Neti neti: not this, not this

Taken up by Advaita Vedānta, this discrimination sets aside, one by one, the things I can observe: "I am aware of this body, this emotion, this thought, so I am not merely it." By distinguishing the witness from what it witnesses, you stop confusing yourself with what passes. Today it helps you no longer identify on the spot with a mood, a role or a self-image, and to recognize yourself as the ātman that observes them.