*sigh* I know what you mean, and you are not wrong, and you are correct, still, it bothers me when I see writers say this. As I've written about in many comments and a few essays and poems (https://medium.com/know-thyself-heal-thyself/lets-talk-about-villains-and-victims; https://medium.com/channspirations/of-lenses ), while probably accurate on a cosmic scale, I do not like to use the terms illusion, game, or worse yet, simulation as descriptions for life. I feel using those terms is dismissive of people’s very real struggles and emotions and feelings. Medium writer John Ege put it very well in a comment thread with me, "Did you ever play a video game, and get so mad you tossed the controller. The video game is a simulation. Your reaction to the video is solid real! The emotions are real."

While I have you and very much relevant to your piece, have you read Richard Bach's One? I'm presently reading and loving it and I believe you will too. If you're not familiar with it, the book takes the reader along on Richard and Leslie's journey hopping between alternate realities meeting up with alternate versions of themselves who haven't' yet made certain choices or with different people their souls have incarnated. I intend to write a series of posts inspired by it. I posted this introductory poem a few days ago. I think you'll appreciate it. https://medium.com/catharsis-chronicles/mindfully-filling-my-mind-35d1634e51e0