If self is not the physical body, then the birth, life, death and the universe are bound to be illusion.

If self is not the physical body, then the birth, life, death and the universe are bound to be illusion.  If birth, life and death are illusion then all conducts actions and their fruits are mere illusion. If body is not the self, then the existence of god, heaven and hell is mere illusion.  If body is not the self then all religious beliefs of god is mere illusion.  If body is not the self but the Atman (soul) which is present  in the form of consciousness is the true self, then there is no scope for second thing other than consciousness,  therefore consciousness, which is Atman is Brahman or ultimate truth.  The Brahman alone is real and eternal.  Thus whatever is real eternal has to be identified as god. To identify the real and eternal, one has to overcome the ignorance caused by the illusion. To overcome the ignorance one has to acquire the Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.      

The individual experience within the dream is reality within the dream. Therefore waking reality is also is reality within the waking. This waking is parallel dream and dream is parallel waking. Only when self-wakes up in waking the dream becomes unreal. When the self-consciously wakes up in its formless non-dual true nature in the midst of waking experience  then all the three states are  mere mirage created out of its formless non-dual true nature.

The form time and space within the dream are falsehood when waking takes place. Similarly the form, time and space of the waking are also becomes falsehood when wisdom dawns. The wisdom dawns only when one realize the fact that,  the self is neither the waking entity nor the dream entity but the self is the formless soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states without the physical apparatus. Thus it is erroneous to judge and reason and conclude the ultimate truth on the base of waking entity and waking world because waking experience itself is illusion.

 While thinking of an object the ego verily identifies itself with that, and while thinking of a void it really becomes blank, whereas by the thought of Atman it attains to perfection. So seeker should constantly reflect on nature of Atman (soul) by deeper thinking and reasoning to attain perfection.

Only those, in whom this soul   or consciousness being ever present grow into maturity, attain to the state of ever-existent Atman(soul) ; and not others who merely deal with words.

Also those persons who are only intelligent in discussing about Atman(soul)  but have no realization, and are very much attached to worldly pleasures, are in consequence of their ignorance. The aspirants after Atman should not remain a single moment without the thought of Atman(soul).

The nature of the cause inheres in the effect and not vice versa; so through reasoning it is found that in the absence of the effect, the cause, as such also disappears.

Then that ultimate reality Atman(soul) which is beyond speech alone remains. This should be understood again and again verily through the illustration of water and the snow.