Acharya Prashant explains that self-knowledge is essentially the knowledge of the ego, as the true Self or Brahman is unknowable and can only be merged into. He describes three levels of attaining this knowledge, starting from the most external to the most internal. The coarsest method is observing the world, its systems, and sciences. Since the world is a projection of the mind, understanding global conflicts or economies indirectly reveals the nature of one's own mind and its relationship with wealth and conflict. This method is recommended for those who lack the stability to look directly at themselves.