Adhyatma means study of Atman or spirit or consciousness. Atman means the Soul,which is in the form of consciousness within constitutes the most basic and fundamental study
of what constitutes the real self of every Human experience.
Ego is the
physical self. The soul is the eternal self. The best of scientists and thinkers
have failed to understand this cosmic phenomenon for they see all from the eyes
of their bloated ego. Result ... they all see one aspect of the issue never
arriving at the right conclusion. One
has to penetrate the veil of duality and farther into the domain of reality.
For a Gnani the truth is totally opposite of the duality. He knows the fact that soul is the true self and the three states are mere myth on the standpoint of the soul, which is the true self.