Don't pretend to be what you are not.
Don't refuse to be what you are.
Helen is the brain-in-a-vat thought experiment taken to its extreme. Helen is a mature brain, genderless, conceived in a petri dish in a sterile cleanroom. She now resides in a big glass jar where she receives full life support but no sensory input. She has never received any sense data from any source. As a condition of this thought experiment, she has no racial, genetic, or ancestral memories. She’s just a plain brain representing the state of awareness without appearance; dreamless Brahman on a human scale.
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"You have projected onto yourself a world of your own imagination, based on memories, on desires and fears, and you have imprisoned yourself in it. Break the spell and be free."
Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897–1981) was an Indian spiritual teacher and Advaita (nonduality) master, widely regarded as one of the great sages of the 20th century. Born in Bombay (now Mumbai), he lived a modest life as a small shopkeeper, selling cigarettes and running a household. In 1933, he met his guru, Sri Siddharameshwar Maharaj, who gave him the instruction to focus on the sense “I Am” until its deeper reality revealed itself.
His most influential work, I Am That (1973), became a classic of modern Advaita philosophy, known for its clarity and immediacy. Nisargadatta continued teaching until his death in 1981, leaving behind a legacy that continues to guide students of nonduality worldwide.