Sage Sankara says: ~ The idea that the external world exists can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.+

Realizing the reality hidden by the illusory form, time, and space as it is Advaita. The form, time, and space are the dualistic illusion created out of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

First, you must convince yourself the ‘Self is not ‘I’ but the ‘Self is the Soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the ‘I’.

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

First, you must make sure the ‘I’ itself is illusory because the ‘I’ is not permanent. The seeker has to find for himself the truth of his true existence and to come to a fuller and deeper understanding and realization of the truth, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space.

The purpose quest for truth is to first find out what is the untruth to realize the truth and discard the untruth. 

Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-awareness. By holding on to theories one remains in the realm of dualistic illusion. One has to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper self-search. Finally when one becomes aware of the fact that, his ego, his body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality. 

Sage Sankara says: ~ VC-63- Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know 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.

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 the 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 are is an illusion created out of the Soul, the innermost ‘Self’. 

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. 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 birth, life, death, and the world as a reality, whereas a Gnani sees everything as consciousness and he is fully aware of the fact that, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul or   consciousness. Thus, all the egocentric (religious) adulteration has to be bifurcated to realize the ultimate truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Remember:~

The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind is the dualistic illusion. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as a waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep).

The waking experience is a parallel dream and the dream is a parallel waking experience.

The one which born, lives, and dies within the world is within the dualistic illusion. the one, which is born, lives, and dies is not the Self but the ‘Self is the Soul, which witnesses the coming and going of the ‘I’, which is the dualistic illusion.

To say the universe is an illusion without first examining it and inquiring into its nature thoroughly is to delude oneself. This world is common to every one of us; therefore the seeker of truth must begin his inquiry with it. It is only after he has inquired into the nature of the objective world, he realizes the universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but the Soul which is present in the form of consciousness is free from all the limitations of human thought.

It is erroneous to believe the general impression is that the universe disappears to a Gnani, that he sees nothing in Samadhi. Only deluded persons will have such an impression. Nothing is destroyed. Only ignorance disappears and the unreal nature of the universe is exposed. The universe which appears as a waking experience is a dualistic illusion.

A Gnani has the full and firm conviction that everything is consciousness in the midst of dualistic illusion. The Soul, Self being aware of its true nature in the midst of dualistic illusion is called Self-awareness.  

The universe or the waking experience will not disappear. It is there always but the unreal nature of the waking experience is exposed in the midst of dualistic illusion through Advaitic wisdom.

 Remember:~

The Soul is the innermost Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the witness-consciousness that experiences the action, the actor, and the world of separate things. It is like a light that illuminates everything in a theater, 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.

One knows everything within the waking experience is consciousness because the waking experience itself is merely an illusion created out of consciousness. The physical apparatus is absent in deep sleep so one cannot know anything by intuition because there is no duality in deep sleep. This proves that the duality is present only in waking or dream. And also it proves that if there is such a faculty as intuition it must be limited to the physical Self within the physical existence. 

The world in which you exist, your thoughts, and your world are made of a single clay. Knowledge of that single clay is the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Mentally reduce the world in which you exist into waking experience and waking experience into mind and mind into consciousness by perfect understating of ‘what is what’.  

When you realize’ what is what’ you will realize everything is nothing but consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar