Digital reality is a reality that exists within numbers, digitized characters, and computer-generated imagery or symbols that exist within someone’s mind. Common examples would be entire gaming ecosystems with avatars, inventory, currency, and other assets that mirror a physical reality. Other common examples would be praise given to products such as “best course ever” or “best experience ever” or “this is one of a kind.” It is sold in a way using words that someone might read or listen to. Then, they perceive it as meaningful to their reality, so they go ahead and pursue it or create it.

Think about the number of people who would have the humility to admit that their perceived reality did not match up with actual reality. Think about the number of people who willingly enable marketers to sell a product to them. These products might work for them, but they have no idea of the actual circumstances for someone else. You don’t know their standards, their qualifications, their preferences, or their choices. You don’t know any of those things.

Reading a review tells you something about the product. However, it doesn’t make it true. Five people, ten people, a hundred people, a thousand people repeating something doesn’t make it true. You can buy reviews for social proof. The reviews are part of a strategy to convince others of a reality that may or may not exist.

Think about the illusion of money with paychecks, loans, and debts. Think about the last time you made a digital payment. Is it just a bunch of numbers that increase or decrease in your bank account as you moved it between accounts? And are you moving with a card for convenience? You’re paying for a product or a service that becomes real, but that’s if that person or vendor accepts what you're giving them. Look at the places that don't accept card and accept just cash only. It’s in exchange for a service.

Then, there’s the perceived value of goods, someone selling a skill set, someone selling clothes, or someone selling a product. Those all have some perceived values that people will pay money for. And many times people get confused about what their digital money is. Don’t underestimate how that can be powerful to change someone’s actual reality and perception of themselves. You start seeing how people might trust others because of their investment decisions or their monetary decisions.

You never know when that digital wealth is just plain luck or different decisions. One of the favorite misconceptions that people have about the wealthy and money is how much they make per second or per minute or per hour, but they never tell you on the other side that the same person also lost thousands, millions, or billions the next day or week. That money isn’t theirs until they realize it. That money isn’t theirs until they actually use it for something. That money can sit there as someone continues to save for a reality that may never come. Many people save every cent that they have made for their 65-year-old self or 75-year-old self but they forget to live right now.

With many of these forms of digital experiences, it’s easy to forget many have existed mainly in a digital reality. You might see a lot of people investing or borrowing or building businesses. They’ll tell you that they have these properties, businesses, or experiences, but they don’t tell you that it could be large amounts of debt. They convince themselves that it’s strong, good, or smart debt while ignoring how it might actually affect their mental health. Within a digital reality, one can convince yourself of many illusions...