The pleasant, unpleasant events in a dream are experienced as vividly real by the person who is fast asleep. However on being awake, one realizes the dream and all associated experiences with it were unreal.

Similarly with the light of soul covered by the darkness of ignorance that puts the true consciousness to sleep, man starts to experience pleasure and pain, considering the physical world to be the only reality.

It is when by acquiring knowledge of the true self, that the veil of ignorance is removed and the true consciousness reveals itself. In the light of consciousness, one realizes the events of the ephemeral and unreal physical world are of no consequence to the ultimate Truth just like a dream is of no consequence to man.