A person’s ego can be thought of as the culmination of three different components of the human psyche according to the perspective of modern Psychologists.
- Self-image: The view and/or perspective an individual has of him or herself.
- Self-esteem: An individual’s subjective evaluation of their own worth and value.
- Self-identity: An individual’s own beliefs, ideologies, and affiliations, as well as the perception of one’s characteristics as an individual, especially in relation to social context.
The Role of the Ego
The culmination of these three components of the human psyche embodies our sense of self, which ultimately helps us quantify and classify our own reality. This in turn affects our beliefs and thoughts, both in memory and in the moment. The ego can therefore be thought of as the ‘gatekeeper’ of one’s consciousness, only admitting into awareness the thoughts and beliefs that align with and conform to our own self-image, essentially disregarding everything else.
Development and Function of the Ego
It is estimated that we start developing these integral and keystone components of our mind and consciousness at the age of five. This is primarily owed to the fact that it marks the time in our lives when the activity in our brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN) becomes distinct from other networks. Our Default Mode Network is incredibly important as it pertains to the development of social functionality, remembering the past (memories) and promoting the future, our overall perception of time, as well as the ability to distinguish and separate between ‘self’ and ‘other’.
The Default Mode Network (DMN) and the Ego
The DMN has evolved to become a major role player and influencer as well as intensely intertwined with not only our ego, but our consciousness as a whole. This notion is primarily attributed to writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley, in his famous and widely quoted book The Doors of Perception, who essentially coined this theory of why the DMN has evolved in such a profound manner. Aldous Huxley further explained that “In order to make biological survival possible, the vast amounts of incoming sensory data must be quickly and efficiently categorized and funnelled through a reducing valve.”
According to Huxley, the Default Mode Network, and therefore the ego, acts as a sort of ‘reducing valve’, essentially disregarding and completely shutting out any thoughts, beliefs, perspectives and sensory input that don’t align with or neatly ‘fit into’ our self-identity or self-image, or pose a potential risk of harming our self-esteem.
Dualistic Perception and Ego
While some ‘filtration’ and processing systems are necessary to prevent us from becoming completely overwhelmed by max influxes of information and irrelevant data, it can result in the formation of cognitive bias. In addition, it can lead to the development of a dualistic lens through which we come to perceive life and the world around us.
Duality is essentially the opposite of true (i.e. not self-constructed) reality: the division of all aspects of life into opposing forces such as love/hate, good/bad, right/wrong, and holy/sinful. As a function of this duality, our ego has the potential to put boundaries in place that can ultimately leave us feeling entirely isolated from the world and the people around us, as well as completely disconnected from ourselves and nature.
Seeking Ego Dissolution
In order to prevent this from happening, several people consciously seek out states that will result in ego death or dissolution, such as those brought about by psychedelics or deep meditation. It is only in this state of complete ego dissolution that you will be able to totally dissolve and break-down any and all boundaries created by your ego.
Experiencing Ego Death
Once you are set free from the confines of your own ego, you will finally be able to be fully and completely present ‘in the moment’, and see things from an entirely different, macroscopic, and more objective perspective. You will no longer feel like a bystander in your own life, standing on the side-lines, completely removed from reality as life happens around you, but rather feel fully immersed in the present moment and interconnected with the universe, and the people around you.
You will finally be able to experience all the glorious and intense feelings of love, euphoria, and unity, while your self-limiting beliefs and ego-driven boundaries temporarily fade to the background. This state of selflessness and subsequent feelings of connectivity with the universe is referred to as “ego death.”
Understanding Ego Death
Ego death can be one of the most transcendent or terrifying experiences of a person’s life.
Defining Ego Death
Now that we’ve defined ‘the ego’, let’s dive deeper into the concept of ego death. Ego death can be defined in several ways, based on varying perspectives.
Philosophical Perspective
From a philosophical point of view, ego death can be described as a temporary transformation of the psyche. It is effectively the process of shifting from a self-centred perspective, trapped in the confines of your own self-limiting beliefs, to being completely unbiased and in a content state of open-mindedness.
Scientific Perspective
From a scientific standpoint, ego death is hypothesized to be the result of dampened activity in the Default Mode Network. This temporary silencing and dampened activity of the DMN essentially acts as a “reset” or “rewiring” of the network, as well as the consequent rewiring of your thought patterns, which are otherwise hindered by your ego.
Benefits of Ego Death
Besides a profound change in perspective, ego death can bring about some truly remarkable and potentially life-altering experiences and benefits, including an increase in traits like openness and empathy. Ego death gives you the unique opportunity to experience a true, authentic, and completely unbiased reality.
Spiritual Awakening
Ego death can also lead to incredible experiences of ‘spiritual awakening’ and drastic shifts in personality, as it serves to grant us the realization that we are all connected.
Healing Potential
In fact, this profound feeling of connectedness and notion of “oneness” is one of the top criteria used by psychedelic scientists to qualify the “mystical experience,” which directly correlates to higher rates of healing experienced by individuals using psychedelics for conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Ego Death & Spiritual Awakening
Modern psychologists conceptualize a person’s ego as the synthesis of three distinct components within the human psyche.
As mentioned above, ego death has the unique ability to bring about an enriching and remarkable experience of spiritual awakening. While the word ‘spiritual’ is traditionally used in a religious context, in this regard a more appropriate definition of ‘spiritual’ is ‘
