i love this channel, its like existentialism and chromatic aberration had a baby. also your last handful of videos have been things I have been specifically thinking about and its wild seeing videos come up about them
>The self is the framework which we find meaning And suffering comes from that. I'd rather chase ego death (without substances) to just be free from literally everything and this limited existence itself.
i just recently experienced something i would call an ego death. psychedelics made me leave my body and tune into music to the point where i saw the sentiments of the artists as visuals and i felt every feeling incorporated into the song as if it was an emotion of my own. after that i was overwhelmed and i didnt know where or how i was. i was just lost. then after some time me and my boyfriend started talking about what just happend (we had the same experience) and everything became clear again. i have never been as clear minded as i am now and i am way more in touch with what really matters. the after-experience of ego death was much more spiritual than anything i’ve felt before. it was as if everything finally made sense and i finally grounded my ego.
I feel it’d really help if we try our best to define terms of identity and then work from there, is there a difference between the “self” and the “ego” ? I think it was jung( can’t remember honestly ) who defined the self as” that which is most familiar to me”. But what is a proper definition of the ego? My mind immediately races to Alan watts and all his talks about this, the chronic tension, the spotlight consciousness so on and so forth. Ego death in my eyes is the felt, emphasize felt, feeling of not identifying with the ego, although one may use it or still be attached to it in some form. Although no longer identifying with the ego does not mean that the self is no longer present. The self in my eyes, while being all that which is most familiar to me, seems to encompass far more of one’s identity and sense of identifying in the world as both an isolated individual and a specific feature of their total respective environment. For me personally, the greatest ego slaying endeavor besides the first couple psychedelic experiences are meditations and contemplations of platos words “ The only thing I know, is that I do not know” truly such a humbling phrase, pondering that sentence even for a minute never ceases to astonish me. I mean, me may in various ways gratify the ego or feel inseparable from it, this odd invisible center of action and decision making, but how does one actually make those decisions? How do we close our hands? Questions like these immediately squander any type of ego identifying for me because it reveals just how inadequate the ego is, however one could say this is where the “self” comes into play. The ego may not know what or how something is happening in regards to a decision or action, but those very decisions and actions flow from within outwards from the self. Idk long comment, food for though I suppose.
in the age of the internet, the new “alan watts” doesn’t have to speak like he isn’t heavily influenced by his predecessors. he doesnt have to feign this idea that “these thoughts are my own.” he can simply do what philosophers have been doing for thousands of year, be it covertly, and point people towards the things we’ve known along. and that thing we’ve known all along is there is no answer for us, because there is no us. we just are. thank you sisyphus55
Ego death is a funny stance, of submitting one’s will. Forfeiting in show of absurd. Attaining clearness due to amounting to nothing. A premature void. Of course this is attributed to actual ego death at the core of Buddhism, and not illusionary one of controlling one’s desires and emotions and desires. Do not be lost in semantics and instead accept responsibility over one’s ego. That is an essence of human arrogation.
I think that it is a common sentiment since most people want to, at some point, forget their lives without leaving existance. Doing something relatively close, like letting go of personal aspirations/ego, can help us achieve a more or less similar state and just take some weight off our shoulders.
Damn. That made me remember my childhood. I disassociated so much that I periodically forgot my name & loved ones (excluding my dad.) I remember that for some reason the only thing I could remember about myself was that I really liked the color pink. I didn’t know what shade was my favorite, but I knew for some reason that I loved pink. I always wondered why I remembered that one arbitrary thing about myself
The death of the ego isn’t necessarily drug-induced, though that is the most reliable way to induce ego death. When I was a teenager, I experienced intense depersonalisation and derealisation. I had come to the conclusion that my personal vessel was arbitrary; there was no real difference between “myself” and someone else, besides past experiences. For a long time, I drifted through life as a non-entity. I felt like I had no firm grasp on reality, and that what I saw around me had no connection to the true expression of the world. After a few years of reflection, I eventually felt like a human again, but I am not who I was before. Thanks for reading, have a nice day :))
Being a non entity leaves for you to be not be be. If you really experienced this you would truly feel one with everything,you could tell the difference between the table and you.So I call bullshit.I think you thought of yourself as no identity but you wernt actually no identity.If you think you're your thoughts you're still within the world of the ego
wow this really hits home. that's exactly how i've been feeling for a while now, never really connecting with anything or anyone on a deeper level, just sort of floating through the human experience and observing from afar. may i ask what helped to snap out of it ?
