The visions and mystic experience are a reality within the domain of the dualistic illusion (Maya).+

Sage Goudpada says that whatever is seen, whether external or internal, whether by the ordinary persons or yogis, is unreal.

Snake & Rope: 

The snake is the universe and the rope is the Soul, the Self. Through deeper self-search, when the unreal nature of the snake (universe) is exposed than the rope (Soul) alone exists as the ultimate reality. 

***
A person, seeing a rope in dim light, mistakes it for a snake. He is as frightened as he would have been if there had been a real snake there. The snake is said to have an ‘illusory reality. The illusory snake is described as a superimposition on the rope. The snake is not real, because, it is found on examination with a light that it never existed there. At the same time, it was experienced as reality till ignorance prevailed. Similarly, this waking experience is experienced as a reality due to ignorance.

When wisdom dawns then the unreal nature of the waking experience is exposed. At the dawn of Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the waking experience has no existence apart from the Soul or the consciousness. The consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The waking experience is, therefore, said to be superimposed on consciousness the same way as the dream is superimposed on consciousness.

The waking experience is the practical reality because it is real until the attainment of Self-realization. The Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of the consciousness alone, has absolute reality; because it is absolutely changeless because it is formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. 

Remember:~

The dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place.   In what one sees and feels and experiences within the dream as a reality yet their experiences are untrue when waking takes place. Similarly, when the Soul, the Self, wakes up in its own awareness the waking experience becomes unreal.

The visions and mystic experiences are a reality within the domain of dualistic illusion (universe).  From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the universe is merely an illusion(Maya).

 What then is it in us, which ascertains the truth of these experiences? If one says it is a mystic experience, then everyone’s experience differs from another. Such disagreement does not settle the matter. 

Thus, these are the two common sources ~ scriptural authority and Yogic Samadhi--but both are shown untenable because both are based on the false Self-(ego).

Mystic experience and Yogic Samadhi are not wisdom. Yogis consider his body as the Self and the yogi considers his body as the author of the Samadhi or experience, whereas the 'Self' is not physical but the Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Remember:~

The body and the world are mere an experience within the illusion.   The witness of the illusion is always formless and apart. Thus the body and the world are an object to the formless witness.

Thus, any kind of experience is merely an illusion because the experience implies duality. The duality is not a reality. The experience comes in the form of the mind and disappears as the formless soul.

Thus, whatever individual experiences, experienced as a person, within the universe, are bound to be an illusion.  

Thus, yogi Samadhi or mystic experience is an individual experience based on the false Self (ego or you) within the false experience (waking).  Thus, there is a need to mentally trace the formless witness of the three states and drop the three states (illusion) mentally in order to bring unity is diversity in the midst of the illusion.  

 Where there is experience then there is duality.  

Where there is duality then there is always an illusion. 

Where there is an illusion then there is always ignorance. 

Where there is ignorance there is always ego. 

Where there is ego the falsehood is experienced as reality. 

Therefore, getting rid of the falsehood in its totality is necessary to realize the reality. Thus, transcending ego alone one cannot get non-dual reality, the whole falsehood, which is in the form of the mind or universe has to be transcended mentally in order to realize the ultimate reality.  

Remember:~

All the three states are mere an appearance. All appearance has not appeared to the physical entity, but to the Soul. Man and the world are mere appearances.  That is, the illusion is merely an appearance. Thus, man cannot be considered as the witness, since man and his experience of the world are within the illusion.  

Thus, the witness of the illusion is within the dualistic illusion but it is apart from the dualistic illusion.

It is within the illusion as its formless substance and it is apart from the illusion as its formless witness.  The formless substance and witness is the Soul or consciousness. The Soul or the consciousness is the 'Self' hidden by the dualistic illusion. 

Realizing the Soul as Self is Self-Realization.  Therefore, the Soul alone is real and all else is merely an illusion. Learning to view and judge the three states on the base of the Soul, which is the Self, leads to nondual Self-awareness.

Remember:~ 

The ‘I’ is not the root of all the appearance because the ‘I’ itself is an appearance. Only ignorant people say ‘I’ is the root of all appearance.

Those who Gurus who propagated the ‘Self’ is within the body are erred. This mistake has to be rectified in order to realize the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of the consciousness, is the fullness of consciousness.  By emotionally sticking to these ’I’-centric gurus and their teachings you will remain permanently in the domain of ignorance.

Because of ignorance, you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world existed prior to you, you are born in it later on. The ‘I’ is inborn ignorance cause of experiencing the world in which you exist as a reality whereas the world in which you exist is a dualistic illusion.

Whatever belongs to dualistic illusion is bound to be an illusion. So, your experience of birth, life, death, and the world is bound to be an illusion.

Everyone is holding some teaching or teacher or their accepted truth as a yardstick. All the accumulated egocentric knowledge is inadequate or useless in unfolding the mystery of the mind or universe.

The ‘I’ is inborn samskara or conditioning, because of this inborn samskara or conditioning one has accepted the ‘I’ as the ‘‘Self’’, he is ignorant of the fact that the ‘I’ itself’ is the cause of ignorance. Because of this ‘I’   he has accepted illusion as a reality.   Therefore, there is a need to realize ‘what is this ‘I’?’ - in actuality. Without knowing ‘what is this ‘I’?’ in actuality it is impossible to unfold the hidden truth which is beyond the form, time, and space.

Until you hold the ‘Self ‘as the ‘I’ you will never be able to get Self-realization.  ‘I’ hides the Soul, which is the Self.

I’ is ignorance.

‘I’ is the duality.

‘I’ is form, time, and space.

‘I’ is the universe.

‘I’ is the waking.

‘I’ is the dream.

‘I’ is the illusion.

‘I’ is the experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

Remember:~

Without the ‘I’ there is no ignorance.

Without the ‘I’ there is no duality.

Without the ‘I’ there is no form, time, and space.

Without the ‘I’ there is no universe.

Without the ‘I’ there is no waking.

Without the ‘I’ there is no dream.

Without the ‘I’ there is no illusion.

Without the ‘I’ there is no experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the ‘Self. The ‘I’ hides the truth.

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say ‘I,’, If you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, you are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

Bhagvad Gita: ~ ‘The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

It is time to discard the ‘I’. Never use the word the ‘I’ or I AM for the Self.   : ~ Santthosh Kumaar