EGO

Your conscious mind, the part of your individuality that you consider your "self." Thoughts are imaginary concepts. We can conceive ideas quicker than understanding them.

Humans can think beyond the primary needs of survival. When thinking began, humans were startled. Imagine discovering a voice in your head, unsure if it is you or a higher being.

We are gaining knowledge due to thinking. Learning is the process of transferring knowledge to others. Our voice in our heads consumes our identity due to the dependency on what we say to ourselves.

There can be a misplaced understanding of yourself. Instead of our identity of existing, it transfers to the mind or the voice in our mind. When we look inward, we are rediscovering everything is connected. This focus on "within" challenges our brain to go beyond our ego. When you return, there is a wisdom of knowledge.

There is a negative perception of the ego. Anecdotally people say things such as:

"You have a big ego."

"Don't let it go to your head."

An inflated ego assumes arrogance. What is the ego, though? Ego is a pattern of accumulative values. It is your identity and sense of self that establishes limits upon yourself. Your ego divides you from reality. These limitations create the contrast of what you are versus what you are not—becoming aware that the ego exists a step towards finding your true self.

Write down what type of individual you are, then ask a friend, "What kind of person do you think I am?" Good friends will have an imperfect picture of who you are. However, they will differ on minor details that they do not recognize. No one thoroughly knows anyone. That is part of the process.

Taking the adventure to self-discovery is the journey to attain the depth of knowledge of self. We should be thankful that we go through that method. The ego is not so simple to merely exists. There are layers of our ego that are true.

As you are reading this, you are a different version of yourself before you started this article. The previous version of you can be an ego death.

Ego death is when a layer or many layers change forms. It has passed on and birthed into another form. So an ego death is the end of limits and patterns that your ego previously placed on yourself. Such a massive change where your identity shifts are the moments of that end. From identifying as a human to discovering yourself as nothingness or just an intricate shape. The extent of change is relative.

When it is minor, it does not determine that ego death is not occurring. The earth revolves in space, but because I cannot see the rotation does not mean there are no revolutions.

When we are fortunate to have no more ego to shed, all that is left is awareness. Limiting patterns dissolving from the existence of ourselves would eliminate the barrier between self, others, or objects. Becoming one with all many identify as being unified or one with reality.

With no judgment or thoughts and only awareness, all that is left is the purest form of self.