@@Meda-z7y for me it was an accident. It was 3'o'clock in the morning on my birthday. I hadn't been able to sleep, and decided to wander. I was on my way back home coming down the back road (I live in a relatively isolated area) when I passed an SUV on its passenger side in a ditch. The driver door was open, the engine was running and the lights were on. I went to see if anyone was inside, but it was empty. I called out a few times to see if anyone was nearby, and no one answered, so I got back in my car and started driving home. I traveled another 5 miles or so when I saw a woman walking on the side of the road and she turned towards my vehicle and waved me down. I pulled over and when she approached my car I could see she was absolutely covered in blood. From the center of her forehead to the outer edge of her left eye socket was a gigantic head wound that had peeled the skin until it almost flopped over covering her eye. I told her to get in the car as there was no service out there, and an ambulance would've taken far too long. I took off my tank top, moved her hair out of the way and bound the wound the best I could and floored it towards town. I talked to her on the way. She said her name was crystal( not sure of the spelling) and that she had two kids. She said she'd gone out to get cigarettes and had wrecked on the way home. I'm sure she was under some kind of influence, but I don't know what. I got her to the ER, told them what had happened as I saw her admitted and then headed home. I never saw an ambulance or other vehicle on either my ride to the hospital, or on my way back. To this day I can't help but think about the fact that my insomnia, and the urge to feel the road under my wheels led me out on an aimless meander in the dead of morning only to bring me to a severely wounded person as the only entity nearby that could've possibly helped. I don't even know if she lived, but I know that if I hadn't been there she almost certainly wouldn't have. On random chance I had a drastic effect on whether another person may have lived or died. Me. The point of this story is that afterward I realized that my actions matter, even the ones that seem pointless. I affect the world around me, and in the grand scheme of things that may not matter to the ceaseless onslaught of time, but in this moment at any moment I could do something to change another person's life and possibly even the world. I'm still a loner for the most part, but now I can never doubt my place in things has impact and neither should you. I hope this helped.
The ego is greedy. It will force you to complain because it feeds from your complaining. The only way to fight it is by observing it. Catch the voice in your head and recognize it as just your ego. No more than a conditioned mind.
Oh man, this video. I've been arguing with my Dad and his family about this forever. They're obsessed with the idea of meditation in the new age sense, to destroy the ego and become enlightened. I've argued this exact point, that the ego and self are so important for existing and surviving in the world, to understand and better the nature of our relationship with our friends, family and the rest of the world, and ultimately be a good human. Ironically, they're among the most self-centered and narcissistic people I know, isn't that funny? Thanks as always bud.
@@_Junkers I’d imagine it’s because they perceive their own ego as God in the western sense, and thus they put themselves on a pedestal because they are it, although they’re missing the ultimate point that they are only a small fraction of the true self and believe that they are alone in a sense
It's not about to get rid of it, but discover that's ego is illusion. For normal people it takes to get incredible amount of self-control and self-awareness and only after that - start to fully control(not loose) emotions and feelings. That esoteric shit can be enterpreted differently dependent on the intellectual abilities. (Ah, may be my english not broke the idea...)
I’ve had some high intensity psychedelic experiences that totally annihilated my ego. This time without my ego did so much to help me heal from previous traumas, as I could examine them from a “third point of view.” If you will. It taught me how much my ego really influences how I perceived the world. But I also realized my “ego” is simply the “algorithm”, informed by our collection of previous experiences, by which we use to interact with the world. The minimizing of ego is important, but it’s not everything.
Had an ego death when I was 19 on 6 grams of mushroom. I thought I was for real dying and that I was never coming back. Once all concepts of reality left me and there was nothing but void, it was honestly one of, if not the most amazing baffling things I’ve ever experienced. I felt like I’ve always existed and always will.
Just tripped last night actually on too much Mush.. All perceptions of reality we’re taken from me there I was fully convinced I was in some sort of other dimension , at some point was trying to figure out how to escape 😭😭
I suffered the borderline disorder for over 23 years, with so much anxiety not until I came across psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment actually saved my life honestly. 6 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms
Can you help with the reliable source I would really appreciate it many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. Very hard to get a reliable source here in Germany. Really need
I have a "Self-Disorder"; or a 'ipseity disturbance.' It's the worst shit ever. What little bit of me there is left misses being able to enjoy what I used to enjoy to it's fullest. Living my entire life on auto-pilot sucks. Yeah, I have no anxiety, no fears, no worries. But I also feel, very little, if any joy. Carrying conversations is hard, because I have nothing to say to anyone. Movies don't interest me. TV doesn't interest me. I enjoy music, but that's human; I don't have any set tastes, and I don't identify with the music I listen to. I play video games to pass the time, but beyond that, I just kinda' exist. Ego death sucks if you don't ever really come back from it, it's great if you want to cure your anxiety though; as I used to suffer with some of the worst anxiety imaginable, but now feel, not much of anything.
I honestly feel like I'm on my way to where you've gotten. I don't enjoy much stuff and my last reality check was when my math tutor told me "I've never seen you smile or laugh" and that stuck with me. I don't enjoy doing anything, they're just activities to pass the time, I don't have any personal goals and whatever goals I have are set by the people around me such as my family. any enjoyment I get is counted in seconds and then silence sets in again. TV shows, animes, games, art, sports, I'm not interested in any they're just there. anything I do, is because I have to not because I want to, and probably the only lifeline I have are my deeply rooted anxieties that hold on to whatever I have left. it scares me that someday I might become a hollow husk and I don't know what to do to prevent that.
i assure you that there are many more things for you to learn, and that this is just a beginning stage. it is all the mind. many things that you have not confronted are preventing your higher self from flowing into you.
@@dwellerinblack7816 you underestimate your own mind. the labeling actually hurts this person, they are not the victim of this disorder, they are human. this person has a problem, and it can be solved with a different question, not an answer like the west believes there to be.
I had a mental breakdown last year which caused me to seek therapy. After learning about CPTSD, childhood trauma, SPD, and slowly recovering lost memories, I finally understood every decision I made my entire, why I'm attracted to the things I do and why I behave the way I am. It all made sense and for the first time in my life, I could stop being ashamed and constantly terrified every second. But the downside is that now that I know my entire personality is a mask - a coping mechanism - meant to protect me when no one else would. So, whom am I really? If I take out the mask - what is left? And what if everyone else personalities are not just masks life mine?
Can u explain what is childhood trauma,spd?Ive been meaning to go to therapy because I’ve been having a lot of breakdowns relating to childhood trauma over the past year or two that still aren’t resolved and had a lot of trauma I want to alleviate off of my conscious coupled with undiagnosed ocd anxiety over the past month or so been feeling like my head is gonna explode . If u can give me some tips,words,explanation I would love that,thanks in advance 🖤
@@UnseathedDeity Basically everything bad that ever happened to you (especially in your childhood) is still inside your brain and affecting your behavior - even if you don't consciously remember it or even realize it's there. This can cause problems with others when you grow up. Good starting points are "Running On Empty" or "Crappy Childhood Fairy" here. You should also learn about narcissism (which is usually the cause of CPTSD). But I highly recommend talking to a therapist who specializes in childhood trauma (important) so they can help you digest everything slowly (important). It's gonna be a hard, long journey but it's the only way to understand yourself and move forward. Good luck.
@@EranHertz Thank you for the advice and information,been looking for a therapist lately and don’t know exactly how to approach my mom and brother about needing and wanting therapy yet,lol..making it my New Years resolution,thanks for everything.
When I was younger I was utterly convinced the world was a dream. Probably mine, probably someone else's, and that took a lot of meaning away from my life. I'm still not sure if anything is real but I've gotten to the conclusion that "Well fuck it if it isn't real. I'm me. I exist enough for me to feel, and if I'm the dream of a butterfly then I'm still myself." I have memories of the past, I'm the person who has memories of the past, regardless if the universe was created last Thursday. So I think in some way embracing the fact the self exists can also be quite a transcendent experience. You're here, right here and right now. Dreams are real while we're asleep, the fact we wake up doesn't make them any lesser.
Well to quote a movie "I say, okay so what if I'm not real?" "I'm sorry "so what?"" "Yeah so what?" "But if you're not real doesn't that mean that nothing you do matters?" "What does that mean? Look, brother, I am sitting here, with my best friend, trying to help him get through a tough time. Right? And even if I'm not real. This moment is, right here, right now, this moment is real. I mean what's more real than a person tryin' to help somebody they love? Now, if that's not real, I don't know what is"
@@somedudeintheinterweb8665 Renee Descartes as well as many Eastern Gurus have proven there is always an element of you that must be real. In the east they say the Self or consciousness. In the West, God, or the soul And its like the contradictory sentence 'All sentences are false' Well clearly not all can be. Such as that one. Likewise, there must be soemthing about you that MUST be real. You cannot be made of everything unreal. For what would be the thing that thinks its unreal? Is that not real? If not, then its own claim that its not real isnt real, which disregards its conviction in its own unreality lol
I feel like “ego” and “self” were used interchangeably in this video. Ego is your theoretical self, the person you think you are, based on your experiences and such so far. The part of your psyche that never leaves you alone and is always trying to protect and nag you, your mother. The self is the part of your psyche that never shows itself completely and can’t exactly be seen without tremendous effort on the part of the observer, whether that observer be you or someone else. It’s the thing that keeps you grounded in reality, makes you robust in the presence of chaos but never coddles you, it’s your dad that supposedly went to get milk, but never returned. The process of enlightenment isn’t killing your father or your mother, your self or your ego, but making your ego stop driving away your self thinking she knows what’s best and instead letting self / intuition steer the ship with regards to decision making regarding the issue of meaning, and ego on everything else. Self is what’s there, ego is the theory. This may also make more sense if you switch self with intuition, and ego with intellect.
