It is extremely difficult to perceive the atma or immortal soul within one's etheric heart even if endeavoring with acute discrimination and focused attention. Only some are able to succeed while others who strive do not. The pure yogis who have mastered the science of meditation and completed control of the senses, who assiduously strive for self- realisation, after great effort perceive the atma residing within thier own physical body and distinctly different from it. Whereas those who have not mastered the science of meditation, who have not managed to control the mind, who are of impure thoughts, who are unable to curb the impetuous impulses of the senses; hence are deluded, bewildered and spiritually deficient will be unable to perceive the atma no matter how hard they strive by study and practice.

Those who assiduously strive will perceive the atma or immortal soul after achieving spiritual intelligence. It is not enough to become complacent or be satisfied after acquiring equanimity of mind from meditation and reflection. One must continuously strive with great faith in the teachings of the spiritual preceptor until the goal is finally attained. Otherwise there is always a possibility of contamination of the mind due to the influences of the gunas or three modes of material nature. The word akritatmano means those of impure mind and as such they will be unable to perceive the atma although possessing sufficient intelligence. A classic example of this is Ravana.

Preserverance of the aspirant is the persistence essential to insure success once has fully resorted to bhakti or exclusive loving devotion to the Supreme Lord Krishna. By cultivating this path they purify their minds and hearts by yoga or the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness. They then realise the true nature of the atma residing within the etheric heart of the physical body and perceive it distinctly different from the body. But if their efforts even if industrous are devoid of sufficient faith in the spiritual preceptor and unalloyed devotion to the Supreme Lord and thus spiritually impotent and feeble minded, then they are handicapped and incapable of atma tattva or realisation of the soul. Hence they do not perceive it. Although the light of the sun, the moon, lightning and fire are powerful antidotes to removing darkness, they are limited to removing only external darkness and they have this power due to their empowerment by the divine consciousness of the Supreme Lord which has the capacity to remove the darkness of ignorance in the phenomenal world externally and the darkness of ignorance within the consciousness of the jiva internally.

The atma or immortal soul is extremely difficult to perceive but the aspirant who continuously strives to achieve it through focused concentration and meditation will realise the atma enshrined within their etheric heart but distinctly different from the physical body. The ignorant enslaved by desires and sense gratification have no qualification for spiritual pursuits as they are bewildered by the ostentatious encumbrances of the false ego and pursuing mundane goals in the phenomenal world they are completely oblivious to the existence of the atma.