Delusion Quote by Terence McKenna
“If you actually look at the etymology of the word 'hallucination', what it's come to mean in English is a delusion. But what it really means in the original language is to wander in the mind. That's the meaning of 'hallucination', to wander in the mind.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: “The Nature of Hallucination,” 1995
Hallucination originally means mental wandering, not delusion.
In simple terms: Wander in the mind.
Key Takeaway
Explore inner thoughts.
Themes
perception
mind
language
interpretation
Mood
curious
introspective
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- creative brainstorming
- meditation
- psychedelic experiences
Key Concepts
cognitive science
etymology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you navigate mental wandering?
- What insights arise from mind wandering?
A Different Perspective
Wandering can blur reality boundaries.
![“[William Butler] Yeats has the phrase Hodos Chameliontos, chameleon-like, in that you don't know where the beginning or the middle or the end is, so it's an unrelieved hallucination, because you don't know where you're coming in and you don't know where you're going out. It ends, you're going into…” quote by Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7fc/allen-ginsberg-1110_butlers_william-butler-yeats-has-the-phrase-hodo_940797.jpg)
![“It's [Los Angeles] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them aren't even young and beautiful now.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a86/christopher-hitchens-117_beautiful_it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense_10462.jpg)
