Imagine mistaking a garden hose for a snake at dusk—heart racing, pulse quickening—only to realize moments later it was just a harmless coil of rubber. That mental hiccup captures adhyāsa, the doctrine of superimposition in Advaita Vedanta. It’s the habit of projecting qualities of one thing onto another, weaving illusion into everyday experience.

At its core, adhyāsa explains how the Self (Ātman), pure awareness, gets encrusted with notions of “I,” “you,” and “mine.” Like a smartphone wallpaper that hides the screen’s true glass, mental conditioning obscures the underlying reality of non-dual consciousness. Sri Shankara likened this to reading “moonlight” into a silver disc—seeing light where none originates. The world of names and forms (nāma-rūpa) is real enough in practical life, but its apparent difference from the Self is a mental projection.

This error operates in two steps: first, misattribution (anirvacaniya)—labeling the Self with attributes belonging to the body-mind complex. Second, mistaking the complex for the Self—identifying fleeting thoughts, emotions, and sensations as “who one really is.” In today’s terms, it’s akin to falling for an ultra-realistic deepfake video, believing a face that isn’t there. Social media filters and virtual reality experiences feel vivid, yet they’re just layers draped over actual awareness.

Advaita’s antidote involves jñāna, or knowledge, peeling away these layers through self-inquiry. By persistently asking “Who is it that knows?” the mind gathers evidence of its own seamless, unbroken nature. Over time, superimposed identities—career labels, cultural baggage, personal dramas—fade into the background, revealing the ever-present brightness of pure consciousness.

This teaching still ripples through today’s world, reminding that what appears as “other” often springs from one’s own projections. Cutting through mental fog isn’t just an ancient spiritual pursuit but a timely invitation to see clearly, beyond all the smoke and mirrors.