Disclaimer: I&#x27;m not a Buddhist teacher. Just a practitioner for more than 10 years and have read some of the texts. For best results, talk to a real teacher.<p>The illusion of self is a big deal in Buddhism and it can be confusing and daunting at first, but the concept behind it is really not that difficult to grasp. (Putting it into practice is a different challenge!)<p>One analogy I like to use is that of an automobile. The individual parts - the engine, the wheels, the chassis, the steering wheel, the gears etc - are all necessary, but individually, none of them are the car themselves. No one would look at a seat and say &quot;that&#x27;s a nice car!&quot; Yet, we do just that in our daily lives.<p>We experience anxiety and fear and say &quot;that&#x27;s ME!&quot;. We go through several bodily experiences as &quot;I, me, mine&quot;. (Which is NOT the same as saying this body is not you. Think of the car analogy. The tears are happening to you, but the tears are NOT YOU.)<p>Therefore, in all Buddhist traditions, we are taught to view all experiences as <i>fundamentally lacking any self</i>. This body, this experience, this thought, this taste&#x2F;smell&#x2F;touch, nothing has the self. Those are all beautiful but empty experiences.<p>Hope this answered your &quot;illusion of self&quot; question at least partly.