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Maya (illusion) is a spiritual concept found in Hinduism. In earliest ancient Sanskrit texts, it literally implies extraordinary power and wisdom. In later Vedic texts and modern literature, Māyā connotes "an illusion where things appear to be present but are not what they seem". It is "that which exists, but is constantly changing and thus is spiritually unreal", and the "power or the principle that conceals the true character of spiritual reality".

The term Maya of Hinduism is sometimes translated as 'illusion', but Maya does not concern normal illusion. In Hinduism, Maya or 'illusion' does not mean that the world is not real and simply a figment of the human imagination. Maya means that the world is not as it seems; the world that one experiences is misleading as far as its true nature is concerned. The true is that which never changes asserts Hinduism, it is the hidden essence and the pristine principles that drive change yet remain unchanged. Maya concept in Hinduism is often discussed with the concept of Atman (soul, self) and Brahman (cosmic soul, eternal universal). Maya is born, changes, evolves, dies with time, from circumstances, due to invisible principles of nature. Atman-Brahman is eternal, unchanging, invisible principle, unaffected absolute and resplendent consciousness. The universe, time and all life is viewed as a holistic expression of Māyā and Ātman in Hinduism.