Good to see that you acknowledge that this is your belief, as opposed to stating something as a matter of fact.

As what we perceive through our senses is reconstructed from electro-chemical information in our brain, consensual reality is also "all in your head" but that doesn't necessarily make it any less real.

I don't think anyone knows for sure where the DMT trip is, but there are other threads that explore this idea (so we don't need to go too far off topic).

Indeed the ego serves a vital function for life in the material realm in a physical form. It allows humans(and indeed all life forms) to differentiate, self from other. This operation being requisite for physical/psychological survival in the, matter/energy, space/time paradigm in which we find ourselves during ordinary states of consciousness.

The true gift of "ego death" that entheogens often deliver to the average body/mind complex(most people alive at any given moment), is the EXPERIENCE of remembering/recollecting/revisiting the UNITIVE state during which one looses the sense of individuation and rejoins the SOURCE.

It should be recognized that experiencing the unitive state is NOT typical for most people during a given lifetime. These are precious and NOT mundane, dare I say, SACRED events. While available to most anyone utilizing the appropriate catalyst, ego death intervals should be respected and not trivialized, less they be stripped of their mystical potential, IMO.

For those who have experienced Ego loss : What are you without your ego, just a witness ?

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

1-Dissolve (seperate)

2-Purify (isolate)

3-Recombine (integrate)


/////////////



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The ego is like our nails... It just keeps growing, gotta trim it once in a while otherwise it becomes disfunctional and can hurt yourself and/or others.

This is truly, and by far, the simplest and best ego simile I have ever heard! Well said!

Conceptually, yes, you're a witness, but experientially it feels like you are simultaneously everything and nothing (it doesn't seem to be a contradiction at the time, however).

I am very happy with my ego or my ego is happy with itself .
It seems like a real gift, to be an individual.
Maybe if I suffered from depression or delusions of grandeur then I would question my psyche.
I should thank my father for giving my his ego/traits

With ego I am just a witness... I observe the activity in my mind, and a mental construct of myself doing it. I ascribe value, reflect and judge.

Without ego, I truly participate in the moment. I participate without judgement or critique.

Similar to how Spartan has answered, you are witnessing nothing yet everything. One is suddenly immersed, completely and unparalleled. It really isn't a matter of effort but the sole courage to let go.

Morrison's "Lament for the death of my cock":


Lost cells
The knowledge of cancer
To speak to the heart
& give the great gift
words

power

trance

This stable friend
& the beasts of his zoo
wild, haired chicks
each color connects
to create the boat
which rocks the race

could any hell be more
horrible than now
& real

“I pressed her thigh
& death smiled”

death, old friend
death & my cock
are the world

I can forgive
my injuries
in the name of
wisdom

luxury

romance

Sentence upon sentence.
Words are healing.

Words got me the wound
& will get me well

If you believe it.

All join now in lament
for the death of my cock
a tongue of knowledge
in the feathered night

Exactly. The point of loosing your ego is to remember. Re-member = your ego isn't lost, it simply dissolves into your higher self

Nice poem thymamai

There's harmful egos, and there's helpful egos - the ego isn't the problem, it's what you do with it.

I'm beginning to realise it's ok to have ego. The ego is what gives us our personality, our attitude and our perspective.

The main thing, really, is that you're not hurting others, or the environment. That's the goal of being a good person - do no harm.

You can have no ego at all and still harm others.

The internal experience is all very well and good, but there is an external world to experience as well. The goal, imo, is not total depersonalisation - nor is it total egoism/narcissism. It is to cultivate balanced internal and external experiences in order to have a positive affect on the world around you.

It is to bring the lessons from your inner journeys to the outside world; it is to bring the lessons from the outside world to the inner realms. There must be a balance.

If there is one thing that life-long entheogenic usage has taught me, it's that life is one big paradox!




This statement struck a chord in me.

My understanding is that the ego is a scaffolding we use to build/integrate our souls over many, many lifetimes.

Like a beautiful temple is built over many years, decades or even centuries with the help of scaffolding, so too a beautiful soul is built over many lifetimes with the help of the ego as the scaffolding.

The trick is to not confuse the scaffolding with the temple itself.

Are you sure about this?

Without an ego, there is no "I" to hurt "them". One is All. Separateness and duality are illusory. Would the right hand knowingly smash the left?



True, balance (Yin/Yang) is an aspect of All. However, in a state of non-duality, there is no "Internal" vs. "External", "Good vs. "Bad", "Here" vs "There". It's all One, it's all the same.



Beautiful.

Who wants to know?

Really I think the point is simply to learn something. Of course one doesn't have to loose ones ego, one could stick to sub ego loosing doses, I did this for quite a while. But there's quite a bit to learn from loosing ones ego, things which can't be told

I'm not certain of anything. All I meant by this is that one can still hurt others without malice, without intending to or through negligence - that one must strive to do no harm to others more so than pursue their own enlightenment; enlighten others, over oneself.

Ego is what tells you to eat. Ego is what tells you to survive - it can be good. Just gotta keep it balanced and in check.

I believe in healing and doing good and spreading love more then killing ego. Even ego's need love

And that's the key, balance