What is The Ego?
Ego is a term used to describe our sense of self. It allows you to determine what’s you and what’s other.
In the most basic sense, you includes everything that’s “behind your skin”, and other includes everything that’s outside your skin.
Our ego is responsible for maintaining a grasp on this identity and acts as an interface with reality. It’s what allows us to quantify existence and our relation to it.
There are three components to ego:
- Self-Image — the view a person holds of themself (who we are, what we do for work, what we like or don’t like)
- Self-Esteem — a sense of self-worth and value an individual has of themselves
- Self-Identity — the beliefs, opinions, and ideologies an individual holds
What is Ego-Death?
Ego death is the temporary removal of our attachment to self.
There are a few ways to experience ego death. Near-death experiences, deep meditation, and the use of psychedelics can all induce ego death.
During ego-death, we experience the removal of the biased view we have of the world. Our sense of self dissolves, and we lose our point of reference with the rest of existence. We feel empathetic and connected to other people or objects in our environment, and we see the world objectively for what it really is.
This allows us to see the delusional world our ego creates for us.
We see that the constant desire to shelter our self-esteem, inflate our self-worth, and cater to our self-identity serves only as a distraction from experiencing the present moment — which is where “true happiness” exists.
Having an ego-death experience shows us the falsities our ego creates for us. Without these delusions, we’re able to live in the present.
Psychedelics Are A Tool For Ego Death
Psychedelics are a quick and reliable way to induce an ego-death experience .
A lot is going on here from a spiritual perspective, but let’s focus on the scientific explanation to help describe what’s happening below the surface.
Psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, and DMT actively suppress the default mode network. Since we know the DMN is a core part of our ego, this is the best explanation for how psychedelic substances can induce ego death.
The best thing you can do if you’re experiencing ego death on psychedelics is to submit and allow it to happen. Stop resisting and allow the psychedelics to tear you into pieces. When this process is complete, we feel intimately connected with our existence. We feel as though we’re truly in the present moment, and time feels like it’s standing still.
Ranking Psychedelics On Their Ability To Induce Ego Dissolution
