Yoga Vasiṣṭha has exercised a subtle yet far‑reaching influence on later non‑dual traditions, especially within Advaita Vedānta. Its uncompromising vision of consciousness as the sole reality, and the world as having a dream‑like, illusory status, reinforced and elaborated the non‑dual outlook that became central to classical Advaita. Later Advaitic teachers drew on it to articulate the identity of jīva and Brahman, and to support a path of jñāna‑yoga grounded in discrimination, dispassion, and insight into the nature of mind. In this way, it complemented the more formally authoritative prasthāna‑traya by offering a rich, experiential exposition of the same ultimate vision.

The text also resonated strongly with Kashmir Śaivism and related non‑dual Śaiva currents, which likewise center on consciousness (cit) as the fundamental reality. Its portrayal of the world as a projection or manifestation of consciousness, and liberation as the recognition of one’s own nature as that very consciousness, parallels key Śaiva notions about the creative power of awareness. This shared emphasis on consciousness’s dynamic aspect helped shape how some Śaiva thinkers spoke about māyā, not merely as error but as consciousness’s own expressive potency. Thus, Yoga Vasiṣṭha stood as a kind of bridge text, philosophically kindred to both Advaita and non‑dual Śaivism.

Beyond formal doctrine, Yoga Vasiṣṭha deeply influenced spiritual pedagogy and practice. Its extended guru–disciple dialogue, filled with parables, dream‑like narratives, and philosophical stories, became a model for later works that sought to convey non‑dual insight through allegory rather than abstract argument alone. This narrative method shaped how many teachers presented the path of knowledge: as a process of self‑inquiry, inner stillness, and the recognition that all mental modifications arise and subside in consciousness itself. The ideal of the jīvanmukta—liberated while living—also found a vivid, practical expression in its pages and informed later reflections on liberation.

In more recent times, the text has been cherished by influential non‑dual teachers and has quietly nourished modern currents of Advaita and related movements. Figures such as Ramana Maharshi recommended and praised it, and there is a clear affinity between its style of self‑inquiry and its “world‑as‑mind” teaching and the way such teachers spoke about the Self and the unreality of phenomena. Contemporary non‑dual exponents, sometimes grouped under the label “neo‑Advaita,” frequently echo its language of dreaming, projection, and instantaneous awakening. Through these channels, Yoga Vasiṣṭha continues to serve as a powerful, illustrative source for understanding consciousness and liberation, shaping both the inner orientation and the outer expression of later spiritual traditions.