@@Player-jo4iz he's just pointing that the meaning of words are variable with time and transient any analogy or definition of a word you present may or may not be understood identical just the nature of a living and popular language
I think that an interesting response to this is Rumi’s philosophy and poetry. Loss of the self and the experience of radical pluralism phrased in one way as “the drop joining the ocean” is seen as a form of ecstasy. Rather than seeing everything as meaningless, there is an ecstatic appreciation of the beauty and complexity of everything without differentiation. At one point he phrases it as being pleased by disappointment. In essence, there’s an assumption about meaning at the base of what you’re saying. In order for something to be meaningful, there must be things that are meaningless. In order for there to be things that are good, there must also be things that are bad. Each term exists as a form of judgement. Collapse of the self into the whole equalizes everything, but that doesn’t make everything meaningless. Instead, this can be seen as the capacity for judgement collapsing. In this state, the bifurcation no longer makes sense. Instead, everything has individual quality and is experienced in its own way, like the colors on a color wheel. The judgement, good vs. bad, meaningful vs. meaningless, is actually a distraction from the true nature of the experience. Appreciating it and accepting it for what it is is what exists without ego. What happens next is mysterious, and always contextual.
@@BlazenAva666 your “soul” could be your imagined self, a basic idealization of “you,” whereas ones self is more, imo, their personality and desires based on their lived experience
I don't think you have to kill your ego just control it. The ego is "a great servant but a terrible master." If you know it's an illusion you won't confuse it for the real you and you can do whatever you want with it to get the most out of life. Like you're an actor in a play and you can customize your character and write what the character does in the scenes the director put you in, but the actor goes crazy if he confuses himself with the character he's playing.
Had an ego-death at a relatively young age. It will forever shape my view on life and everything around me. The implications of that singular moment where I could no longer associate with the identity I had carried for my whole life until that point was amazing. I was existing without the worries of being human, I felt like I was a grain of sand on an open beach, there are many like me and nothing makes me special but it's what I make of it that matters most. My greatest moment in life was when I was just in acceptance of everything and anything around me, I had found my place and I was comfortable with everything about my old identity and the world around me. It's a bunch of gibberish but I felt free, and I have chosen to live my life just like any other grain of sand that we are, but I will never forget the view from this sandy beach. It's strange to experience pure observation but if I could choose, I'd throw myself away and watch the world go by without me.
This is exactly where I want to be at mentally I just want to stop caring man I want to accept that I’m not special.So yeah I’ll probably try to have a ego death myself soon
Being the small one in family, often led towards narcissism in past. Not getting enough attention and demanding attention and make fake World view around me just so I can sustain that level of narcissism, it led me towards unhappy life. Though i knew at heart, this problem of mine and one day your channel was recommended to me. I starting taking interest in different philosophy and writers. Now I can say I am improving, little by little. Thank you.
i've had ego death, or something close, while having an intense existential crisis. it's weird. i've experienced derealization and depersonalization before, and my body has a bad habit of slipping into them. but this was like dissassociation cranked up to 100. it was so weird. idk how to even describe it. but after i came back, i read my journal entries from that time and learned a lot about myself.
ME TOO!!!!! Right now, I'm in an intense existential crisis, and I have DPDR and sometimes something I call "absolute dissociation", which is basically what this video was talking about. Sometimes, I worry about going crazy, but other times, (most times), I think that this is just another view of life. It's like when you're just wandering around in this weird 3d plane that has me and objects that I don't even know if they exist at all and wherever you go, you're just on another point in this plane. Idk how to describe it, but I'm just trying to describe it to the best of my ability.
I am only now realizing how common the experience of DPDR actually is. I have it too, and I believe it was induced by the existential crisis that I am going through right now. So yeah, don't interpret to much into it, it's just your brain being stupid. Hang in there, folks!
If it's not TOO personal can you maybe uh tell me what some revelations your writings during ego death were? Not trying to fish for any advice i just want to know what one goes through and gains after an ego death.
@@meanieweeny4765 totally! a lot of it was less biased perspectives of events in my life, which helped me move on and see what i needed to work on. it's not cold intellectualism, just a more objective view. it's sorta like how tarot cards tend to get to the root of things, even if you don't believe in that, one's subconscious can reveal things you had suspicions about. i'd have to look around for specific examples, since i haven't gone to that place, and written while in it, in a while. for a visual representation, i think the show midnight gospel depicts ego death in a really compelling way, even though i didn't consume anything to experience it. though sometimes i'd get stoned or crossed when a wave of existential thoughts was rising, when the tide rose on the special kind of depressive episode that makes me creative. in all honesty, i've been moving this month and i am quite close to needing to force myself to dissassociate to get through this. this is a clusterfuck of a reply because i have gotten 30 minutes of sleep in the last ~38 hours. gonna take my sleep meds, wish me luck! i'll look over this reply later and make it coherent. i know it's oversharing, but i figure it gives a direct look into what it can look like right before someone's brain has to detach itself and follow the little soul around with a child backpack leash thing. since the id knows the last time ego was fully let out of its sight, it was bad. i'm definitely switching into that detached but trying to stay tethered area. i like metaphors. i will keep writing for hours if i don't stop now. so i'll be back sometime tomorrow, in a minimum of 12 hours because of fucking insomnia. hope you have a nice day, not that many (if any) people read this monstrosity.
i think i am experiencing "ego death" rn without the drug use; i think what ive been doing for the past year is purposefully "killing" my identity because i have this immense dislike for myself, for my appearance my negativities my mediocrities, even the things ive achieved this year, i habitually reduce them to smaller pieces. i personally planned to keep on living like this so as not to feel even more negativity in case my environment expresses disapproval of my slightly unorthodox ways and preferences.... but i stumbled upon this video and the last bit about not destroying or "maintaining" the "vessel".... damn that really made me think that my plan is stupid and cowardly. and now i want to reevaluate my self image in a kinder approach.
