Neti-Neti, “not this, not this,” functions in Advaita Vedanta as a rigorous contemplative method for discerning the true Self (Ātman) by systematically negating everything that can be objectified or experienced. Body, senses, mind, emotions, thoughts, roles, and all phenomenal experiences are examined and recognized as changeable, limited, and dependent, and therefore not the real “I.” Through this steady discrimination between Self and not-Self (ātma–anātma viveka), the unchanging witness is distinguished from all that appears and disappears. In this way, Neti-Neti directly addresses the fundamental error of mistaking the Self for what it is not, which Advaita identifies as the root of ignorance.

This method also serves to remove superimposition (adhyāsa) by peeling away the attributes falsely ascribed to the Self, such as “I am the body” or “I am the mind.” These qualities are recognized as belonging only to the body–mind complex, not to the true Self. Because Brahman–Ātman transcends all attributes and categories, it cannot be fully captured by positive descriptions or conceptual definitions. The Upaniṣadic via negativa, exemplified by Neti-Neti, therefore indicates Brahman indirectly by negating all that is gross, subtle, finite, or conditioned, leaving that which cannot be negated: pure, self-luminous consciousness.

As this process deepens, identification with the finite—body, mind, social identity, and all limited adjuncts—loosens and falls away. What remains is recognition of oneself as the underlying, unchanging substratum of existence, the attributeless consciousness identical with Brahman. Neti-Neti thus prepares the mind for the positive mahāvākyas such as “tat tvam asi” and “ahaṁ brahmāsmi,” allowing the teaching to be grasped not merely as a concept but as direct knowledge. In this sense, the method is both deconstructive and revelatory: by negating all that is not-Self, it allows the non-dual Self to stand forth in its own light.