Ego is a good thing

[MidasCloud]

I think you are referring to the Physical Body Expectation, which is how the physical body desires a life of love and fulfillment, and dying a natural death (even if that means starving to death).

For the Ego saying "no", you might be referring to aspects of Emotional Repression Release. Basically:

Anger Emotional Repression Release: allows a person to say "no"
Sadness Emotional Repression Release: allows a person to value others and don't want to lose them
Fear Emotional Repression Release: allows a person to avoid what's hurtful, harmful and wrong
Envy Emotional Repression Release: allows a person to strive for greater achievements
Love Emotional Repression Release: allows a person to seek understanding for all, to express gratitude and to appreciate everything
Belief Emotional Repression Release: allows a person to know that no matter what people do, they are always right; this means using love as a guide, shine your heart energy on others, and wishing others to find the love of their lives

[pixiedust]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

Transcend does not mean destroy. It simply means to rise above or go beyond.

Ego is neither a good or bad thing. It's just a thing (object, appearance, whatever) and it's not you in the Absolute sense. I would say this realization to the point it's a lived reality is transcending ego.

Agree. .....

[..Vel..]

Ego Death: Everything You Should Know

https://doubleblindmag.com/ego-death/

Originally Posted by ..Vel..

Ego Death: Everything You Should Know

Not even close. Here's the thing, I use the word 'ego' because of convenience more than anything else, it's a simple point of reference and nothing more. Well, kinda sorta. What nobody tells you is that the word 'ego' comes from psychology not Spirituality, and the science is based on the Spirituality.

'Ego-death' is just another tool for egoism.

Y'see, strictly speaking the ego doesn't exist according to both Spirituality and psychology.

Originally Posted by Greenslade

Not even close.

'Ego-death' is just another tool for egoism.

Y'see, strictly speaking the ego doesn't exist according to both Spirituality and psychology.

The DMN is tied at the hip to ego/Ahamkara. It's the narrative network and as its name implies it's a default way of being (Default Mode Network). It's "The Story of Me".

Meditation shifts the mind away from that network and more towards a network of monitoring. I'm standing. I feel the wind on my face. Like that. Vipassana Calm Abiding is very good at this as it invigorates the Vagus nerve, bring mind-body into greater harmony.

Even this I would not call ego death though because identity can still be firmly established in mind-body (ego/Ahamkara). Ego death isn't death of ego. That's not possible outside the deepest Samadhi and that's not even death of ego. It's just taking a nap. LOL!

Actual ego death is simply a shift from identifying with ego/Ahamkara to Consciousness. That being said it's hard to make that leap with a very active DMN and that's probably why meditation is so helpful as it lessens activity in the DMN.

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

Ego death isn't death of ego. That's not possible outside the deepest Samadhi and that's not even death of ego. It's just taking a nap. LOL!

So, forget the 'traditional knowledge' of psychology and ancient Eastern religion. Invent some new jargon that on the surface means pretty much the same thing but don't go into the deeper understandings, then call that wisdom? The DMN is is still an egoism boost because that's the default, not Spirituality.

Explain the 'invented thing' by coming up with a load more 'invented things' to bolster an 'invented thing'. Did I get that right? That's ego-death? That's some DMN.

People don't talk about THE ego, they talk about THEIR egos and that's where self awareness begins - or ends as the case may be.

Originally Posted by Greenslade

So, forget the 'traditional knowledge' of psychology and ancient Eastern religion.

No, just bringing neuroscience into the fold. Actually cognitive neuroscience. This has been studied monitoring meditators, including Buddhist monks, using fMRI and EEG.

Here's what Jon Kabat-Zinn has to say about the DMN: https://youtu.be/5TeWvf-nfpA?list=PL...PNokg&t=221 8

Neuroscientists Richard Davidson and Amishi Jha join clinical mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn to explore the role of consciousness in mental and physical health, how we can train the mind to become more flexible and adaptable, and what cutting-edge neuroscience is revealing about the transformation of consciousness through mindfulness and contemplative practice.

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

No, just bringing neuroscience into the fold. Actually cognitive neuroscience. This has been studied monitoring meditators, including Buddhist monks, using fMRI and EEG.

Talking of which, Spirituality and schizophrenia light up the same areas of the brain, which is the reason why identifying with something other than oneself - "Spiritual Being on a human Journey" does the trick - is a really bad idea.

I'm not a neuroscientist so I'd be interested in how Default Mode Network relates to psychology, in particular the unconscious. Interestingly -
"Can time spent in nature disengage the default mode network?
Any experience of awe, such as hiking to a mountain top or watching the moon rise or swimming in the ocean, can take you out of your mind. Your focus is not on everyday worries, but more on the big picture. We are insignificant in the grand scheme, and we do not have to stew in our troubles. "
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/b...t-mode-network

That sounds very much like ego to me.

Originally Posted by Greenslade

That sounds very much like ego to me.

I think so or at least as I said it's joined to ego's hip. Maybe not ego itself but one of the neuronal correlates. Maybe same for the amygdala?

That video plus my experiences with meditation reinforces for me just how powerful meditation is in taming the DMN. There's another point in the video when Dr. Richie Davidson talks about gamma synchrony, comparing it to a perfectly still lake. In that state the DMN is virtually silent. It's a space of clarity and insight. In Advaita that's one of the prerequisites for being able to assimilate the knowledge of Jnana Yoga, i.e. Realization.

Anyway that video I linked was probably one of the most important or influential for me in my early days of consciousness studies and mindfulness meditation.

And yes, nature can calm the DMN as can any endeavor that can put one into a flow state. Nature definitely can. Here's one way I enjoy nature. https://youtu.be/yZBmJpAgqW8

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

I think so or at least as I said it's joined to ego's hip. Maybe not ego itself but one of the neuronal correlates. Maybe same for the amygdala?

As I understand it neuroscience 'underpins/powers' psychology, they don't oppose but psychology is the 'result' of neuroscience. If that makes sense.

Cognitive dissonance is described as the surface of a still lake where thoughts are 'dropped' onto the surface, one at a time. Usually thoughts flow anyway and while they're 'normally' difficult to stop, yes meditation and like practices will. Cognitive dissonance kicks in when another thought stream 'drops' onto the surface, causing interference patterns.

If I were at that lake I'd be getting excited because of all the photo ops, but once I had my camera out of the bag the DMN would fade soon enough. A large part of my photography is simply experiencing.