The ego

   

  The Authentic Self and the EGO

   By Jimmy Henderson (Hons (phil), MA Psychology,          FRC) 

    We all have an 'authentic self' which embodies that most moral and ethical part of ourselves. Unfortunately, after many years of feeding basic instincts and accepting flawed social learning (conditioning), the innocence of the ‘authentic self’ is usually reduced to the ‘ego’, a false sense of self which is little more than a collection of highly personal drives, thoughts, perceptions and beliefs. 

    In view of its self-centeredness, the ego has only a limited awareness and understanding, and this can account for the many errors that creep into human thinking and actions as the result of ego-based perceptions and decision-making. The ego results in the average human mind being filled with unhelpful emotions, negative thoughts, memories and desires which all form a natural barrier to the expansion of awareness or consciousness. 

   In my previous book, ‘Multi-Dimensional Perception’ (2010), I explained this 'blocking’ process in terms of the analogy of a goldfish in a bowl, in which the water in the bowl represented the human mind and one’s present understanding, and the world outside of the bowl, reality. I continued by explaining how the water in the bowl is murky as the result of our jumbled-up thoughts and perceptions, painful memories and emotions, limiting beliefs and fears which so clog up our minds that we have only a dim view of what is actually out there and cannot see things as they really are. I also pointed out that the saddest thought of all was that we have become so conditioned and accustomed to living in this ‘bowl’ of limiting beliefs, thoughts and perceptions, that it is difficult to even conceive of a larger universe out here. 

   This action of the ego and the process of social conditioning can therefore limit one’s imagination, ability to dream and to realize one's authentic self. 

Transcending the ego

                                              

   Trying to overcome the ego a little bit at a time by learning from our mistakes and their consequences, could take us an entire lifetime. However, this is the normal course of events, and if one looks carefully at the problems in our day-to-day lives, they often seem to follow a

specific pattern or trend. For example, the same bitter experiences with relationships or finances can arise time and time again until we are forced into a process of self-evaluation and the need to make better and more mature choices. In this way, even everyday life can be seen to be directed at growth and development and the eventual release of the limitiations, selfishness and pettiness which relate to the ego.

   However, a release can also happen quite suddenly during a life-changing experience (usually involving extreme humiliation or loss of identity), sometimes called the ‘dark night of the soul’. This could come in the form of the ending of a marriage, a long-term relationship or career or some other equally traumatic experience. Those times when we feel totally shattered, empty and alone and we are virtually forced to let go of our old sense of self or ego.     

         

   Sometimes we can get lost in the intensity of the experience, and struggle for many years to recover. However, if we are able to recognise it for what it is, an opportunity to transcend the ego, we can shorten the period of suffering. Obviously, it is still important to take time to fully process the thoughts and feelings relating to this experience and for a while we will be certainly be mentally, emotionally and spiritually vulnerable and naked. However, when we eventually stand up again, our slate will be clean and ready for new experiences in consciousness.

   The third possibility for transcending the ego is a conscious process of self-development and growth such as this path of light and consciousness, in which we bring about the dismantling of the ego at its source, in the mental programs and ideas which feed and sustain it . This particular process involves challenging our present ego-experiences with powerful new insights relating to our identity and life’s purpose and formulating positive affirmations and intentions which help to change our existing view of self. 

Jimmy Henderson is a well-known metaphysician, counsellor and author of two books on body, mind and spirit titled ‘Multi-Dimensional Thinking’ and ‘Multi-Dimensional Perception’ available at Amazon.com, Kalahari.com or from his website www.jimmyhendersonbooks.com.