Experience is something we often think of as a simple interaction with the world through our senses—a sequence of events we encounter and respond to. In Advaita Vedanta, however, experience takes on a much deeper meaning, transcending the typical subject-object relationship. Rather than being defined by what we perceive, experience is viewed as a dynamic interplay where consciousness itself becomes the foundation. This blog explores how, from an Advaita perspective, experience is not something the "self" undergoes but something that arises within consciousness itself, untouched and unaltered.
Through concepts like superimposition, the dream analogy, and the metaphor of the screen and movie, we'll unpack how Advaita Vedanta presents a revolutionary view on experience, shifting from conventional perceptions to an understanding rooted in non-dual awareness.
In Advaita Vedanta, consciousness is the very essence of who we are. Unlike our typical understanding of experience, where the "subject" (knower/pramata) perceives an "object" (the known/prameya) with the help of a "means of knowledge" (scriptures, gurus, self reflection / pramana), consciousness transcends these distinctions. Here, Advaita Vedanta reveals a deeper truth: consciousness, or the Self, is self-luminous and doesn’t need external validation to be known. It is ever-present, illuminating all experiences without ever becoming an object of experience itself.
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Imagine consciousness as light. In our everyday encounters, objects become visible only when light reflects off them. However, Advaita goes further—asserting that this "light of consciousness" does not actually contact the objects it illuminates. Just as a dream is created entirely by the mind without actual contact with the material world, consciousness is untouched by the external reality it seems to engage with. This analogy helps illustrate the Vedantic teaching of superimposition, or adhyāsa. The process by which we project attributes of one thing onto another due to ignorance, creating a mistaken perception of reality. A classic example is mistaking a rope for a snake in dim light. Here, the rope represents the unchanging Self (Atman), while the snake symbolises the illusory world of appearances, where objects of the world appear projected upon the undivided consciousness, which remains whole and untouched.
This concept also applies to our misidentification with body and mind. We superimpose limitations—such as physical form, thoughts, emotions—onto our true, limitless consciousness. Due to ignorance (avidya), we mistake ourselves as these transient identities, whereas in reality, the Self is eternal, formless, and pure consciousness.
In the Advaita framework, realising the true nature of the Self requires dispelling this ignorance, recognising that the “snake” (our limited self-concepts) is merely a projection on the “rope” of pure awareness. When knowledge (jnana) replaces ignorance, the illusion dissipates, revealing that our true Self is untouched by the fluctuations of the world. This understanding of superimposition is key to Advaita’s non-dualistic vision, where the Self remains one, whole, and undivided, even as it appears within the multiplicity of experience.
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This perspective challenges the idea that consciousness "experiences" objects in the conventional sense. In reality, consciousness never truly interacts with anything external; it remains the unchanging observer, witnessing the world as a series of transient phenomena. Advaita describes this relationship as a mirror reflecting images without ever merging with them—consciousness reflects experiences without being altered or constrained by them.
In Advaita Vedanta, the dream analogy which illustrates how reality is perceived, is through the lens of consciousness and how our experience of the world is ultimately subjective. In a dream, the dreamer experiences people, places, and events that appear very real, but on awakening, realizes that everything in the dream was simply the mind’s projection. Similarly, in Advaita, the waking world, with its multiplicity of forms and experiences, is seen as a projection on the infinite, undivided consciousness (Atman or Brahman).
The dream analogy helps explain superimposition. Just as the dream world superimposes itself on the mind of the dreamer, the world of forms (the manifest universe) is superimposed on pure consciousness. In both cases, the subject remains unaltered; the mind in sleep is unaffected by the dream’s contents, and consciousness in Advaita remains untouched by the transient experiences of life. The analogy invites us to see life as an unfolding play of appearances on the “screen” of awareness, dissolving our identification with fleeting experiences.
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To realise this self-luminous consciousness is to step toward enlightenment, according to Vedanta. The Self is not something one can "see" or perceive as an object but is the very foundation upon which all experiences arise and subside. This insight points to an unchanging, ever-present awareness that is our true nature, freeing us from identification with the fleeting aspects of life and grounding us in an understanding of pure, formless awareness.
Advaita Vedanta often uses another analogy of a movie projected onto a screen to illustrate consciousness. Just as a screen remains untouched by the events unfolding in a movie—whether joy, sorrow, heroes, or villains—consciousness, our true Self, remains unaffected by the experiences it witnesses. The screen does not become happy during joyous scenes or sad during tragedies; similarly, consciousness remains unchanged by the dramas of life. It allows every experience to arise, yet it never mistakes itself for any character or event within that experience.
The screen is essential for the movie's existence, yet it does not interfere with or react to the unfolding scenes. This symbolises consciousness as the background against which the drama of life plays out. It is the silent, unaltered witness. This analogy captures the essence of Advaita Vedanta's teachings on consciousness, revealing that our true Self, like the screen, is not an actor in life’s story but the unaffected foundation on which all experiences depend.
This understanding encourages us to realise that consciousness, our true nature, is forever free from the changing scenes and stories of life. In recognising this, we step closer to understanding our undivided essence, transcending the limitations imposed by identifying with the transient aspects of experience.
In Advaita Vedanta, this realisation leads to liberation, as the knower, known, and means of knowledge dissolve into one non-dual consciousness, the only reality. Through understanding and embodying this truth, one transcends the cycles of experience and abides in the undivided essence of being.
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