When the Ego hinders the spirit
 

First let's talk about thoughts. For simplicity, let's define thoughts as strings of words from your native tongue spoken silently in your head.

The Ego is a specific thought: "I", "me". Whenever you use the word I, you're introducing your ego.

I like pizza. The Ego likes pizza. Your Ego is separate and individual from everything else. BUT, it identifies with your body and thoughts. The Ego calls the body and thoughts "I".

The Ego is in a war with the Self, which is the real substance of who you are.

The Self resides in the background of awareness. This background of awareness is seamless and continual through your life. He reason you think the Self ends when you sleep and begins when you wake up, is because you look at the world from the outside. So then of course the background of awareness seems to stop and start.

Try this: when you wake up, ask yourself who is there first. The awakened presence is the Self. But the moment thoughts start going through your head, the Ego is at his dirty business.

My understanding of the Ego and the Self from your narrative makes me think that the Ego is the Mind while the Self is the Consciouness/soul/spirit according to my understanding. I don't think the Ego is at war with the Self, they both use the body as their "own" and the three of them together makes "you". You see a human being is a tri-une being made of the body, mind and consciousness or soul or spirit. When the body is awake the other two goes to the background. At night when the body and conscious mind "sleeps" the subconscious mind and the soul comes to the fore. This is the time when they also connect with the superconscious mind (Higher Self) and you dream which is just communication with your super conscious mind the subconscious mind and the sleeping conscious mind. They work is harmony taking turns and there is no fighting.

Use your ego wisely, don't let it use you. There comes a time when you can excel ego, go beyond it and reveal the ' True self '

The problem with spirituality is this; the real aim is to overcome the ego, which will reveal / allow us to realise our true self. But the tool we are using is the mind, the mind is a projection of the brain and is totally linked to the ego. So the tool we are using to overcome our biggest opponent, is our biggest opponent.
This is why practices such as meditation and mantra, which stop the mind `thinking`, are the way. The other massive aid to realising the self is getting aid directly from the divine (our true self), this comes from worship, (lowering the ego by getting it to appreciate there is something bigger which is also us. Other practices that help control the ego are ones that are based around humility, kindness to others and plain old love.

HealerW,
I really enjoyed your post...well said. And welcome here! :smile:

Excellent! Ha! :smile:
Worship is lowering the ego...this is a gem of a post.

We meditators seem to have the same perspective...and we all know who we are here...LOL! :hug:

In my paradigm, I think the mind is the link between the Ego and personality. The personality encompasses all things relating to the body and desires, whereas the ego encompasses thought.

I'd posit that that is an oversimplification. It could also be expressed as a flow of ideas, their logical (or intellectual) process on a canvas of time. Insights don't always involve strings of words but they may act on your ego (like in a case of solving a problem of some kind). Words are symbols for ideas/concepts.
Emotions are just as much a product of ego.

Like it or not you need it to be able to negotiate your way among other people and society. Without it you'd have no meaningful identity. It develops as your experiences are assimilated and you attempt to intellectualise their relevance.

And...


Not necessarily, not at all. I can be very close to my Self but that wouldn't get me through a working day. It doesn't mean my ego is at war with Self. Quite the opposite. They are in harmony. What you're saying, if you'll pardon an analogy is that a core business ethos is at war with the procedures that allow it to function....could be the case but probably isn't. Ego derives from Self via a plethora of censoring mechanisms that bring your down-to-earth situations into focus. And it's initially through the ego that you receive the stimuli that become experiences.



But does it matter? It may do to some. It's good to ask these questions but in the final analysis you'll never get rid of ego unless you withdraw from society, like, for example, Abramelin when he did his retreat as a deliberate act to discover his Self.

Ego gets far too much bad press on this site.

...

You'll have to forgive me for the oversimplification of these definitions. It's unfair to expect you to read my mind. As I agree with the whole of your comments, I realized I omitted the context of my musings.

As all concepts have their shades of meaning, I agree that Ego is both good and necessary in the most practical context. I had read several posts from practitioners of meditation who were having trouble. I hardly finished what I really wanted to say, so I'll try to elaborate.

When the aim is for the bliss state we intrinsically feel to be our rightful and eternal home, we must chart a definite course. The first thing that I would instruct anyone wanting to go deeper in meditation is to put thoughts and ego into context.

