Does the non-dual model of reality posit that life is literally like a dream, illusory and lacking real substance?

Modern direct path and traditional Vedantic teachings often use the dream metaphor to highlight the illusory nature of the sensory world. Kashmir Shaivism, however, employs the dream analogy for a decidedly different purpose. Rather than pointing to the unreality of the world, Shaiva philosophy uses the act of dreaming to demonstrate the sheer creative capacity of consciousness. This framework shows how a singular knowing presence possesses the autonomous power to manifest a fully functioning, experientially real environment out of its own essence. Consequently, the waking world is viewed as the ultimate manifestation of this creative power, not a phantom. ●