How is it possible that an unreal cause generates real effect?

[Ms. Laxmi Thrylokya asked:- In the reply to the question of Bhanu Samykya, You told that the unreal thought can develop real madness. How is it possible that an unreal cause generates real effect?]

Swami Replied:- Shankara told that an unreal cause can generate real effect by giving an example: an unreal tiger seen in a dream generated trembling of the body and loud weeping. The tiger, which is cause, is unreal, but, its effects like trembling and weeping are real. Hence, an unreal cause through illusion (which means that the unreal is appearing as real due to ignorance) can become the cause for real effect. Even after awaking from the dream, the trembling and weeping continue for some time. This means that the generated effect is not only real, but, so strong as to continue for some more time even after the realization of unreality of the cause. To cure such madness, God Hanuman shall be prayed. The question (refer the previous question of Ms. Bhanu Samykya) says that even God cannot do anything about this unreal cause, which is thought. In fact, if you think about this point in practical sense, the thought becomes a problem after generating some real difficulty like disturbance in mental health. You should concentrate on the cure of the real effect and instead of doing this, that person (advisor) is scolding the patient by shouting that the patient is wrong in admitting the unreal thoughts to this extent. Such shouting will worsen the health further. Moreover, the advisor is telling that even God can’t help, and by such advise the heart of the patient would spontaneously break leading to sudden collapse because the advisor is closing all the ways of remedy!