Thoughts are the buggers we fight against during this practice. And further, thoughts about the individual self cannot be of any benefit when the aim is to join with the Self, the All.

Yes, the ego is absolutely necessary to move about in this world, or as you say, negotiate yourself around. But in meditation, neither thought nor Ego plays a role. "I sit here focused on my breathing" may be true, but the utterance of it (silent or spoken) defeats the reason you are focusing on your breath.

The background of awareness, in short, is the only realization that matters. As a wise man once said (I paraphrase)... "The only good work one can really do is ask the redundant question, 'Who am I?'"

You are in Truth the background of awareness, or the man behind the curtain, if you will.

Oh my....that is perfect!!!!
:thumbsup:
The Man behind the curtain! He made me aware of Him at 5 yrs old...
I mean 'Me'....looking out thru my eyes! Ha! :glasses9:

It does indeed - not that one needs to cultivate ego. IMO, the real problem is when the ego thinks it is in charge. That, to me, is what the OP is really about.

Things really begin to click when ego is put in service of Spirit, IME.

Shoulda coulda woulda
 

In hindsight, I should have posted this thread in meditation and named it: "When Ego hinders meditation"...

But I'll add a thought or two to try to make more clear the main point of it, which is to clear the debris from one's mind so that proper meditation can occur, or at least, you've made a start to have the right environment.

I said that thoughts are the words of the language(s) that you speak. I mean by this that fundamentally, your thoughts were learned. I love the example of a newborn baby. I have a 2 week old girl. She is lying fast asleep next to me at this moment.

A few minutes ago, she was looking at me and making, as you might imagine, some adorable faces.

When I talk about the concept of thought, I mean those things that come into the mind and vie for your attention as an individual "I". Babies don't "think" in this way. They simply are. They are the love, awareness, and bliss that we all strive to achieve through our meditative practices. They have no concept of an individual I. In fact, when my daughter and I look at each other, eye to eye, I understand a separateness that she doesn't. To her, she and I are one. To her, there is no "out there". At two weeks old, she is all there is.

She knows no language, so she cannot formulate thoughts. She knows no separateness, so she has not encountered her ego.

She is as close to oneness in meditation as she will ever be in her life. This doesn't mean there aren't categories of influences like instincts and reflexes that cause her "sorrows" now and again. But this is the best way I know how to describe the major players (and complications) on meditation.

You and I simple were before thoughts came into our mind by the ego. When Jesus says, I Am, this is what he means. We all are. We just don't realize it because the ego brings separateness.

On a more philosophical level, I believe the ego separates us on planes much higher than the physical. The individual ego gets its start on the fifth plane (four above the physical plane). This is a topic for another thread.

Yes. Which is the realm of those still spiritually asleep, have yet to discover that it isn't the only "layer" of their being.

...

Not completely true. :smile:


No it is not.


Personifying ignorance and delusion.

I think that no-one needs to imagine the ego is a big, bad, dirty word or plot. It is merely the veil of ignorance each person has over their own internal vision. Through sincerity and practices such as meditation, chanting, prayer, and other practices taught in spiritual traditions, this veil lifts naturally - without war or terror.


shiningstars

Congratulations, HealerW - beautiful indeed and many blessings to you and your loved ones.

shiningstars

The Ego is at war with your self, but your self is not at war with the Ego.

The Ego attacks, but your self does not respond.

To which extent you are identified with the ego, to that extent you will see war.

In eternity, the ego does not exists. Your self exists in eternity only, and the ego can not reach him, but it appears to fight yourself in time, which is an illusion.

So both statement are True from the perspectives of the each,but only one is Right in Truth.

No....

shiningstars

Ramana Maharshi

"Just see it for what it really is, that will be enough. It is the ego itself which makes an effort to get rid of itself, so how can it die? If the ego is to go, then something else must kill it. Will it ever consent to commit suicide? So first realise what the true nature of the ego is and it will go of its own accord. Examine the nature of the ego: that is the process of realisation. If one sees what one's real nature is, that itself will get rid of the ego. Until then is it just like chasing one's own shadow; the more one advances the more distant is the shadow. If we leave our own Self, then the ego will manifest itself. If we seek our true nature, then ego dies. If we are in our own Reality, then we need not trouble about the ego."

Truth is multi-faceted. I'm not sure what you're hoping to communicate by just telling me (and others) I'm incorrect. My truth Is revealed according to our vantage point.

