Acharya Prashant addresses the difficulty of distinguishing between the voice of the mind and the voice of the Self (Atma). He clarifies that the issue is not about danger, but about truth. He offers several formulas to help in this discernment. The first is to ask how much personal gain or happiness is involved in a potential action. If it appears that there is a hidden personal benefit or pleasure to be gained, then one should understand that the voice is coming from the mind. Another method is to question what would happen if one refrains from the action. If there is a fear of some kind of loss for not acting, that too is an indication of the mind's voice. The mind operates based on reasons, on profit and loss. In contrast, the inspiration from the Self is without reason. When the Self calls for an action, one will not see any clear or special benefit. There will simply be a feeling that performing the action is essential, without being able to assess why it is necessary or what will be gained from it. For beginners, it is advisable to pause and reflect when an impulse arises, rather than acting hastily. This provides an opportunity to observe and understand the nature of the impulse. Another test is to see if the desired action is something that large crowds of people are also doing. If thousands or millions are heading in the same direction, it is highly probable that this direction is driven by a conditioned tendency (vritti) and not by the Self. With practice and careful observation, it becomes easier to distinguish whether an inner impulse is mental or from the Self.