In Advaita Vedanta, the Neti-Neti (“not this, not this”) practice serves as an apophatic tool—a way of zeroing in on the ultimate reality (Brahman) by ruling out everything that it is not. Instead of piling up descriptions or conceptual layers around the Self, one systematically peels back assumptions—body, mind, emotions, even the witness—by recognizing each as transient and therefore not the absolute. It’s like chasing shadows in a dark room: once each shadow is dismissed, the light of pure awareness stands revealed.

This “negative path” isn’t a roadblock but a spotlight. By denying identification with fleeting phenomena, mental clutter no longer obscures the ever-present consciousness that underlies all experience. Modern mindfulness trends echo this—popular meditation apps such as Calm or Headspace encourage noting thoughts as “just thoughts,” yet Advaita takes it a step further: not even the observer remains untouched by scrutiny. Through Neti-Neti, the mind learns to quit its role as self-sculptor and rest in uncarved simplicity.

In a world buzzing with AI-deepfakes and identity-theft headlines, Neti-Neti comes as an inner firewall. When external labels and internal stories are stripped away, the core awareness can’t be fabricated or hacked. This technique also dovetails with recent neuroscientific insights: researchers at institutions like MIT suggest that self-referential brain networks quiet down during deep self-inquiry—hinting that ancient sages and modern labs are, in a sense, on the same page.

Ultimately, Neti-Neti isn’t about intellectual denial but about an experiential unveiling. As this year’s International Day of Yoga reminded millions worldwide, true freedom lies beyond the binary of “yes” and “no,” “this” and “that.” By saying “not this” to every passing form, the door swings open to the unchanging Self—and that revelation is as timely today as it was millennia ago.