Yeah, you should probably start with getting rid of the hate for the person rather than "killing" the qualities and achievements of it. Best to treat the person like a friend and the body like a vehicle. The kinder you are to the person and the body, the longer you can watch them live happily and healthily. :)
Same.. ive walked that road for a year now and the headaches, negativity and uncomfortablity it brings, its bull.🤦♀️ im tryna change my perception and really care for myself but the algorithm i used to destroy my self in the first place is on loop and hard to switch ofg, since it consists of the outer layer of my mental space, me thinking for myself is the mercy of this alogorithm, as it works to contain me in this one spot and ceases me from growth.. as this will lead to me accepting my flaws, because i could never contain the parts of myself ever..then splat my high iq and imagination found a way to counter itself, nd well now im fked😐, but never to be unfuckable🕺, change is at my doorstep but the negativity surrounding change from happening due to this algorithn gives me no breathing space😕 All i feel is pain whenever i even "attempt" to re grow myself.. its discostan nd i would never wish it upon anyone
Yea what you seemed to describe if anything isn't ego death but a form of escapism. The need to separate yourself from well.. yourself doesn't improve the state of your life. It just makes you feel disconnected from all negativity facing it. I think the idea of ego death attracts people so much because it is a escape and isolation from all the problem we have In life. As if there is a way to turn off the switch from this world. It's not ego death we are just overwhelmed with so much that we don't know how to approach it. And as far as i can tell in a lot of examples of ego death people are not doing anything to do that. Infact if anything everyone seems to give in even more to their ego further losing control of their life. Because what are you doing? Are you placing boundaries with your coworkers to feel less anxiety within your job? Are you reflecting on the problems in your relationship and coming to the realization that maybe you might not be the best lover? Ego death is bullshit because in reality all your doing is finding the easiest possible option which is to throw your feeling away so you don't get hurt. And it's unrealistic because we are inextricably humans and by proxy animals. We have ego because it's the way our brain is programed. The only difference is that we have enough sense of self to think and reflect on ourselves. The solution to life isn't ego death it's just to get our shit together. I cannot tell you how to go down that journey because to do so is infinitely complicated but it is not wrong to do start. I hope your life has improved from when you wrote this comment and that provided another perspective for you.
A few years ago I peaked on DMT and up until now I have struggled with the idea of self. It was easy at first I was just finding out about nihilism and taoism but over time it became very difficult. Take it from me, you can only look at the world this way for so long because as humans it's in our nature to crave warmth, meaning and routine, being at odds with your own nature, your own mind is difficult. The lessons you can learn from ego death I believe can make you a much more considerate and happier person but like all things in life it's about balance, swinging to one extreme (black pilled, pure nihilism etc.) is unhealthy. Take the best aspects and discard the bad aspects of everything you learn.
This video is not entirely accurate on what ego death is as far as what I know. Ego death is not a lack of perception of the self, but an understanding that there is no boundary that determines the self. The self includes everything. Ego death isn't a minimization of the self, but an expansion of the self to include the rest of the universe. This is my understanding from Vedic philosophy.
Also to all the people claiming to have experienced ego-death. You have not. It is a permanent change. You have understood the idea of ego death, but your ego has not 'died'. People invest a lot of time and energy for years of their lives with meditation and psychoactive substances to experience ego death. You didn't experience ego death when you had a few too many shrooms that one time.
The self including everything is the same as the self not existing. It's just a more misleading way of describing the same thing. When people hear that they're one with everything, they imagine some positive feeling of unity, they double down on their need for belonging, they're looking of rarified psychedelic states. If you instead tell people that the self doesn't exist, you're setting them up for looking in the right place.
@@MrCmon113 it depends on the person. i was more arrogant and judgemental, so the idea of being one with everything is a more productive way for me to frame my spiritual growth. I can see how someone who lives their lives trying to please others might benefit from the perspective you're describing. I am of the belief that if two perspectives describe the same thing, there is no "ordering" between them. Whether you find your spiritual realization through logic, ego, or art, you're ultimately looking at the same thing from different angles.
This video conflates the Western conception of ego as identity with an Eastern conception of ego related to attachment. “Living without the self” has been covered extensively in various Eastern philosophies. People still had families, work and duties when these philosophies were introduced. It is not a rejection of self, since to reject the self, there must be a self to reject. I’d recommend listening to Jiddu Krishnamurti speak about the observer and the observed. I appreciate the humour but I think that it reduces the ideas being presented.
