The great illusion

"The Great Illusion" by Manly Banister is a science fiction story set in the mid-20th century about a psychic investigator named Cliff Rowley, who works for the Galactic Ethnological Survey Corps, and his experiences with the concealed secrets of the planet Hume. Rowley arrives on what seems to be a simple, welcoming world, only to find that there's more to it than meets the eye, and that the seemingly happy villagers are putting on an act to fool outsiders. As Rowley digs deeper, he discovers that the villagers and their way of life are actually mental images made up by the planet's intelligent trees. He is challenged to think about important questions about who we are, different ways of life, and whether we should get involved in the lives of other civilizations, finally learning that the biggest truths are often hidden.