In
Hinduism, a powerful force that creates the cosmic illusion that the phenomenal world is real. The word maya originally referred to the wizardry with which a god can make human beings believe in what turns out to be an illusion, and its philosophical sense is an extension of this meaning. The concept is especially important in the
Advaita school of the orthodox system of
Vedanta, which sees maya as the cosmic force that presents the infinite
Brahman as the finite phenomenal world.
For more information on maya, visit Britannica.com.