Here's an youtube video on the analogy of Two Birds, by Swami Sarvapriyananda (an advaitin monk).
Two birds by Swami Sarvapriyananda
Here, he compares the tree with our physical body, and the two birds as our atmans. He says that there's actually one bird/atman within us and not two as the dualists claim.
By using the two bird analogy + the pratibimba theory, he explains our true nature in this video.
He says that -
• The higher bird, is our original 'bimba' consciousness.
• The lower bird on the other hand, includes all of these 3 things -
a) the reflected 'pratibimba' consciousness.
b) the causal body.
c) the subtle body.
Both the original and the reflected dwells in the physical body called tree, says the swami.
Question -- Which is the jiva aka jivatman here? The original one or the reflected one?
The Avaccheda vada theory is not that hard to understand, since it clearly speaks of a portion of space inside the pot, which is our jivatman or individuated self. But the reflection theory is a bit confusing. If i take the jiva/jivatman to be the reflected consciousness ((i.e. if the space inside the pot/gross body of avaccheda theory ----->> equates to reflected consciousness of pratibimba theory)) ... then the original consciousness must be dwelling outside the gross body, like the space that remains outside the pot. But here the swami says both dwells in the body called tree. Can anyone here clear things up for me. Thnx.