Until we hold the illusory universe as a reality, we experience birth, life, and death as a reality.+

This universe is nothing but the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. 

Ashtavakra Gita: ~ The universe rises from the Self like bubbles from the sea.

From the invisible Soul, the universe appears, and when the universe disappears from consciousness,  consciousness still remains without the illusory division of form, time, and space.

Without ignorance, the universe ceases to exist. Without the universe, there is no possibility of the individual experience of birth, life, and death, which take place within the universe, which is the dualistic illusion or Maya. 

Until we hold the illusory universe as a reality, we experience birth, life, and death as a reality. 

The universe is a reality on the base of ‘you (ego). You are the false Self within the false experience (waking). The universe is an illusion from the standpoint of the Soul, which is the  Self.

The invisible Soul is in the form of consciousness. This is because of some logical reasons. First, you have to analyze the definition of truth and, hence, why the universe is not considered reality.

People who strongly believe this world is real must realize:~

A person who stamped his foot on the ground to refute to show the world he is real ignores that in a dream, he would do exactly the same--stamp his dream foot on the ground and assert it to be real.

When you finally realize the ‘Self ‘ is not you but the ‘Self’ is the invisible Soul, then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, you, your experience of birth, life, death, and the world, is merely an illusion created out of consciousness; consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

The world is both real and unreal. It is real because it is a manifestation of consciousness, but it is unreal in the sense that it is not absolute and eternal like consciousness itself.

People's approach is more practical, and they are stuck with the reality of the world; they take it as real. That is why all the confusion.

In Self-awareness, the witness and the witnessed are one in essence. That essence is consciousness. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness.

Whatever is seen, known, believed, and experienced as a person is a reality within the waking experience (duality), but the waking experience (duality) itself is merely an illusion created out of consciousness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar