Thought, thinker and the world are nothing to do with the formless witness. The witness is that witnesses the thoughts, the thinker and the world together

Buddhism and its relationship with Science is like that of a water and wine, one cannot say there is no water in wine, but when you drink it, it would not be the water but wine... thus Einstein’s view is a water in wine because, modern science does not believe in matter but in this religion everything is the matter only"

Sankara says you must first know what is before you. If you cannot know that, what else can you know or understand? If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth. 

Even the Advaita Sage, Sri, Sankara' gave religious, ritual or dogmatic instruction to the mass but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd. 

Sage Sri Sankara in commentary to "Brahma Sutras: - " "The highest beatitude is not to be attained by Yoga." (Sacred Books of East Series page 298 Vol.1.)   And he also says Samadhi is the same as sleep (p.312) ---this indicates that yoga is not the means to self-realization.  And yogic Samadhi is not non dual Self-awareness. 

Everything is Atman, which Sage Sri Sankara declared 1200 years back –everything is Atman because Atman is in the form of consciousness. 

 The vital- air-Sheath cannot be the self because it is the modification of air (Vayu). Like air it enters the body and goes out of it never knowing the joy and sorrow like others. It is ever dependent on the self.  –Viveka Chudamani 165-166 . 

Breath, body and the world are one in essence. That essence is formless consciousness.   Consciousness (soul) is the innermost self.  Breath, body and the world are part and parcel of the illusion. By holding the breath (vital force) as self, one cannot get rid of the ignorance. Without getting rid of the ignorance wisdom will not dawn. Wisdom dawns only when one realizes the form, time and space are one in essence.  –FORMLESS PATH

Thought, thinker and the world are nothing to do with the formless witness. The witness is that witnesses the thoughts, the thinker and the world together. The thoughts, thinker and the world are one in essence. And also the three states are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. The consciousness (soul) is the innermost self. The consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God. --FORMLESS PATH

Thoughts arise to the person within the waking or dream. Thinker is the form. Without the form the thinking is impossibility. Thus thinker and the thoughts are part of the known. The witness of the knower and the known including the world is formless soul.

Thoughts and thinker are present only when the world is present. The world is present only when the waking experience is present. Waking experience is mere illusion from ultimate standpoint. If the waking experience is mere illusion then the thought, thinker and the world are mere illusion.