The one which wakes up, dreams and sleeps is not the soul/self. The one which is aware of the waking/dream and deep sleep is the true self, which is in the form of consciousness. Thus the waking/dream and deep sleep is mere mirage on the standpoint of the soul, which is aware. The soul/Christ is ever aware and is aware of the three states [illusion] which comes and goes in succession.
The waking or dreams are unreal on the base the soul. The reality wills not the reveal until one becomes aware mentally of the formless witness and substance of the three states. Therefore, the practices and theories based on the physical self/ego are not the means to self-knowledge. If the meditater thinks he is the doer of the meditation and takes the authorship of meditation it is not meditation. The body is not the doer. The body is mere an experience within the experience. The one which knows itself as body and perceives the world is not the body, but the soul. Without the soul the experience of diversity [waking/dream] is non existent. The soul, which is the true self can exist with or without the experience of diversity [waking/dream], the illustration is deep sleep. [In deep sleep the soul witnesses its formless nondual true nature.] Thus consciously being aware of the self is soul in the midst of experience of diversity/waking will lead to nondual/ meditative awareness of the soul in the midst of duality. Thus all meditation practiced on the false self /ego is preparatory practices to reach the ultimate state, which is frees one from experiencing the duality [birth, life and death] as reality. The formless substance and witness of the three states is not physical but the Spirit/Christ/Brahman.
Thus seeker of the truth has to verify the fact that whether his practice of meditation is based on the physical self/ego through deeper inquiry, analysis and reasoning. This is possible only when one feels, his present practice of meditation is inadequate and useless. This feeling comes only after years and years of meditation practice.
