In Buddhism the self or soul, conceived of as lying behind the empirical self, and in Hindu thought an eternal unity, identified with brahman. The Buddhist doctrine of anatman (anatta) denies the existence of the atman, holding that there is no ongoing owner of the fleeting perceptions and attributes that make up our lives. Although this doctrine is often applauded as a precursor of the bundle theory of the mind or self, the matter is complex, for Buddhism makes a distinction between the surface self, or false self, and the true self that can be discovered by spiritual exercise. For the bundle theorist there can be no application for this notion of spiritual depth.