When the Ego hinders the spirit

[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.

[shoni7510]

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.

[HealerW]

Originally Posted by shoni7510

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.

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.

[Rah nam]

Originally Posted by HealerW

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.

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.

[sky]

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.

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 '

[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.

[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

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.

[Miss Hepburn]

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

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. LOL!
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.

Excellent! Ha!
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!

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.

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.

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

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".

And...

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

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.

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.

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.

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