The whole universe is nothing but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.+

The life within a dream is a reality with the dream.  The dream becomes unreal when waking takes place. Similarly, the waking becomes unreal when you realize the ‘Self is not you but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

If the waking is unreal then your experience of the birth, life, death, and the world within the waking experience also is unreal (illusion). 

The question is based on the waking entity (you or ego). Whatever is based on the waking entity (ego) is based on the dualistic perspective.

You have to learn to view the worldview on the nondualistic perspective then only you will be able to have the Soulcentric view of the worldview. 

In Advaitic  Self-awareness, the ego is not considered as ego, even though the ego is present, the body is not considered as a body even though the body is present, the world which confronts him is not considered as world even though the world is present, the duality ceases even though the duality is present, because of wisdom everything is considered as consciousness. Thus there is conscious oneness.

Only in ignorance, the world in which we exist is an illusion created out of the Soul, the Self. 

Remember:~

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.

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

The look of an object will depend upon the medium through which the observer views it. In fact, our mental and intellectual conditions determine the world, observed, and experienced. The commoner viewing the world will see differently from a Gnani viewing the same world. Each one interprets the world that they see in terms of their existing knowledge. The commoner sees everything based on the ego, therefore, experiences the birth, life, death and the world as a reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as the consciousness and he is fully aware of the fact that, there is no second thing exists other than the Soul or consciousness. 

Thus, all the egocentric knowledge has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

The world in which we exist is nothing but an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

The whole universe is nothing but the Soul. Therefore, there is no second thing exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

It is not as if something that was not consciousness suddenly becomes consciousness. Rather, "knowing the truth” means a removal of the ignorance about one's own existence as the consciousness. Thus, to "know the truth” is to "be   consciousness."

 

Consciousness is ever-present. Without consciousness, the world, in which you exist ceases to exist.   Consciousness is Self-evident. It is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny consciousness because it is the very essence of the one who denies it. Consciousness is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. Consciousness is everything. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Mentally reduce the world in which you exist into consciousness by realizing the world in which you exist is nothing but consciousness.  If everything is consciousness then how can anything exist which is not consciousness?

When the conviction about consciousness becomes firm then everything falls into the right slot.

What is the Soul?  What is consciousness? What is awareness?  They all are one and the same. 

The universe is present only in waking experience. The waking experience is present only when the mind is present and the mind is present only when the ‘I’ is present.  The universe or the waking experience or the mind (I) are one and the same thing. This truth has to be assimilated first.

Mentally reduce the universe into waking experience and waking into mind (I) and the mind into the consciousness by realizing the mind or universe or the waking are nothing but merely an illusion created out of consciousness. 

Remember:~

Self-realization comes only when you discover and realize the ‘Self' hidden by ignorance. Ignorance is present in the form of the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).  

Sage Sankara goes on to say: ~A sickness of not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman.” Brahman must be realized. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from your consciousness until you have realized Brahman, how can you find liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely noise. Until a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying “I am a king.”

Sage Sankara says:~   A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it your own. In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached by meditation, contemplation, and other spiritual disciplines but never by subtle arguments.

Sage  Sankara:~ ‘VC-.63: "Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

After verifying through deeper inquiry if one finds the world is the reality within the illusion then he cannot again say the world is not an illusion.

If one is frightened to accept the world is an illusion (waking) then he is unfit to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

Those who stuck with the reality of the world are stuck with the reality of the individual experiences of birth, life, and death, which takes place within the unreal world. 

Thus, the pursuit of truth is for those who have the courage to accept the reality as it is, that is the reality without form, time, and space.

When you finally realize the ‘‘Self’ ‘is not you but the ‘‘Self’’ is the Soul then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Sage  Sankara says:~ VC-47-All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the non-self.

Until you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world existed prior to you and you are born in it afterward the ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there the universe prevails as reality.

Sage Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.

Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-awareness. By holding onto theories one remains in the realm of duality. 

You have to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper self-search. Finally when you become aware of the fact that, your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar