Do not be aware, it drops you back down from the Self into the mind thereby generating tensions. Truth is not in the mind. Truth is is self preservation and Self preservation, so materially and spiritually.
As to whether one needs a mind to get one to have no.mind the answer is there should be no mind. The brain memory cells have all the accumulated informatio that the atman automatically and spontaneously accesses as unadulterated truth for perfect actions whenever there is a need. This is because atman in the Self equates to Brahmsn that is prrfect.
Realisation of Brahman comes automatically if you.keep saying to yourself that you will have no attachments. Then the mind dissapears and what is left is Brahman. You use your mind to keep saying to yourself that I must have no attachments until you do not need any more to say this to yourself because you.have indeed become Brahman.
Losing ones attachments is the key yogic method. It is near impossible to attain just because a guru advises you that this will lead to Self Realisation.You have to test it out.
So you are only atman you lose your mind and no longer able to fool yourself that you are none other than Brahman. You have to stop thinking to know this certain ultimate truth.