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-   -   Is it possible to not have an ego? (https://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=117194)

youngnostic 27-09-2017 07:04 AM

Is it possible to not have an ego?
 
the reason why I ask is because I don't have anything in me that I can identify as an 'ego' which leads me to question: what if I don't have an ego?
Now I know what you might be thinking: I've got blindspots but still have an ego.
But check this: I've been on an introspective spiritual contemplative path of working out my own psychology for the past 14 years. And there have been times, in fact for the majority of that time span, where I was convinced I had an ego and it was blocking me from having fulfilled relationships. I've spent years trying to annihilate my so-called ego and have even gotten to the point where I believed I've succeeded at freeing both my brain's hemispheres of the so-called 'ego' film that leads me to act selfishly or judge the outside phenomena instead of simply witnessing it.
I didn't know where else to go with this question, but as it stands, I currently do not see an 'ego' in me. I've studied neo-advaita which says we have to drop the notion of a personal self or an I and I understood what they were trying to say, that is, I realized my self was an illusion. I've even prior that understood that the word I does not mean self and it felt like my 'I' died. So I've gone through the motions, perhaps excessively to get to the bottom of this ego thing where I did everything I could to make sure I'm not responsible for treating others ****tily and it's not because I have some kind of 'ego' that is my achilles heel. I've gone through the motions of trying to understand self and what I is and realized that after understanding that the 'self' is an illusion that I just have to live and see what unfolds next and what unfolded was the inability to discern a personal 'ego' where I literally walk down the street or have a cigarette and try to think to myself: what is this 'ego' that everyone is talking about and how is it found in me, and realize that I cannot pin point an ego.
Not much is different because we're a product of our environment but I've studied different teachings that all related to the ego and none of them describe me when they describe their epic ego mindsets. I don't fall any category of having an 'ego' based on the various teachings I've encountered. So please enlighten me on why it's not possible to not have an 'ego' and what characteristics this ego has so that I can tell you if I find them in me...
I know at this point it sounds like I'm trying to boast and say that I'm some how better than someone else. But that's the whole thing: I'm not. The ego never existed. So if you're like me a couple of years ago trying to understand the personal pronoun "I" or battling some invisible 'ego' try to picture yourself in my position: This imaginary 'ego' never existed.

boshy b. good 06-03-2018 09:43 AM

perhaps responsible wrought it
down, that might feel good or
and great

Rah nam 06-03-2018 10:28 AM

Is it possible to not have an ego?

It depends how we define Ego.
In my world view the personality is seen as the body/mind/spirit complex, were the body/mind is the ego and we, at least I am spirit.
From this understanding, no as long as we are here, we have an ego.

Raziel 06-03-2018 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngnostic
the reason why I ask is because I don't have anything in me that I can identify as an 'ego' which leads me to question: what if I don't have an ego? So if you're like me a couple of years ago trying to understand the personal pronoun "I" or battling some invisible 'ego' try to picture yourself in my position: This imaginary 'ego' never existed.


Good heavens your opening a can of worms :biggrin:

I'm with you - I speak from the heart (or spirit) so if I had a physical body or not my answer or opinion as an observer would be the same.

Lot of people invest in "getting rid of ego" which I think gets confused with understanding that you are part of what is essentially the force.

"It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.” Obi-Wan Kenobi

Many will jump between the psychologist definition & new age definition.

I've said that I only use the word (I) so that others understand that I am talking about a personal experience not making a statement.

Most will club you over the head swearing that you do have an ego - yet here you find another fellow traveller who is just as sure as you that it's not spiritual ego.

Now psychological use is unfair as I have stated above - we have to use the term (I) in conversation but unless your told that "we are diverse, we are different" as a child it's not exactly something that you take notice of naturally.

This body has different experiences at times than others but it doesn't void that fact that we are all part of the same thing overall.

If you come from that place - you don't have ego it's just that others will need to use the term to make sense of the world.