Thanks for bringing this up to be honest. There really is a disparity between the attitude towards life between eastern and western philosophy. The latter is concerned with weaving an intellectual net to capture as it were the fish of reality, while the former views reality more as water; the harder you grasp the more it slips away. It's a bit of a shame because a vast amount of people have experienced a sort of ego-death or 'cosmic consciousness' one way or another - and it is the most beautiful thing to behold, even if it's in text over the internet. But the attitude so deeply ingrained in western philosophy, that of wanting to take the universe to pieces to better understand it, frustrates the 'point' entirely. It's like trying to explain a joke mid-punchline, it completely ruins the moment. So thanks again for bringing it up :) if I may suggest, Alan Watts has wonderful thoughts about synthesizing ideas from eastern and western philosophies. He's a great orator, and it's amazing how he draws from his time in the clergy with his time studying eastern philosophy.
@@Badongskyification I like your comments here a lot. Not advocating for or against religion, but this has always been my stance towards atheism, at least from a western perspective. The point of life isn't understanding everything. As someone in STEM, I fully am conscious of the fact that we can't and probably never will, hence why spirituality and philosophy matter so much :)
I am not sure if my ego died. i was a very egotistical person, to the point i renounced my family because in my mind they were bums. After a motorcycle accident, my mother was one of the few to be there. ever since, i feel as if the purpose of my life shifted. I don't hold myself at that pedestal anymore, I have come to the conclusion I am no super-man. I am just another average male born into this world. Only my actions will differentiate me from other people. my actions write my story. i havent tried psychedelic drugs, nor do I want to.I have "kissed death" quite literally kissed a car with my entire body, yet I was left only with a broken toe. that night my life flashed before my eyes, its like for a split second my mind just let go, my muscles didnt tense up, i was free. However, my ego is gone, but that does not necessarily mean it is dead. Ego is what i want to become, self is what I am. I am who I am. my ego must go so i can inhabit this earth as who I am.
I love that your channel is just talking/explaining things that you believe or think is interesting, it feels really nice to me and I find myself putting your videos on in the background while I animate from time to time 😔✊💜
"the world's pieces are held together by nothing more than conjunction: it's just one damn thing after another". This is the state of realization that Buddhists call "tat-tat-tat", which is a way of saying occurrences, occurrences, occurrences. No agency, no agent, just happenings. That is why the Buddha is also called the "Tathagatha", the one that happened.
I've been hearing about "Ego Death" more and more lately, and it's confusing to see people so infatuated and focused on it. It makes no sense. People think of "Ego Death" as a "there is no me or you or anyone or anything" complex, whatever that is. Derealization and depersonalization. Disillusionment with the "illusion" of the experiences of life. You've missed the point if you end up here. You can play semantics and say "well technically" and then spew some nihilistic philosophy, throw your life in the trash, mentally before you proceed to physically, or you can actually identify and mediate your Ego, which is really the embodiment of selfishness, and not the individual Self. This way you can operate in the world and stay present, which is essential. WANTING to get rid of your Ego is confounded, because it's the Ego that made the choice! Let yourself drift there naturally, as you will if you stop worrying about it, and start being present! Your personality isn't your Ego. The selfish, hedonistic, and impulsive aspects beneath your person are your Ego. There are parts of the beast that are good to have, that can be present with you, but it's bliss to cease the unnecessary, which we are bogged with constantly in today's world. They say to live in the moment, because living in the moment is basically the solution. Don't worry about the past, it's all said and done. You wouldn't worry about the future if you focused on the present, because you can only control the future through the present! It's like the Greeks said, that the path to peace starts with realizing what you can and can't control, or something like that. And know that it is not a one and done solution! It is an ongoing process! After many years of personal development, the only suffering I go through is brought on by my own Ego creeping back up and worrying about the past and the future, but when I look at the now, things are just fine. If I did that which I am wont to do now, the future is in the palm of my hand, and I wouldn't be here without the past. It's all just perspective. Now, side note, if you want to get into the whole cosmos consciousness, metaphysical stuff by taking your Self out, be careful. It's very easy to slip into madness, and I guess if you've played Bloodborne or read Lovecraft, you'll be able to conceptualize it in ways that will slick the slope. This just brings us back to worrying about that which you can't control, which is ultimately pointless. The proof is in the pudding with Enlightenment. I pose it as: Why have a problem?
