In order to understand the subject of ‘who am I?’ it is appropriate for us to understand some of our fundamental limitations in knowing about the existing world. The entire physical world is a changing world. When the Real I is associated with things in this world over a period of time, the Real I begins to identify with these associations so gives birth to an Ego based on external factors, such as body, objects, other people, social status, so on.

We have the choice of understanding about ourselves as the observer. The attitude of seeing the body in third person and without a sense of possession, is essential in any practice of soul consciousness. The Real I is an experiencer or an observer; it is non-physical and all that is experienced is largely physical. So the non-physical Real I observes the physical world.