The concept of nirvana illustrates the Buddhist belief that there is no eternal soul. To believe in an eternal soul would mean adopting the notion that each person has something unique and steadfast within their being. But according to Buddhism, everything that constitutes life on earth is an illusion; therefore, our individuality (spiritual, physical or otherwise) must be let go in order for us to escape the ongoing cycle. When a person reaches nirvana, they no longer have a need for a soul, a body or anything else that belongs totally to them; instead, they become one with the cosmos, dissolving into nothingness.