I mean no disrespect to you, HealerW.

However, "truth is multi-faceted" has its limits, in my opinion.

For example, a carrot is a protein is also not accurate.

For clarity, I don't agreement with this statement: "The Ego is in a war with the Self, which is the real substance of who you are." I'm partial to the Ramana quote above as a different explanation.

Please understand I mean no offence.

shiningstars

When we fully realise the ego is illusory we will let the ego structure fall, but before this is fully realised ego still exists in 1000+ different disguises. It's as if it is real, and to discount it as illusory prematurely is just one more ego disguise.

It is a challenge for all of us to realise the nature of ego, the best way to do this that I have found is to examine the emotions and the mind, ego will then be revealed more easily.

No what ? Time based view vs eternity's pov can't be denied by people who live in time.



Right, only the ego knows of death, and it is trying to kill.

But it cant be killed, it can be UNDONE.

How do you know about this?
Or have we talked before about ACIM before?

Excellent insight!
And, yes pls do start a thread on the above! :thumbsup:

Acim is a guide which directs my thoughts.
But i do ask God and Christ and the Archangels for a Dream Time guidance.
Many ideas which comes at the awakening are so clear then, but somehow the meaning is dampened the longer i need to write them down.


Personal experience, on few levels (through time).

From my point of view, God is really unchangeable and constant stream of Goodness, Happiness/Joy and Love. (+ few other attributes)

Then there was a misstake in making its opposites, which brought pain and loss.
And it is here where the Ego kicks in, being in opposition to God and trying to persuade myself to where i shall look.

I mentioned one way train somewhere today. So the truth is, you can either enter the train with the Ego, and look at his effects.
Or enter the train with God, and see his Healing effect.

Yes people may be not agree, but the more who agree that God is perfect, the more will his effects be seen here on earth. And that is my will.

So when the ego hinders the spirit it is only a delay, nothing more and nothing less.

And the ego is really the part of us, which somehow learned something that is not in accord with God's will. And you surely do not want to kill yourself.
You do not even want to know about killing and death, in truth. Why, is another story.


From the eternity's point of view, the ego is nothing more than a belief. So the only sane way is Undoing.

Very nicely said ~ thanks

"we need take hatred by the ears,
stomp that hatred too", what we
dub as ego be crying, shudd up
throp that as the teddy bear.
you're the teddy bear assorting
try'ing out. remember.

i'm in.
everyone would like your "up"
destination.

Which brings you back to ego again, because it would be kinda cool to think that you have control of your ego and think that you come from a place of humility and kindness to others.

Simple human nature is that people often want to be a part of something bigger and better than they think they are. People become firemen or hospital workers - and yes, even Spiritual - because they want to be something more than or something other than. And yes, I'll put my hand up to that too. When you stop fighting your ego and make friends with it, it can become your greatest ally instead of your worst enemy. Who wouldn't enjoy the feeling of realising that the ego isn't the root of all evil but an aspect of our multi-dimensionality? After all, realising that would mean that we are Spiritually developed.:smile:

Sometimes people are just people, Spiritual ones too.

I read a lot about ego here without people realising that it is part of their spirit, the part that guides its owner's survival and public presentation and since one presents oneself differently in different situations and is always reliant on experience, it's dynamic (unless the owner refuses to interact with the ecology inc people at all).
Without it, someone has no identity and cannot distinguish themselves from anyone else. The moment they speak, glance, gesture, ego emerges.

It reaches to the (real) Self as well. One still has to differentiate themselves. Only when going beyond (deeper) than Self is the ego abandoned.

As others have said here, ego is the equivalent of Self and self-on-the-mundane. The difference between them is one of refinement. The Self lies behind delusion and illusion that are figments of the mundane in varying degrees through which Self percolates to become the persona, the thing that the public sees in situ.

Ego harks back to Freud's model of the mind. (I use his terms here sometimes as they're recognised even if I don't like them). But they are a bit outdated.

From glancing here and there in this forum it looks like populist authors are promoting not just this model but bad press about what it is. If you don't like what someone's doing; if they're acting selfishly; it's their ego at work sort of thing. But does anyone imagine someone working in AI would use this model to construct intelligent behaviour?

Just my views.
.

