In non-dual self-awareness-- the witness and witnessed are one in essence.

The soul is the innermost  self. The soul is present in the form consciousness. Consciousness alone is holding the mind. Mind is  present in the form of universe.  universe  appears  as waking or dream(duality)  and disappears deep sleep (non-duality). 

On the standpoint of the soul , the innermost self , the Mind is mere illusion.The formless  soul or consciousness  is the source of the mind from where it rises and subsides.  Therefore, the mind rises as universe and universe appears waking or dream subsides back as consciousness. The  the soul, the innermost self  has no birth, thus it has no death.  thus one,which is born,lives and dies within the world is mere illusion because the waking experience itself is mere illusion created out of consciousness.
 

Dream become unreal when waking takes place. That means the dream entity, people within the dream and the dream world becomes unreal. Same way the waking entity and people within the waking experience and the waking world becomes unreal when wisdom dawns.

The world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but is unreal, in the sense, that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

Peoples approach is more practical, and they stuck with the reality of the world, they take it as real. That is why all the confusion. 

One must realize A person, who stamped his foot on the ground to refute to show the world, is real, ignore that in dream he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real. 

 

In  non-dual self-awareness-- the witness and witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing exists other than consciousness.

Thus whatever seen, known, believed and experienced as a person is reality within the waking experience but waking experience itself is mere illusion.  

The formless soul Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the innermost self. 

the formless soul or Consciousness is the witness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theatre, revealing the master of ceremonies, the guests, and the dancers with complete impartiality. Even when they all depart, the light shines to reveal their absence.

What is not consciousness (formless) in the experience of diversity [waking or universe]?  The waking and the dream cease to exist without consciousness.  The seeker, seeking and his destination   all are one in essence.

There is only need to realize the whole universe in which we exist is created out of consciousness (soul or Atman), the innermost self.  On the standpoint innermost self, the universe is mere illusion created out of consciousness.  Thus on the ultimate standpoint no second thing exists other than consciousness. Thus consciousness is ultimate truth or Brahman.

 The formless  soul is the innermost self and eternal identity. Therefore, viewing and judging the truth on the waking entity(ego) is erroneous  because the waking entity is the false entity within the false experience.

The soul is the ultimate truth. Thus, Sri,Sankara says : Atman is Brahman. The soul , the innermost self  is in  ignorance of its own formless truth nature and it  is trying to know itself. 

When ignorance vanishes through wisdom  then it realizes  the  waking experience  is  mere mirage  created out of itself.  thus there is no second thing exists other than soul,which is present in the form of consciousness.

Therefore, nothing existed, nothing exists, and nothing is will   exist, other then the soul, which is in the form of the consciousness.  Bible says: Spirit is my father –I and my father are one- That is the mind and soul are one in essence—therefore nothing exists other then the spirit or Christ.

The seeker has to make decision that he wants to resolve to accomplish his spiritual goal his intense desire and determination to discover, assimilate and realize the truth of the true existence will lead him towards his goal. 

The soul appears to be many. Even then, like the ocean it exists without any addition or diminution, although for us, there is a seeming increase or decrease in it. But, when one becomes aware of the fact that there is only one soul, then nowhere will there be either any plus or minus in consciousness, which is the soul or self. 

Buddhism says: all things are illusory and noting exists.  However, Advaita avers that it is not so.  It says that the universe of course is illusory, but there is Brahman, that exists forming the very substratum of all things.