Beware unearned wisdom. Perhaps some of these questions open up the can of Western egoism worms that our educational system and institutions have failed to address. But these armachair psychonaut kids have soooo much more to learn. Like throwing around the word 'nondualism'. Have they explored the radically different theses of Jainist thought and Buddhist thought? There is a whole nother universe of metaphysical and theological discourse if one wants to go down a path against ego. For me it all ultimately boils down to St. John of the Cross and other church mystics, who see love and beauty as the ultimate true 'ego death' in Christ, that still keeps me grounded in material reality. But that's not my point, my point is there is a serious amateur armchair intellectual lethargy going around with all of these psychonauts. I know plenty of people who have tripped themselves into a fake enlightenment only to turn into corporate, miserable robots like the rest. I don't see much fruit and personal transformation from all of this.
thank you for this. I was always worried that following advice to kill my ego would kind of undermine a lot of personal development I've already been doing. Yeah, I get that we're all insignificant and our perception is just a product of our experiences and environment (with some monkey brain impulses), but it's always seemed like acknowledging this bias is a better step. Why destroy a safe (if slightly biased and irrational) base you can use to interact with the beauty of the world and other people? It always confused me, so thanks for this reassuring comment :)
Its weird like i've noticed usually when i feel a sense of forgetting myself, i am uncomfortable with many things going around me. And with hindsight i can now say it was good that i did lose myself as sometimes "we" ourselves aren’t that well grounded. Also id love to see if you talk about Hannah Arendt. Thankss for the great workk!!!
Ohhh, god no. This is a waaay too casually dismissive take on an incredibly nuanced issue. There's so many sloppy mistakes here it's hard to know where to start. In the intro, your understanding of ego as "how selfish do I want to be" is an excruciatingly shallow take on the idea. The following suggestion that the purpose of meditation is to facilitate "honing in on this idea of the transitory ego" is also completely false. You talk about it like minimization of the self, the death of the self, and the deidentification with the self are all different points on the same spectrum, when they aren't. Not even remotely. All three are incredibly different and deserve their own videos. Furthermore, self-disorders (as well as the depersonalization/derealization experiences everyone is discussing in the comments) are entirely separate topics and have nothing to do with this. Name-dropping radical pluralism, exploring it in the context of a single quote, and then completely departing from subject as if the very notion of ego death has been exhausted? Like, what? That's intellectually dishonest to an insulting degree. There are sooo many writers who address the significance of egoless experiences who don't remotely adhere to your apparent suggestion that it necessarily leads to the dissolution of the concepts of, as you say, "love, justice faith, [and] hope." And then, there's this beauty of a line: "...A perspective that us humans simply cannot exist within for longer than an afternoon of peyote" - my guy, you literally mentioned Eckart in the video, how you gonna casually ignore the testimonies of him and dozens of other writers over the centuries who have discussed this as a permanent state of their existence? Even more egregious is this line: "The self is the framework through which we find meaning." This is the type of claim any legitimate philosopher would need a book to support, and you just casually toss it out like it's axiomatic. There's sooo much writing on the idea that being is meaning in itself, and it's the identification with the self that alienates you from recognizing this inherent meaning - but yeah, sure, let's just casually ignore the entire history of buddhism and secular western authorship on the topic. Sounds good. This is exactly why I have a love/hate relationship with philosophy 'tubers. It's amazing that we have people who enjoy breaking down complex topics into digestible formats so that normal individuals and young people can get invested in it, especially considering how inaccessible it's been to the common person throughout the majority of history. But then I see things like this where the uploader doesn't know enough to talk about it, the audience doesn't know enough to criticize it, and everyone walks away with a false understanding of a topic that deserves sooo much more than it gets. Just disappointing. I'm sorry if this comes off as toxic, but all I can imagine is someone who could really benefit from a proper understanding of these concepts being turned away from investigating further as a result of this. I went to grad school for philosophy, devoted my life to it, got plenty out of it. But at the end of the day my independent study and research of this topic specifically has benefitted me just as much as my entire formal education in western philosophical writing - and it deserves better than a 5-minute strawman argument from someone who is not qualified to speak on it. I know you won't, but...I'd delete this, man. Just sayin'.
I disagree. I think these videos are a positive presence, even if some subjects or concepts are not fully explored, in favor of brevity, or even factually incorrect. It, at least, gives one a starting point of reference, and sprinkles enough information and 'name dropping' to allow one to research on their own, if they so choose. It is not like these videos are the one and only definitive study on these subjects. Hardly. But, they do give a introduction to the subject, or may give rise to expanding ones understanding, in a broad sense. I may not be able to go toe to toe with a professor, or a philosophy major, but I have enough to begin a conversation with a friend, and that could lead to the sharing of how real, honest, ordinary people feel on these subjects instead of the exclusive snobbiness that oftentimes dominates academia. For a interesting way to discover a philosophical concept, that does not take years of dedication, but rather just a few minutes, these videos provide a good service, as do the comments, where folks like you can tell us where you feel the video was incorrect, or that there is a much larger thing to discover. That is what it is good for. And, censorship is never a good answer. Even if factually incorrect, it should still be allowed because A. Who is the authority that decides what is correct/incorrect, and why should they be trusted with this easily abused authority? and B. As long as dissent is also not censored, I can take in all sides of the issue and try to weigh it myself, or make no choice until I find better sources. Taking information away, or scrubbing things after the fact, only disallows any debate to take place, and is the setting that allows for authoritarian brainwashing, which does seem to have happened, to some degree, in some of our institutions for higher learning, or, at least it appears that it is being promoted. Sometimes there is no one more ignorant than a learned man. Just a thought, and I do respect what you had to say in your comment, just disagree with the suggested action to be taken. Have a nice day.
