Atma Explained: The Undivided Self in Vedanta
- Daniel McKenzie
- Sep 4, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 11
Ātma (alternatively, ātman) is identical in essence to Brahman, the absolute reality. However, the word atma is typically used when referring to the Self from the standpoint of the individual. If Brahman is like vast, undivided space, then atma is that same space appearing as if confined within a pot. Of course, the space within a pot is not different in quality from the space outside it. And when the pot breaks, we do not say the space merges with outer space—it was never truly separate. Space, like awareness, is indivisible, partless, and always whole.
Likewise, atma, as pure awareness associated with an individual, is never truly divided. When the body ends its cycle, it returns to the material universe, but awareness remains untouched—not as “David’s awareness” or “Susan’s awareness,” but as the single, universal awareness principle.
A traditional analogy compares atma to electricity: just as electricity powers various appliances without being altered by them, awareness enlivens body-mind-sense complexes without itself being changed or limited. Yet unlike electricity, awareness is not perceptible, measurable, or objectifiable. Scientists continue to be baffled by consciousness because it cannot be grasped like an object—it is the very subject.
Etymologically, atma is also related to the root at, meaning “to breathe.” As breath gives life and sound to a wind instrument, so atma breathes life into the body. The resulting expression will vary depending on the instrument, but the breath remains one. Similarly, awareness is one, though it appears as many through different body-mind-sense complexes.
When we examine the nature of atma, five salient features stand out:
Atma is not a part, product, or property of the body. Atma is not made of the body nor located in it. It exists on a different order of reality. What affects the body does not affect atma, just as what happens to a pot does not alter the space inside. The body is born, changes, and dies, but awareness remains unchanged.
Atma is an independent presence that enlivens the body. Just as a light bulb glows when electricity flows through it, the body appears alive in the presence of awareness. But awareness depends on nothing. It is not “inside” the body, nor is it a function of it. It simply is.
Atma is not limited by the body’s boundaries. Though awareness is seemingly associated with one body, it is never confined by it. Just as space is never truly enclosed by walls or containers, awareness remains limitless despite its apparent individuality.
Atma remains even after the body dissolves. Awareness precedes the body and remains after it dissolves. There is a profound shift when one realizes that awareness does not emerge from the body—it is the other way around. Just as space is not created by the pot, awareness is not created by the brain.
Atma is unborn, undying, and impersonal. There is no “my awareness” or “your awareness.” These are just names and forms. Awareness is not personal—it is the one impersonal reality in which all personalities arise. As Vedanta teaches, what we call the person is simply a configuration of the five elements. We are, in a sense, walking earth animated by awareness.
Lastly, another name for atma is the Self—our true nature and the silent witness of all experience. It is not an object but the light by which all objects are known. It is attributeless, limitless, ever-present—and the greatest discovery of a human life.
Root & Meaning
Sanskrit ātman — “self,” “essence,” “soul”; possibly from the root an (“to breathe”) or āt (“to pervade”).
Scriptural References
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3.7.3, 4.4.5) – Declares ātman as the imperishable, beyond cause and effect.
Chandogya Upanishad (6.8.7) – “Tat tvam asi” (That thou art), equating the individual Self with Brahman.
Mandukya Upanishad (verse 7) – Describes ātman as non-dual, the fourth state beyond waking, dream, and deep sleep.
Bhagavad Gita (2.16–25) – Teaches that ātman is unborn, eternal, and indestructible.
Vivekachudamani (254–260) – Explains that ātman is the witness, distinct from the body, mind, and senses.
Traditional View
The unchanging, witnessing consciousness that is identical with Brahman.
Vedantic Analysis
Self is self-revealing; never becomes an object; the basis of all experience.
Common Misunderstandings
Equating ātman with the ego, personality, or soul as a finite entity
Thinking the Self is “inside” the body like a physical occupant
Vedantic Resolution
Ātman is limitless consciousness — not confined to space, time, or the body-mind.
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