There is an outer self which relates to our physical surface personality and all that constitutes it. This outer personality is largely a product of heredity, learning, habits and the sensory inputs.
Behind it is the inner being, an inner mind, an inner vital, an inner subtle physical that is our true personality. It is constituted of our thoughts and feelings, will and hope and aspiration. Unlike the outer personality, which gets fixed very soon, the inner being is open to the universal forces and is constantly being moulded and remoulded by the deeper forces that impact and influence us.
Within and behind this is the soul that is slowly developing into a psychic being through lives. Since the soul is largely asleep, it is sometimes included as part of the inner being and both together are known as the inner self. But the inner being proper is part of the universal Nature as it expresses itself in an individual. The psychic being, on the other hand, is a portion of the Divine (and not Nature) expressing in the individual.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
