Impressions (Skt. संस्कार, Samskara) are the traces left in memory by past experiences.

On the path of knowledge, impressions are:

• The residue of experiences stored in memory

• The basis for habits, tendencies, and conditioning

• What shapes future experiences and perception

• Also known as patterns in memory

Impressions accumulate over time and form the individual personality. They create desires and aversions, and drive action. The process of purification on the path of knowledge involves recognizing and releasing these impressions.

Upon self realisation, one understands that impressions are appearances in consciousness, not the experiencer itself. They arise and dissolve in the existence without affecting the true nature.