Melahin 06-03-2018 10:51 AM

Everything is possible :happy8:

Centered 06-03-2018 04:20 PM

My Ego told me, No. :)


I'm not sure in our current state of being that is possible, because we are always trying to validate our own existence, hence the ego. :)

iamthat 06-03-2018 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngnostic
what is this 'ego' that everyone is talking about and how is it found in me, and realize that I cannot pin point an ego.


This is what it comes down to - when we search for the "I" we cannot pinpoint the existence of the "I". Instead we discover that there is only awareness. This is the essence of Ramana Maharshi's teachings.

One definition of ego is the identification of Consciousness with the personality and the physical form. Because of this identification we are always trying to validate our own existence, as Centered says. If we can let go of this identification with form then there is only Consciousness resting in awareness.

Peace.

HereAndNow 06-03-2018 11:00 PM

Hi youngnostic,
Just out of curiosity I quickly counted how many times you used the word "I" (or my") in your post. I got 44 times.
So who is this "I" you are so much talking about?
And is it the same as ego, or different?
Or is it non-existent ... but you just refer to it 44 times.
OK, I'm not trying to claim or assert anything.
Of course you don't have an "ego", nor "I"
No-one has.
That's the basic assumption of Buddhism for example.
But sometimes we still identify.
Even if we rationally know that there is no "I".
Our non-existent "I" identifies itself with some imaginary "I".
Otherwise how can you talk about your "I" so much ... there is no "I" ... you (as "I" or as "ego") don't exist ... hence you don't act, think or do anything. Just the elements play in emptiness, as Buddhists could say ... or just Shiva plays magic tricks with itself, as Shiva believers could say.
Om Shanti.
And good luck with your explorations!

Greenslade 07-03-2018 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngnostic
the reason why I ask is because I don't have anything in me that I can identify as an 'ego' which leads me to question: what if I don't have an ego?

If you're taking about the Spiritual one, it's possible. The Spiritual ego is a morality-based ideology and is the root of all evil. so not having anything you can identify with that ego simply means you can't find any 'negative' traits - or so you say.

We're not a product of our environment, we're in a two-way relationship with it as studies have shown. If you want to find out about the real ego you need to read up on Jung. That ego isn't imaginary nor imaginary.

Rain95 09-03-2018 03:46 PM

Ego can refer to the self that is a product of data from the human body and it's brain and mind and all of it's cultural and environmental conditioning. Consciousness is fed this data as consciousness is merged with the human body and it's brain during the human incarnation.

So consciousness experiences the body's sex drive, the eating of an apple, a hug from a friend, someone stopping you from getting something you desire and getting mad or frustrated, having beliefs and opinions, and every single thought and emotion the human brain produces.

So the idea of being free from ego seems kind of misleading to me because as we are merged with the body and it's mind there is no way to be free of it. But, we can stop identifying with a lot of it and so maybe that's what you mean by "free"" of it? But then I think you refer to smoking? Not sure.... if so this desire and physical addiction to the drugs in smokes would be ego or "body/brain" stuff.

One can be non-identified or non-attached to a lot of "ego" stuff thus tell themselves they are free of ego, but really a lot of subtle un-noticed ego stuff is still gong on. Like one example is not liking to do some chore you have to do. Every single activity you do is the same. If you prefer one to another, you are believing thoughts from your body's brain which is ego. Like the idea that comes to smoke, or get some ice cream, or a drink.... all ego. All a consciousness identified with some parts of the human body and mind.

Normally what is referred to in spiritual philosophy as "no ego" means free from thought. Just being in the moment without personal conditioned bias, no opinions, no beliefs, so free from mind in that sense. So you have no "beliefs" about anything as experiential reality. Your "mind" is empty and not reactionary or responsive. Somebody asks you your opinion about something and you are aware of no response. You have none. In that moment, you are not identified with mind or thought or any of that conditioned self. You are only aware of raw sensory data, the light, the smells, the beauty of being as nothing and everything.

So it is possible to have no experience of thought based ego, because you no longer identify with the body's mind, but obviously you still have it. You are still "in it" or merged with it. Even with no thought, you are experiencing the body's senses. It is the point of reference while you are merged with the body. But then physical addictions or body based pleasures are fed by thought, so smoking etc means there are still thoughts one is following or reacting to.


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