind yourself that it’s something you pretend. Then it doesn’t feel unpleasant; rather, it feels fun to judge someone.
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Pretending to be what you are not means there’s no need to seek external validation of authenticity. Hence, you can enjoy all the illusions of a world with more than one without the fear of rejection.
It is fun to pretend someone is chasing you.
Pretending to be a child when you are grown up is amusing.
Pretending to be what you are not, there is no need to be confirmed as genuine by others. Thus, you can enjoy all the illusions of a world defined by time and space. [Photo: Alexius]
Having fun pretending to be where we are not
The magic disappears when you grow older and realise Santa Claus is fake. But recognising that a world with more than one is make-believe is not disappointing. Then you see that pretending to be in such a world appears as wondrous as when you believed Santa brought gifts.
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You don’t need to stop a movie to escape its world because you’re not part of it, just pretending. Likewise, being in a world with more than one is only a pretence. That is why nothing needs to be stopped to undo the belief in being there. However, doing nothing does not show where you really are. Reality is Oneness, and seeing it takes more than one. Instead, enjoy seeing more than one until you’re tired of pretending to see what’s not there.
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Being someone is like karaoke. We mimic accepted roles. Whether as a mother, father, or anyone else, it’s a part we play. It’s not what we are
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If you’re black-haired, you can’t choose to be blond. But pretending it can bring a sense of lightness and playful freedom.
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When you meet someone who turns you on, you analyse the perceived external interaction to construct a personality you expect the other person will love. If you fear your masquerade will be challenged, you may even build into your new personality aspects that you think the other person can’t live without. Fortunately, this interdependency is easily undone. All you need to do is acknowledge that your new persona is a pretence.
There is no life in a virtual world
– only in the one looking at it.
In a virtual world, you cannot know what is real. But you can realise that being there is unreal, thus a pretence.
You do not need to learn to pretend
You may wonder how to pretend. But that’s not a mystery. You always do it, as illustrated by this dialogue from the TV show The Big Bang Theory:
»When did you guys start feeling grown-up?«
»Honestly, I thought when I got married, I would, but I still kinda feel like I’m pretending«.
When you don’t deceive yourself into believing you’re honest, you know you played out everything in your head before acting as a parent, teacher, or lover. You also know that following the script feels amusing.
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If you’re ashamed of something, everybody knows how to pretend it never happened.
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»When I was little, I thought the moon was following me when I was in the car«. From Teenager Post #11156 on the internet:
As grown-ups, we automatically correct the above experience. The same applies to the experience of a street narrowing and the world looking flat. We can only move through the world when we correct those experiences.
However, one thing most forget to correct is the impression that an ‘I’ is experiencing the world. This idea of an ‘I’ is a construct of thought. Fortunately, it vanishes the more you pretend to be an ‘I’ experiencing something.
The world is like a puzzle. But you can never get it right because a piece is missing. No worries. If you pretend to be ‘there,’ the missing piece does not matter because you are not where you pretend to be. [Photo: Alexius]
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