3.13 In this state, it passes beyond the changes of inherent characteristics, properties and the conditional modifications of object or sensory recognition.

One of the greatest questions in Yoga is: What is left of me when I no longer have my identity? Good question. Everything that we have, our values, thoughts and personality are vested in our identity with the world. How is a person going to get by without an identity? The answer to the question is: You don’t. You will always have your identity in the world because even if you have given up your identity internally, the world will always associate you with what IT thinks is your identity. If you are male, the world will still be there to tell you what a proper male is. Your parents view of who you are is not going to change. To your government, you will always be “taxpayer number 1234567”

A lot of the teaching of Paramahansa Yogananda is revolved around the concept of life as a movie and the people merely spectators. In modern times, we associate this with movies like the Matrix, where we are all part of some computer program. As times change, so the definitions and symbolism of our projected world. Nevertheless, the concept of internal non-identification will stay the same.

So when you have reached a state of non attachment to thought in your mind, you essentially become unchangeable by new triggers of thought. The largest problem practitioners will find is that they still have existing karma to resolve, so the idea of being in a world that actively promotes attachment seems ridiculous. This is where one of the greatest talents a modern yogi can develop will come into effect. It’s the ability to play your role in life with detachment. The coming of the unchangeable state will be like a bolt of the blue out of nowhere. As your universe changes inside if you, the rest of the world will still function the same. Therefore, weather you are a wife, husband, father, mother, poor or rich, you will still have to play out your role, knowing that after death it will not be reprized.