Within a role-playing game, a player uses a character as a fictional representation of themselves within the game that acts as their avatar.
While playing the game, the player may become so immersed in role-playing the character that they may temporarily forget who they truly are.
Within life, a similar relationship occurs.
We are actually a soul with an ego but we’ve become so immersed in playing our ego that we believe that’s who we truly are.
This is similar to how Rupert Spira explains non-duality below using a metaphor of an actor called John Smith who plays the role and part of King Lear on stage.
Put another way, your identity is not who you truly are, it’s just a construct of who you believe you are in the present moment.
But this identity can change and evolve over time.