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Speaking on the basis of verses 6 to 9 of the text Drig Drishya Viveka, Swami Sarvapriyananda explains what reflected consciousness is and how the ahamkara ('I sense') becomes totally identified with this reflected consciousness, resulting in the experience "I am aware" which we are all familiar with with. This experience "I am aware" is not the same as directly experiencing the pure self/atman/brahman.

About me:

Firstly, while I find Adi Sankara's teachings on discriminating self from non-self very helpful, I'm not an adherent of Advaita, in the sense that I don't consider the self and God to be completely one and the same (as per Advaita).

Adi Sankara is said to be an incarnation of the Lord Shiva who appeared in India around 8th century AD, at a time when Buddhism was prevalent. Sankaracharya re-established the authority of the Vedas, which Buddhism doesn't accept.

I'm from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. In Gaudiya Vaishnavism (and in all form of Vaishnavism) the self (atman) and its realisation is not considered to be ultimate, and the bliss of self realisation (brahmananada) is surpassed by the bliss devotion to Krishna (bhaktyananada).

In the Bhagavad-Gita, 18. 54, we find:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śhochati na kāṅkṣhati
samaḥ sarveṣhu bhūteṣhu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

"One who is transcendentally situated at once realises the Supreme Brahman (brahma-bhūtaḥ) and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires for anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state, he attains pure devotional service unto Me” (mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām)

In Gaudiya Vashnavism, Krishna is worshipped as the Supreme Godhead, the uttamaḥ puruṣha (Supreme Personality) who transcends both the conditioned souls and the liberated souls (Bh. Gita Ch 15, verses 15 -19). Krishna does not "have" a form, in the way that an embodied soul "has" a body. Krishna IS His form, and His form, IS Himself. And that form is sat, chit and ananda (eternal existence, consciousness, and bliss). Krishna, as Svayam Bhagavan, is the source of all incarnations or avatars (SB, 1.3.28) and the origin of the soul (Bh. Gita 7.5, 15.7). He is the source of both the formless Brahman (Bh. Gita 15.7, Isopanishad 15) and of the all-pervading Paramatma, or Super soul (B-Gita 10.42) which is present in the heart of every soul, and in every atom of creation.

Gaudiya Vaishnavism:
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Adi Sankaracharya's perspective on reality is known as 'Advaita' (non-duality). In Gaudiya Vaishnavism, it's known as 'Achintya Bheda Abheda' (inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and difference). This holds that the individual soul and God are never totally one and the same, but that they are qualitatively similar, yet quantitively different, just as a ray of the the sun has the qualities of the sun (heat and light), but it is not the entire sun. Or as a spark of fire has the qualities of the fire, but it's not the entire fire.

Achintya Bheda Abheda:
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Achintya-Bheda-Abheda is also mentioned at the two links below, while discussing the meaning of 'Aham Brahmasmi'

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The eminent devotee theologian in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition is Srila Jiva Goswami, whose writings, particularly his 'Sat Sandharbas' (six treatises) outline the Gaudiya Vaishnava siddhanta (philosophy) and systematically establish the Bhagavat Purana as the principle pramana (evidence) and Krishna as the highest truth. In his Sat Sandharbas, Srila Jiva Goswami also offers refutations of Advaita (particularly in his Paramatma Sandharba). You can read about Sat Sandharbas and download samples from them here:

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For an elaboration on the ultimate plane of existence aspired to by the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, and its position relative to prakriti-nirvana and brahma-nirvana, read the 'Foreword' to ‘Life Nectar of the Surrendered Souls’ by Srila Sridhar Maharaj, here:

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Chitchāyā,chitchaya,chit chaya,reflected consciousness,reflected awareness,pure consciousness,real self,ego,chid aphasia,chidabhasa,Swami Sarvapriyananda,Rupert Spira,I am aware

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