The individual sense of self-identity is merely a reflection of consciousness, not consciousness itself.

For Śaṅkara, the reflection of consciousness is an as though appearance because all-pervasive consciousness is not subject to movement or change. Consciousness is not like a substance that undergoes modification or entry within time and space. It remains untouched and unaffected, like the prototype image is untouched by its reflection or universal space is unaffected by the pot (BrSūBh 2.3.46). Furthermore, literal entry is also not possible because the reflection is less real than its prototype