You are in turmoil, you are in despair, you are afraid, and you are troubled with all this mess that you see around yourself. You seek freedom from all this. You meet the Guru in some form, either human or his words recorded in books, and he explains to you all about the 'I am' and its implications. Once he has done that, it is now up to you to do as he says. Come down to the primary concept 'I am', abide in it and understand its unreality and be totally free. Always bear in mind that whatever the Guru says is from his own experience and not hearsay.