Atman aka self
Ātman ( / ˈ ɑː t m ə n / ; Sanskrit : आत्मन् ) in Hinduism is the true, innermost essence or self of a living being, conceived as eternal and unchanging. [ note 1 ] Atman is conceptually closely related to the individual self, Jīvātman , which persists across multiple bodies and lifetimes , but different from the self-image or ego ( Ahamkara ), the emotional aspect of the mind ( Citta ), and the bodily or natural aspects ( prakṛti ). The term is often translated as soul , [ note 2 ] but is better translated as "Self" [ 1 ] or essence. To attain moksha (liberation), a human being must acquire self-knowledge ( Atma Gyaan or Brahmajnana ). The six orthodox schools of Indian philosophy have different views on what this self is. In Samkhya and Yoga, which call the essence purusha , and in Advaita Vedanta, the essence is pure consciousness or witness-consciousness ( sakshi ...