When people usually talk about the higher self, they might think of it as a single entity. However, recently, I've become aware that what is often considered the "normal" self is actually a higher self that is more intermediate in nature. This has led me to recognize the existence of an even higher, more advanced higher self.

Originally, the self, ego, or "I" that governs ordinary logical thinking, which is what we call the mind, is different from the higher self that is connected through the heart. However, there is something even higher than that. Currently, when I say "I," I am referring to the higher self, which was originally separate but is now unified. This can be loosely equated to the Atman in Vedanta, and it can be called the "true self" in Japanese, but the term Atman or "true self" in Vedanta seems to refer to a higher dimension.

Until recently, I was not very aware of this difference, and I recognized the higher self connected through the heart as the Atman. However, it seems that the higher self in the heart may be more appropriately described as a "middle self," an intermediate level of consciousness.

The higher self connected through the heart, which is often called the Atman, may be more accurately described as an intermediate entity that connects the lower self and the higher self (i.e., the Atman). It might be more appropriate to call it the "middle self."

However, it is true that from the perspective of the lower self, which is the ordinary thinking mind, the higher self is indeed superior. So, calling it the higher self is not entirely wrong. However, in most cases, when people talk about the higher self, they are referring to a state where the higher self is still "separate" from the self. Therefore, there may be no need to be so strict about distinguishing the terms.

However, if we want to express it clearly, it would be something like this:

- The mind (the thinking mind) is the lower self.
- The consciousness of creation, destruction, and maintenance in the heart is the middle self (the so-called general Atman or general higher self). (Usually, in the stage where it is not yet unified, it is recognized as a consciousness that is somewhat separate from the self. Then, it overlaps with the body and becomes one.)
- The "filled" consciousness connected from the Sahasrara chakra is (the true meaning of) Atman (or an even higher higher self).
- The oneness consciousness or (as a spiritual term, not a religious one) the Christ consciousness is (the Atman in Vedanta) Brahman (which can also be called the higher self, but it is a certain collective consciousness, so it is something that transcends the meaning of the self).

If we classify it in this way, the term "higher self" is somewhat inadequate, and it could also be called a higher higher self, which is the true Atman or Brahman. However, such a higher dimension exists.