One of the things that makes letting go seem so difficult is the way in which our sleeping mind looks at life: it sees cause and effect as being separate operations. This means our usual action toward anything that troubles us is to struggle with letting go of that unwanted effect. The problem is our usual reaction blinds us to the fact that the actual cause of our unhappiness is not to be found outside of our present level of consciousness.

For example, in any abusive relationship, the individual tends to blame his or her partner for the pain that they continue to suffer. But this perception is born of an illusion. It is based in a misperception born of an unconscious false belief that goes something like this: it is better for me to live with a presently known problem than it is to face a future filled with unknown possibilities. Now, let’s get straight to the heart of the problem.

Before we can deal with—and do away with—the negative effect of any self-limiting illusion, we must first see through and release ourselves from the false perception that’s responsible for it.