When the Ego hinders the spirit

[Dan_SF]

Originally Posted by shiningstars

No....

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

Originally Posted by 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."

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

But it cant be killed, it can be UNDONE.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Dan_SF

...the ego..
...cant be killed, it can be UNDONE.

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

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by HealerW

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

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

[Dan_SF]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Or have we talked before about ACIM before?

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.

How do you know about this?

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.

[Joyce]

Originally Posted by peteyzen

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.

Very nicely said ~ thanks

when ego hinder spirit

"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.

no hatred = no problem, now.

"ok is with us."

everyone would like your "up"
destination.

Originally Posted by peteyzen

Other practices that help control the ego are ones that are based around humility, kindness to others and plain old love.

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.

Sometimes people are just people, Spiritual ones too.

Originally Posted by HealerW

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.

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.
.

Originally Posted by Lorelyen

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 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.

[SaturninePluto]

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.