Ego has been defined in many ways, and while I can understand Freud's model I much prefer Jung's -
"To Jung, the ego was the center of the field of consciousness, the part of the psyche where our conscious awareness resides, our sense of identity and existence. This part can be seen as a kind of “command HQ”, organizing our thoughts, feelings, senses, and intuition, and regulating access to memory. It is the part that links the inner and outer worlds together, forming how we relate to that which is external to us.
http://journalpsyche.org/jungian-model-psyche/

Spiritually, your reality is defined by your perceptions, your perceptions are defined by your beliefs and your beliefs are defined by your definitions so it all comes back to Jung's definition of the ego. Spirituality is often external to us, depending on your definitions of course. I was watching a YouTube recently of a TedTalk given by Anil Seth, whose multi-disciplinary team has yet to work out what consciousness is, but he generally agrees with Jung in that it's relating internal and external. According to Seth our perception of our reality is as much what's inside as it is outside. Regardless of how we define what ego is or isn't, regardless of how we define self, Self, Higher Self, True Self there's one thing that's inescapable, the aspect of ourselves that processes those definitions are the same aspect as the one that processes the 'mundane' functions of our existence.

The best way to understand ego is to ask the reasons for you holding your definition of ego, whatever that may be.

And before anyone mentions it, it's been scientifically proven that meditation is simply a shift in our brainwave patterns the same as... anything else.

I personally have taken notice to usage of the word Ego associated with spirituality.

To both Lorelyen and Greenslade, I actually agree with you both where Freud is used as example, yet also Jung is cited. What I personally believe is that both Freud's and Jung's definitions of the word are in a sense right, they are explaining the same word, in each there own ways, but if one looks past all the jargon used, one may consider there are similarities with both definitions.

It goes further though for me, the word self is used often with ego. But even self does not quite cut it exactly for me. You see the word I from English translated into Latin becomes the word Ego.

Therefore when spiritual discussions of Ego, and Ego death and how to rid oneself of Ego come up I realize authors whom would advocate such- or wherever the notion that one has to eradicate their Ego has come from is to me, unhealthy as a view of one's own identity.

Ego by definition equates to one's identity and perception of it, and how they communicate that identity to the world or others via the usage within our languages that indicate usage of a word I.

What I find many spiritual seekers speaking of when they make comments like "spiritual ego". They are not talking about Ego- Identity- they are actually speaking of their thoughts on "Arrogance" or "Pride".

It appears to me people walk on eggshells to refer to this part of themselves as Ego instead of what it really is, because using the word arrogance in regards to themselves/ actions, makes them uncomfortable.

I see nothing wrong with calling what others talking about with spiritual Ego, what I truly feel it is- or at least how people seem to use the context of the words "Spiritual Ego".

I see it instead as "Spiritual Arrogance", because Arrogance holds better connotations of the ideas being spoken about, in my language than the word Ego. In Latin Ego means I. In English I would translate to Ego in Latin. What is so difficult to understand about this fact? Notice the word fact- not concept.

The idea of eradicating one's own identity or Ego, is absolute foolish folly IMO.

Why? Well look at some of the authors whom do speak of the identity in such a way. Has anybody read Carlos Castaneda works? I believe in many of his works if I am not mistaken identity is looked at in something more of a negating light.

I prefer not model my spiritual view after such beliefs.

I prefer to be honest. And in my world Ego still means I (identity)- which I feel no shame of- and Arrogance defines a lot of qualities others are picking at their own self for when they use the word Ego.

Egotistical- makes more sense as it has connotations closer to that of Arrogance.

My point being I feel (these are only my thoughts on this) when others seek to deny their ego what they are truly talking about is denying those parts of themselves they don't like related to arrogance and pride. Only they don't want to accept the idea that they could feel or view themselves as Arrogant or Prideful. So they sweep those words under the rug and mis-label them Ego instead.

Honesty simply hurts too much.

My take on it all anyway.

Thank you, Greenslade and SaturninePluto for your responses.

If I had a gripe it's about the way the word is bandied around as just a bad component of identity/personality without understanding of it being very much a part of spirit, the outer layer maybe, the public face, but I can't see how it (as an object as I read the title of the topic) hinders the spirit. Exchanges between it and the "outer world" feed the spirit that in turn modulates perception of that outer world. Isn't that "experience?"

