The ‘I’ is the state of ignorance. The state of ignorance is nothing but an illusion. In actuality, the ‘I’ itself is an illusion.+

The ‘I’ is the state of ignorance. The state of ignorance is nothing but an illusion.  In actuality, the ‘I’ itself is an illusion created out of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ “You must first see the ‘I’ as illusory before you see others as illusory. ~ CH.2 v.16

The illusion appears and disappears, therefore, it is impermanent. But the Soul is the witness of the ‘I’, which comes and goes.

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ “The permanent (consciousness) is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self.

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God) is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27).

When Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.

The Soul is the Self. The Soul is present in the form of 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 proof. 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. 

The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is real and eternal. The world in which we exist is an illusion created out of consciousness.

Remember:~

In the state of ignorance, the universe is superimposed over the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness and accepts the universe as a reality but in actuality, the universe is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.  

From the dualistic perspective, the individual perceives the world.  From the non-dualistic perspective, the world is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The Soul, the Self is pure, transcendental consciousness and the world is as merely an illusion created out of the consciousness. 

However, the Self, in reality, is not physical; it is absolute, formless, and infinite. The infinite 'Self' appears as a waking world in which the individual perceives the world.   so the appearance is superimposed on the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

It is due to ignorance that the individual fails to see the nexus between the Soul and the world. That nexus indicates the oneness underlying the subject-object, inner-outer, and Man-Nature distinctions. All that is required is to remove the error and the Soul will shine on its own accord.

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 not-Self.

Sage Sankara says - VC-162-  There is no liberation for a person of mere book-knowledge, howsoever well-read in the philosophy of Vedanta, so long as one does not give up the false identification with the body, sense-organs, etc., which are unreal.

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.

One can see the bottom of the pond through its still water. When, however, pebbles are thrown into the pond, the water in it is disturbed and the bottom of the pond becomes no longer visible. That bottom, however, is there all the time and it remains unchanged, no matter whether the surface water is disturbed or not. 

The water in the pond is the transactional world. The bottom of the pond is the transcendental reality. The disturbance created is ignorance, which is present in the form of the ‘I’.

Sage Sankara says the transparent Truth of the Self, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, (Gnani).  : ~ Santthosh Kumaar