THIS ISLOVE

What is Ego?

From the perspective of many modern psychologists, “the ego” can be thought of as the culmination of three components of the human psyche: the view an individual holds of themselves (self-image), how much value is placed on themselves (self-esteem), and the many beliefs, ideologies and affiliations that an individual holds (self-identity).

This sense of self helps us to classify and quantify our reality, and can affect our thoughts both in the moment and in memory. Therefore, the ego may serve as a gatekeeper of consciousness, admitting into awareness only those thoughts that conform to our self-image.

All of these keystone components of the mind begin developing at approximately age five, when activity in the brain’s (DMN), Default Mode network, becomes distinct from other networks. The DMN is crucially important to the development of social functionality, the perception of time, remembering the past and simulating the future, and the separation of “self” and “other”.

Writer and philosopher, Aldous Huxley, once theorised, “In order to make biological survival possible, the vast amounts of incoming sensory data must be quickly and efficiently categorised and funnelled through a reducing valve.”

The DMN, and therefore the ego, according to Huxley, act as this reducing valve, shutting out thoughts and sensory input that doesn’t fit neatly into our self-image or self-identity, or which could potentially harm our self-esteem. While some filtration is necessary to prevent us from being overwhelmed by a mass of largely useless and irrelevant data, it often results in the formation of cognitive bias, if not also a dualistic lens through which we come to perceive life.

Duality is 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, the ego erects boundaries that can lead to us feeling isolated from the people around us, and disconnected from nature and even ourselves—which is why some seek states of ego dissolution, such as those produced by psychedelics or deep meditation. In this state boundaries created by the ego are utterly dissolved. You are fully “in the moment” and able to see things from a macroscopic, more objective perspective. You are no longer an individual isolated from life as it takes place around you, but rather feel interconnected with the universe and all its inhabitants, experiencing intense feelings of love, euphoria, and unity while the self is temporarily forgotten.

This state of selflessness and subsequent feelings of connectivity with the universe are often referred to as “ego death.”

From a philosophical point of view, ego death can be described as a temporary transformation of the psyche; shifting from self -centered to completely unbiased. This could foster a novel perspective, unclouded by the lens of duality that the ego casts over our mundane consciousness.

From a scientific standpoint, ego death is hypothesised to be the result of dampened activity in the Default Mode Network. This temporary quieting can act as a “reset” or “rewiring” of the network, and consequently the rewiring of thought patterns, which are otherwise constrained by the ego. “If you do the same thing repeatedly, it is like you are walking down the same path all the time” , says Dr. Matthew Brown

Dampening activity in the DMN, and the experience of ego death associated with it, “mows the lawn” so that you can stroll down that new path a bit more easily.

Ego death can often increase traits like compassion, forgiveness, openness, clarity, and empathy; it can also show us a true, unbiased reality; therefore illustrating where our egos have “lied” to us in order to preserve self-image, self-identity, and self-esteem. The brief amalgamation of self and other also serves to grant the realisation that we are all connected, which often leads to drastic shifts in personality and even “spiritual awakening.”

In fact, this notion of “oneness” is among the criteria plant medicine scientists use to qualify the “mystical experience,” which correlates with higher rates of healing among those using plant medicine for conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, grief, fear, addiction and depression.

If you find yourself in a situation of ego death, the best thing you can do is surrender to the experience and let yourself exist in the moment soaking up the feelings of unity and connectedness that so many of us desire.

While Harvard LSD researcher, Timothy Leary, began using the term “ego death” in the 1960s, some prefer to call the experience, “EGO DISSOLUTION” While they refer to the same thing, a loss of sense of self, the latter carries a softer weight, with less attention to the idea of “dying.” Indeed, it’s not so much that the self “dies,” but rather dissolves or melts away, as neural pathways open up to new experiences outside the ordinarily defined, mundane sense of self. On the flip side, however, while some may experience a sense of “rebirth” on psychedelics (which falls in line with the metaphor of ego “death”), the notion of ego “dissolution” beckons the idea of re-integrating the self back into a unified, cohesive whole.

Despite its proclivity to filter the world in a dualistic fashion and confine our thoughts to predetermined pathways, the ego should not be thought of as an enemy, but rather as something akin to a necessary evil. Ego is crucial in order for us to be able to quantify our experiences as human beings. While ego can be detrimental, reinforcing negative thought and amplifying psychological conditions like PTSD, depression, anxiety, addiction, and grief, it can also be the force that drives us to survive and prosper. The temporary experience of ego death can give deep personal insight, even enlightenment, but the ego perpetually seeps back into and places its filter over our consciousness. Ego death can be thought of as a tool through which to view our thoughts and actions from an objective perspective. Once we can appreciate that ego is reactively developed, we can relinquish ourselves of its control over our thoughts and emotions.