Acharya Prashant explains that individuals do not carry memories from personal past lives. Instead, the human body, cells, and DNA carry a collective memory of the entire journey of human evolution. He clarifies that the belief in a specific past life is a myth created by the ego, which seeks to project its current identity backward in time. In reality, every person is the result of millions of lives and deaths, and the history one carries is not personal but universal. The brain is described as a physical product of this collective evolutionary journey, while the mind is a conceptual and fluid entity that exists only in activity, centered around the 'I' or ego. He further distinguishes between the brain and the mind, noting that the brain is a physical fact that exists regardless of one's state of consciousness, whereas the mind is a flexible seat of consciousness that can be laid to rest. The mind's movement is inherently self-centered and driven by self-interest. Acharya Prashant suggests that thought is both the prison and the key to liberation. While the ultimate spiritual state is thoughtlessness, one must first use sharp, deep, and penetrating thought to investigate the nature of bondages, desires, and fears. Thoughtlessness is not the random absence of thought but its fulfillment, occurring when thought has served its purpose and is no longer needed. Addressing the difficulty of managing never-ending thoughts during meditation, Acharya Prashant points out that thoughts often become cyclical and dishonest, pretending to lead to a destination while becoming an end in themselves. He advises dismissing these cyclical movements once they cease to be productive. The spiritual quest involves addressing inner dishonesties and educating the ego to stop behaving in self-defeating ways. By investigating one's own intentions and the inner structure of the mind, one can eventually reach a state where the mind becomes a still watcher, no longer needing movement or identification.