Soon after I was born, I learned to live in the world as I interpret it. That activity is largely the work of my imagination. How much I actually come close to seeing things as they are depends on my skills of observation, sometimes called mindfulness.
It is easier to live in a world as imagined because it corresponds to my wants and fears. It allows me to reach what I want and avoid what might harm me. I routinely grasp and avoid based on what I imagine, not on what I might observe if I ignored my wants and fears.
No one is unique in choosing to live in a world as imagined. It is a common practice. I think it takes becoming vulnerable to see the world as it is. It takes letting go of our wants and fears to experience the world as seen and not as imagined.
For me to surrender to the full force of a hug, I have to let go of my fear. If we each surrender, we both became vulnerable as we step out of our imagination.