Without getting rid of the ignorance it is impossible to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

One has to get rid of ignorance. Without getting rid of the ignorance it is impossible to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. Self–Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana can be acquired by mentally eradicating  the ignorance through deeper self-search.  The seeker having understood the self is neither the waking entity nor the self is dream entity but self is the formless soul or consciousness, which witnesses the coming and going of the three states. Only people who are confused think that, the consciousness is limited to the birth entity (physical body) whereas the consciousness pervades in all the three states as their formless substance. And it is apart from the three states as their formless witness. It is apart from the three states because it is not an entity or identity or thing within the three states but it is the cause of the three states and it itself is uncaused.   

The soul or consciousness, the innermost self is birthless and deathless because it is formless. The one which wakes up dreams and sleeps is not the self but the self is that which witnesses the coming and going of the three states without the physical apparatus.

The waking is parallel dream and dream is parallel waking.  The nature of the soul, the innermost self is without the waking or dream as in deep sleep.  The waking entity and waking world are within the waking and dream entity and dream world are within the dream but the self is neither the waking entity not the self is dream entity but the self is formless witness of the three states. Thus it is erroneous to view, judge and conclude the truth on the waking entity, which is not the self.  

Man and his experience of the world are reality within the waking or dream. The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. Similarly the waking becomes unreal when waking entity realizes the fact that, it itself is not the self. The three states are mere illusion from the standpoint of the soul or consciousness, the innermost self. Because of inborn conditioning ,which is present as ‘I’ the waking entity thinks it is an individual separate from the world and world existed  prior to it and it is born in it afterwards. Till this deep rooted conviction is there it is difficult to eradicate the deep rooted ignorance from the subconscious.  Thus perfect understanding of what is what’ is very much necessary to understand, assimilate and realize the non-dualistic or Advaitic truth.