The Svacchanda Tantra

...when those powers are investigated, then surely its recognition is established—

But due to delusion, even when seen, it is not noticed.
This recognition is pointed out by the manifestation of power. (I.Pr.Ka. 1.3)

Acharya Kshemaraja considers those who are unaware of their own nature to be worldly souls (bound), and those who recognize their true powers to be Shiva himself—

Thus, one who is poor in power is called a worldly being. But upon the manifestation of one's own power, one is Shiva himself.
(Pratyabhijna-hridayam, p. 49)

In this way, the goal of the Pratyabhijna scripture is to make the soul recognize its true Shiva-nature so that it can rise above the lowly field of limitation and experience the bliss of the field of limitless majesty.

The epistemology of the Pratyabhijna philosophy is entirely clear. Like Shankara’s Brahma-advaita, there is an establishment of Shiva-advaita here; however, the confusion of vivartavada theory of illusion as found in Shankara-Vedanta is not present here. This philosophy holds that the root of the entire worldly manifestation is one Supreme Reality (Parama-Shiva), which is of the nature of light and reflection (prakasha-vimarsha). To be manifest or expressed is its nature. Creativity (kartritva) is its majesty. If that Supreme Reality were unable to manifest, it would not be a conscious soul, but an insentient object like a pot, as Acharya Abhinava says in the Tantraloka—

If the Great Lord were to remain in a single-formed body,
Then His Lordship and consciousness would perish, like a pot and so on. (3.100)

In truth, that Great Lord (Parama-Shiva) is of the nature of consciousness, endowed with the capacity to manifest in limitless forms. In its transcendent form, "I" and "this" (the world) reside in an inseparable state. That is, due to the identity of objects with the conscious form of Parama-Shiva, they also have a conscious form. The "I" is the light aspect of that Great Lord, and the awareness of that "I-ness" is His reflection aspect. That very reflection is also called the power of freedom of that Supreme Lord.

Footnote 1: The forms of the Great Shiva-Lord, who is of the nature of pure light, are also of the nature of light. (Pratyabhijna-hridayam, p. 50)