If I had to model mind it would be nervous system in action. Ego is discernible as a series of responses to the summation of sensory inputs accessing life experiences in the various bits of working memory (associated with those senses) and wired to a database of deeper memories. It doesn't give all the answers and never as simple as one sense leads to just one part of the brain IIRC; but one's spirituality can be seen as the mediation between longer term memory and working memory; the refinements made in one's stimulus-response repertoire with heightened awareness/attention.

Trying to make sense of it is a work in progress though. Both Freud and Jung had the right ideas, attempting to get to a person's experiential data through how the symbols related to outward behaviour.

..

One could see it that way, the way I see the ego and spirit, the Ego is the body/mind complex And the personality is the body/mind/spirit complex.
The challenge for the spirit is, to develop a trust relationship. It might not be easy, yet not impossible.

It was suggested somewhere, the Ego can be killed off, sure, with a bullet through the head. But this is only temporary because next time the spirit enters a new incarnation, if it chooses to do so, the last experiences and all before that, will be downloaded again. This data bank is part of the planet as are the body/mind complex.

When you wake up, you feel like you are still the same, but your awareness changes, you remember who you are, things become clearer and more coherent. You feel that this you is more important, while the dream you is less. When you die, your ascending self feels the same way, as waking up, it remembers who it is, things become clearer and more coherent, your physical self's life becomes less important, as one of many. You realize what was abnormal in your physical life, as you realize now what was abnormal in a dream life.

I had a discussion with someone about the self/ego and all they were doing is redefining the word and comparing themselves against it. 'Ego' was for lower Life forms, 'self' for Spiritually aware people and 'Self' for the Spiritually advanced. Spirituality has a penchant for redefinition and 'ego' has been redefined - by the way it's often used in the forums - as the root of all evil. It's not Spiritual at all but very Victorian, as in "the demon ego made me do it." Technically what they're talking about is the Shadow Self or the dark side that everyone has but Spiritual people prefer to lock out because..... It's not 'Spiritual'. That's where arrogance and pride comes from, they are usually caused by aspects of our Shadow Self and with a little work they can be transmuted. So-called 'ego death' is simply where aspects of ourselves we don't like - usually what is judged not worthy against the highest of Spiritual standards - is consigned to the Shadow Self where it grows sharper teeth in the darkness. You can't actually eradicate your ego, unless you're a very highly advanced Spiritual master that's dedicated your Live to doing just that. The effects of that don't bear thinking about quite frankly, because I'd imagine the consciousness becoming unstuck in reality causing, the said master would go ga-ga. Ego death is the daddy of all ego traps and illusion in Spirituality.

Everybody has an agenda, and 'agenda' is not necessarily a swear word. Look behind the mask.

when we step up to righted, we might enjoy.

when we step up (to) wrong we might be
allowing. ( cause stuff might not be easy'ed
around ).

when we step up to good, we might embrace.
i like these.

m. m.?

m. m. : progress is not as much as good.

For me it's about getting to some kind of real understanding and a little closer to some kind of truth. Yes it is experience but how you perceive yourself in whatever shape or form that takes will have a difference on your Spirituality. Very simplistically, if you're fighting with your ego then your whole experience will come from a perspective of conflict and that will have a cascading effect into every other aspect of your Life. Ego is the basis of your paradigm and those - with other things - form the foundations of your Spirituality.

Awareness of and attention to? Our psychological framework probably has the greatest impact on our Spirituality but it's largely ignored for the theologies and ideologies, and thata's indicative of the state of our psychology on its own. If our heads aren't straight because we're 'damaged', does that mean our Spirituality is also 'damaged'? If our 'Spiritual self' is the only one worth thinking about, what does that say about us?

Yes, this is something that Jung seems to have sorted out. I'm acting somewhat dangerously from too little neuroscientific knowledge, the question being how neurons reprogram patterns as part of a learning process. (Not to go into a debate about it here except to say that the summation on the post-synaptic dendrite leading to an action potential seems to change as we learn.) So the more detail we extract from our awareness (our uncluttered intake of "what's out there") the stronger position we can develop about "reality", our perceptive processing.

My knowledge is probably hopelessly out of date. It's something I kept up interest in because of a wider interest in systems and communication (semiotics). I felt that Freud's model (that seemed to deny spirituality) is ok for his clinical use but doesn't explain mind in enough detail. My knowledge of Jung's work is slight but it seems his break with Freud was over components that influenced personality growth that may have affected the content of the mind but not how it works - as I see it. I may be wrong.

