One has to find answers for: - What is that becomes waking? What is it that becomes dream? What is that becomes deep sleep in order get Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The illusion is in the form of:-

• Form, time and space
• 
  Birth, life and death
• 
  Pain and Pleasure,
• 
  Burden and bondage
• 
  Waking, dream and deep sleep
• 
  Universe/Mind /Duality

Illusion is created out of single stuff. That single stuff is formless soul. The soul is in the form of consciousness. Because of ignorance the illusion is experienced as reality. Illusory reality deludes because it is based on egocentricity. In egocentricity one is unaware of the ultimate truth and he permanently remains in ignorance experiences the illusion as reality.

Self is ‘I’- less. Self is bodiless. Whatever is connected to ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ is ignorance. When ignorance ends than  it is Gnana. When Gnana arise than the body, ego and the universe is mere mirage created out of consciousness.    Till one gets the firm conviction that the self is not physical but self is formless consciousness and learns to view and judge and conclude on the base of formless self, Gnana will not arise.  Gnana is the result of contemplation; it in annihilates ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the illusion as reality.  

Ignorance is cause of the illusion.  When the self becomes aware of it formless non-dual true nature then the ignorance vanishes and   reality appears. When the reality appears than the universe is mere illusion created out of the consciousness, which is the inner most self. 

 

Chandogya Upanishad:-

"When a person is sleeping soundly, free from dreams, with a still mind, that is the Self, fearless and deathless. That is Brahman, the supreme."

One has to find answers for: - What is that becomes waking? What is it that becomes dream? What is that becomes deep sleep in order get Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.  As one goes in deeper self-search he becomes aware of the fact that the consciousness alone is the cause of the three states and it itself is uncaused. Until one thinks the self is limited to an individual and it is within the heart he will never be able to come out of physicality. The self is not an individual because it pervades in all the three states and it is formless substance and witness of the here states.   The individual experiences of birth, life, death and the world are nothing to do with the self because the self is birth -less and deathless.  The form, time and space are nothing to do with the self, because it is formless, timeless and space less existence.  Thus judging the truth on the bases of form, time and space is erroneous.  Thus ‘I’ or ‘I AM’, which is limited to physicality, will yield only half truth.