Acharya Prashant explains that religion, as commonly practiced, is outward-looking, focusing on rituals, past traditions, and external objects like books or temples. He notes that while spirituality is ideally the center of religion, the two have become separated. Religion often keeps a person at the periphery, whereas spirituality is an inward inquiry that prioritizes the observer over the observed. He argues that one cannot be certain of external reality, as it could be a dream or a mirage, but one can be certain of the existence of the thinker or the sufferer. Therefore, spirituality begins by questioning the 'I' and testing the 'eyes' of the observer rather than focusing on the external world.