Conceptual living
Let's take the relationship of human beings generally, as a species (one of millions of other species) to this planet. This is a temporary relationship where nothing is guaranteed. It's assumed that there's been life on this planet for around 3.8 billion years. Out of those billions of years human beings have existed for say 2-3 million years. Not that long. It's unlikely we're going to survive for that much longer as a species on this planet. As a species we create too much heat for this planet's fragile and delicate ecosystem to deal with. We interfere far too much with this ecosystem, destroying far more of it than we know how to replicate. We are burning fossil fuels at a rate which can only result in a mass extinction event. We are interfering with the evolution of other animal species, for example farming vertebrate species and exploiting these animals for our own needs. If we leave fossil fuels alone, and stop farming animals and interfering in their evolutionary processes we resolve 90% of environmental issues and might survive. This is even before we stop producing toxic waste and synthetic chemicals. This is also before we get into the subject of abusive relationships with not just other species but also each other. But on our current trajectory human beings are unlikely to survive for that much longer on this planet.
The simple fact of the matter is that we are destroying far too much of that what exists in our environment to sustain life.
Now contrast all the above with the conceptual images of life and existence which was forced upon us from childhood through social and mental conditioning, through our upbringing, through education, through religion, through culture, and through everything else. We go to school to be taught what to think, what to believe, and fundamentally to accept our position in the social hierarchy, which is based on where our parents find themselves in the social hierarchy. The class system in a Western nation such as the UK or United States is really no different from the caste system of India. If you're reading these words it's highly unlikely you will find yourself at the top or anywhere near the top of any class system. This means you will find yourself in an artificial, conceptual system of society with people who have authority over you who are spending vast amounts of resources convincing you that you are somehow 'better off' than other people at the bottom of the hierarchy.
Within these conceptual images of life and living which we become conditioned to accept as real life are numerous illusions which manifest as things we believe and generally hold to be true. We believe in permanence, that life is supposed to go on. We believe in cause and effect, and this is often tied into a more generalized belief in individualism. This wider belief in individualism generally holds that we are ultimately responsible for everything we do, everything we say, everything we think. This wider belief in individualism is also reinforced by separateness, separateness between us and our environment, and also separateness between ourselves as individuals and other people. What is generally never promoted or stated is the fact that your choices as an individual are limited by your social environment, your perceived social class, other 'markers' which communicate to others your social position, such as skin colour, perceived lifestyle, gender identity, sexual orientation and so on, and also the opportunities which are made accessible to you by others during your life.
You are only told that you can be whoever you want to be in life. Generally speaking this isn't true. The truth of your life is far closer to the fact that you can only be in life what you've had the opportunity to become by other people. Chances are you were as a child asked the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and chances are you became someone completely different as an adult. The difference is what possibilities you were able to perceive and what opportunities you were given by others and who you were allowed to become.
This is where we can talk about an invisible prison
In my work with people I often talk about an invisible prison. But what am I referring to? Okay so let's start with an actual prison. What is a prison? Fundamentally a prison is a system. When you get sent to prison you become part of a system. Who you are, what you have done, what crimes you have committed is no longer important. All that is important is the system and once you are in prison you are a part of the system. This is no different from school, and it's no different from the military or any other system. The only individual who matters in a prison is the one who is in control of the system, the governor. But see the governor is part of a bigger system, for example the court system and the criminal justice system. As a prisoner you are part of the system and a unique society made up of prison guards and staff on the one hand, and other prisoners on the other. You are subject to the control which comes from authority, i.e. prison staff and society, i.e. other prisoners. You are not in control. You get away with nothing. You are a nobody. You're just a unit in a system.
Prison exists as an alternative to society, what we understand to be free society. Both are conceptual. If it is determined that you cannot live in society because you've committed a crime then you go to prison.
So understanding what a real prison is, and that it is a system, we can now move on to an invisible prison. Obviously an invisible prison is not physical in any way. What locks you into an invisible prison is a belief in external authority, i.e. someone or something which holds authority or power over you and a belief in that power and authority over you. This is what makes you part of a system no different from a prison system. A good example is a socio-economic system. You might not think of yourself as being in an invisible prison or part of a system. Okay. So how do you talk about yourself or describe yourself to other people? If you can only talk about yourself or describe yourself in terms of a role, a social function, or a social marker - relating to your physical appearance, social position, lifestyle or belief system - then you are locked into an invisible prison and part of a system. When the labels you use to describe yourself are the same or similar labels other people use to describe who they are generally you are referring to Ego and describing yourself in terms of a relationship to a socio-economic system. It's all conceptual, and anything social or cultural in terms of describing a human being is conceptual.
Now you might be interested, as many people are, in becoming free from the system in which you find yourself. The principle is the exact same as if you are in an actual physical prison. The first step you take is to understand that you are in prison and accept the fact. Until you embrace this fundamental truth and accept it, then no release is possible. Just as you would accept that you live in a cell, eat three times a day, get let out for a shower or recreation every few days, as you would in an actual prison, you also need to accept that you are part of a wider socio-economic system. Until you become conscious of the various ways you're imprisoned in the socio-economic system, which is entirely conceptual in nature, then no liberation is possible.
Just as a heads up, once you manage to figure out the parameters of your conceptual lifestyle - the imaginary, made up, and somewhat fake aspects of your lifestyle, you end up becoming aware of the actual ecosystem which you are part of. This is where you find the actual reality of your lifestyle within the ecosystem of this planet and whatever relationship or connection to your actual lifestyle. This is going to be much easier for you if your lifestyle is more rural. If your lifestyle is more urban, and therefore based on virtual or conceptual reality, you're going to have to factor in time for 'being alone with nature'.
For further reading you might be interested in my e-books titled The Invisible Prison and The Tears of a Clown, both of which are free e-books. You're also welcome to read the two related blog posts below.