First, a delusion is a false belief. Now, a robot delusion is a false belief that you have stopped believing but that you suddenly find yourself robotically (automatically), irresistibly believing again.

A robot delusion is a mental truth (see Is There Pointless Suffering? (Question Answered for an explanation of mental truth). For example, the common, recurrent belief that certain suffering is pointless is a robot delusion. Now, this robot delusion is a good delusion.

It is good because, even though it is false, it motivates us to prevent or end certain suffering.

Another common, recurrent robot delusion (mental truth) is the false belief that you will suffer forever if a certain bad thing happens. Note, in passing, that the belief you will suffer forever in hell if God does not rescue you is not a robot delusion.

The purpose of the robot delusion that you will suffer forever if a certain bad thing happens is seen in what it causes a person to do. This robot delusion causes a person to temporarily set aside any learned way to avoid the “bad thing” and to begin looking for a new way to avoid the “bad thing.” To be crystal clear:

The purpose of the robot delusion that you will suffer forever if a certain bad thing happens is to cause you to temporarily set aside any learned way to avoid the “bad thing” and to begin looking for a new way to avoid the “bad thing.”

Later, we will explain why you need a new way to avoid the “bad thing.”