Acharya Prashant distinguishes between the medical definition of consciousness and the spiritual perspective. While medicine views consciousness as being awake and responsive to the world, spiritually, both waking and dreaming states are considered forms of unconsciousness. This is because both states are rooted in duality—the belief in a separate 'I' and a separate 'world.' Whether in a dream or awake, the individual remains bound to sensory experiences and the ego, which keeps one away from their true identity. He explains that where there is consciousness, there is duality and the illusion of the world. He further explains that events are not Truth; they are merely facts produced by consciousness. Truth is unchanging, timeless, and beyond the reach of events. For one who is awakened, the constant flux of events ceases to have a grip, as they become anchored in a state beyond consciousness. However, this does not mean the world disappears; rather, the perception of the world changes entirely. When a mind is close to Truth, even physical facts like colors and people are perceived differently because the observer has changed. Facts depend on the observer, and when the observer is transformed by Truth, the world itself is seen in a new light. Regarding awakening those with deep conditioning, Acharya Prashant asserts that no one is truly 'asleep' or 'unconscious' in the spiritual sense; they only believe they are. Awakening is the process of breaking this false belief. He emphasizes that everyone is inherently awake, and a guide or Guru simply helps the individual realize this by challenging their false identifications and certainties. This process of negation, or 'Neti-Neti,' requires deep faith and the realization that the core self is indestructible. One must have faith in their own immortality to let go of false identities. Finally, he describes a quiet mind as one where thoughts are orderly and centered around Truth, rather than being chaotic or unnecessary. True knowing is not the accumulation of information or external proofs but a direct, intuitive realization called 'Self-evidence' or 'Atma-Praman.' He concludes that the primary obstacle to Truth is not a lack of knowledge, but the burden of useless, false knowledge that obscures the simple and ever-present reality. The goal is to stop believing in the unnecessary things we think we know.