I wouldn't be as presumptuous as to pit myself against these masters. I just see the mind as physiological, processing data and taking in the entire body, not just how we interpret external stimuli (how perception works) but resultant motor action of the body, the firing off of hormones etc. Without doubt there are researchers out there looking at this.

It won't for a long time explain a 6th sense or input channel that definitely seems to exist.
.

If the pursuit of conquering Ego is necessary to human kind why would it be there?

The hunter gatherer would have predators, food & shelter to concern themselves with - would ego & self really be part of the equation?

If not - why not?

If so, how would this help the species survive?

Concerning itself with "afterlife" problems when "actual life" problems were nipping at it's heels.

I barely care but as I understand it ego is translated from the word ahamkara which roughly translates to “the I maker.” This “ego” definition refers to one’s sense of self.

I am a good hunter, he is not would aid who went for food.


As a species we learn through trial & error to master. The land, the sea & air - we have been to the moon.

Could it not simply be that once we had spears, bows & fire that life became easier. We built civilisations & began to spend time thinking more than we persued the original basic needs as we had conquered them to an extent.

I always think of the scene from Les Misérables - the poor & hungry sheltering under the bridges with crying babies.

Is it for those people to ponder the ego?

Would they not do better simply picking up a sharp object & taking what they needed .. like their ancestors did?

War within the self is for soldiers who have killed - am I evil, was it moral to kill an enemy etc etc.

I like pizza - is not something to be concerned about surely?




.

Consciousness is ever evolving, for those aspiring for it to be so, and with that our understanding of the Purpose of Ego and our relationship with it changes, or so it seems to me in this Now.

Currently my understanding is that the body is the vehicle to have experiences in the 3D dimension and the mind (ego) is the operating system to keep the body safe and explore this Garden Earth and the myriad of possibility's possible here. It interprets danger and releases chemicals like adrenalin, recognizes the need for sleep, can handle 3D related technicalities like car driving, math, taxes and social and cultural norms and develop a persona among other things. It creates, invents, makes relationships and uses it's body to discover.
There are many things it can not do though concerning Higher Planes and Beings from Higher Planes and Higher States of Consciousness. It is limited to being the Master of the Third dimension.

Ideally we are composite beings and each aspect of our total being should have a vote at the table:
1/3 Body (which has it's own wisdom and way to communicate)
1/3 Mind (Ego/personality) (which translates, interprets and acts/reacts and organizes life in the 3D dimension)
1/3 Spirit (eternal self which has had many body/minds in the expanse of time)

To me Ego is not a bad thing or a thing to slay or get rid of. Should I (Persona CrystalSong) do that I can't drive safely, do taxes, compute Math or even connect to other people from a human perspective, instead I am Blissed out, often time slipping, generally ungrounded, so Open I slip in and out of others bodies whenever my attention goes to them, I become ONE with everything with no separation and completely untethered from the body/mind I was born this lifetime into. This is not a good way to live all the time and one becomes dependent on others for basic care and needs, additionally it is invasive (from a human perspective) and dangerous (driving etc)
We are, I believe, here to have a human experience, otherwise we would have been born a sponge on Alpha Centuri or some other body vehicle somewhere else, or stayed in Spirit form and not come into a body. :)

So there is a balance and integration which is desirable - the ability to have a human experience with all its joys and pains and also be able to be in simultaneous recognition and experience of being an eternal Spirit based in Unconditional Love for all and anchor that Love back into the human experience and share it to others who have forgotten the Transmigration of the Soul. (I don't mean preaching, but instead living the Love one IS)

There comes a point on the Journey where one discovers the Fullness that they are and becomes unhinged from the human consciousness state, flying high in Bliss and Love and Euphoric states of radical connection to ALL That IS.
Eventually one discovers they still have a body to slep around, they haven't turned into a beam of Light or Ascended into Higher Realms. This is when it is time to begin to anchor all that higher knowledge and access back into the human body - to become that composite Being giving Body and Spirit the vote that Ego/Mind alone could have never done before awakening when it believed it was the totality of the self.

To me the Ego is not a bad thing at all, though some people don't use it well and have become lost in it's endless needs, demands and wants for attention and material goods. However a well controlled Ego is a vast and wonderful tool for fully experiencing the 3rd dimension and the rich fullness of this particular Garden third rock form the sun. :)