Ego Dissolution

I had mentioned in my last post about discussing the ego in context of a book I'm reading entitled Beyond Ego. I do not recall if what I've written below is in the same context as my thoughts regarding the book, however, it is an issue I'd like to delve into. This topic is, as the title suggests, about Ego Dissolution.

One of the most confronting issues I have to deal with, and I think that any of us have to deal with, is the idea of the ego. The powerful force of the ego manifests itself, in my opinion, as a psychological tool for the biological need for self-preservation. The ego forces us to be most ultimately dependent on ourselves, which in the context of evolution, is no surprise. Sadly I do not believe that many times the altruistic individual (whether it be homo sapien, some other primate, or of an entirely different family altogether) would be at much of a disadvantage in terms of survival then an individual who seeks to only benefit itself.

If you subscribe to Freud's structural theory, then of course the Ego must exist if to balance the urge to survive (via the 'id'), and the moral constructs we create (perpetuated by the super-ego). The ego is our very sense of self, whether in regards to our physical state of self or our mental state of self.

In the context of the interactions between ego-possesing organisms (humans), we experience the clash of ego's. We currently perceive social situations from the viewpoint held by our ego as mediator. Our sense of self is primarily the governing factor in social encounters. Now our sense of self can be heavily influenced by social values. Avoidance of conflict between egos is an extremely important goal, especially when considered the evolutionary implications of a person who refuses to alter his or her ego to comply with the majority view. However, I believe that even at the social level that the values perpetuated by the mass is still the result of one dominate ego.

What I'm getting at with all of this are experiences in which we lose all sense of self. What is termed Ego Dissolution. I've yet to experience ego dissolution, or alternatively, experience ego death and rebirth. Many religious traditions in some form or another seek to shed the ego and the sense of self, to reunite with the collective consciousness or to free oneself from the confines of samsara (or take your pick of religious goal.) Many individuals who've been under the influence of mind-altering substances have claimed to undergo this ego dissolution.

When I think about ego dissolution from the vantage point of my experiences and understanding, I can feel my ego imploring to ignore it. Our experiences shape us, our understanding and our beliefs. We develop a sense of self and we come to value who we are as individuals and by dissolving our sense of self we in some way devalue the person we are. Realization that we are potentially connected with one another is an extremely disheartening force for the ego. Often times ego dissolution (or ego death) is a very turbulent experience for an individual, from the brief reading I've done of people who claimed to have this experience.