Idk if it interests anyone else, but do you ever think "Why did we evolve the sense of self?" Was it evolutionarily advantageous? How come we have the ability to dissolve the self through meditation? Is it just an oversight of evolution? How do other animals experience their "self"? Can they also experience ego death to a lesser extent?
The “self” most likely exists as a way for human civilization to progress. If an individual considers themselves as “separate” from the environment around them and their past memories give them a sense of personality that makes death such an incomprehensible and scary concept. Someone with no ego wouldn’t care if they were being eating by wolves since without an ego we are all just the universe and there is no concept of “oh fuck IM being eating by wolves” there is no judgement of the situation therefor without your ego you would feel no reason to exist or do anything.
Nothing is being dissolved. It's just seen more clearly. It's like when you're looking at an optical illusion and someone points it out to you. The non existent object you thought you saw isn't somewhere and has to be dissolved. You just remember that it's not there.
Your videos have been helping me a lot when it comes to understanding myself and the world. I’ve been viewing many things in a different perspective now and feel more awake, aware really. I’m glad to have discovered your channel
Self Disorder strikes close maybe. Self-actualised meaning seems great on a surface level, but perspective becomes fragmented and with time it ruins the you who you had the most probability of being. Also Sisyphus, if you read this, what do you make of Wittgenstein’s work?
There's already no one to commit ego death. It may just be the limits of language but it sounds like youre speaking to someone with a choice in all this anyway. That's the illusion. This is already completely impersonal and free. Egolessnes is just a description of the way this already is. It's not something to be achieved.
Meh, stinky materialism+ nihilism. The ultimate gaslighting, that neither makes sense, nor helps in life, nor makes me feel batter, nor helps me think. The only thing it does it limits my thinking, bounds it to the puddle of the most primitive ideas, makes me dumb. I want none of this.
@@BratjuucYou haven't understood a word he said, nor does this have anything to do with "materialism". Given all the magic you want to believe in, the self still doesn't exist. It doesn't matter whether your thoughts and behavior come from spirits or souls or whatever. That you are this entity thinking thoughts and making decisions is still an illusion.
@@MrCmon113 beach please. I know exactly what I'm talking about. I have gone through this "there is no such thing as subjectivity/free will" phase and know exactly why it doesn't make any fucking sense. Just because you know jack shit about abstraction, you assume that free can only come from something immanent (like from outside of our universe) or from something immutable (like a soul), (so such things like "cause and effect", "determinism", our brain being physical don't stain the (naively assumed) purity of free will) , which doesn't make sense (of course it doesn't, such definition is stupid), so you assumed I believe in these magic things . F'ing pathetic. I bet you already created enough loop holes in your mind to explain being able to make decisions while having no ego, no subjective self. Go teach your re tar dead naivety someone gullible enough to buy this crap. Don't forget to assume shit you don't know, as usual.
@@MrCmon113 beach please. I know exactly what I'm talking about. I have gone through this "there is no such thing as subjectivity/free will" phase and know exactly why it doesn't make any f'ing sense. In fact, I saw this reasoning many times and each time the one telling me that has an impotence for abstraction and, as a result, cannot see the glaring flaws in his reasoning (or reason at all). Just because you know jack shit about abstraction, you assume that free can only come from something immanent (like from outside of our universe) or from something immutable (like a soul), (so such things like "cause and effect", "determinism", our brain being physical don't stain the (naively assumed) purity of free will) , which doesn't make sense to you (of course it doesn't, such definition is stupid), so you assumed I believe in these magic things . F'ing pathetic. Go teach your naive "truth", that explains nothing, but obscures what we already know, to someone gullable enough to buy this c*ap to confuse him into thinking he doesn't make the decision he makes. Don't forget to assume stuff you don't know about, as usual.
I often talk about these things with a friend of mine. He always comes to the conclusion that living in a hive mind would be such a bliss. No questioning why, no expectations besides your reason why you are part of it. No ego to deal with. I always say, that this is our rudimentary understanding of a hive mind, maybe they still suffer in a way. A lot of my friends want to experience a psychedelics induced ego death. They can’t even put their phone away for an hour, without feeling the urge to check Instagram. I’m somehow not interested in an ego death. I want to deplete my ego in day to day living. Does anyone understand what I’m getting at? It feels like my thoughts are odd and I’ve got no one around me who gets them
Both make sense. It’s really good to be able to deplete your ego day to day, but psychs can help jumpstart that journey as well. I’ve never thought about being part of a hive mind before. To me, the most blissful existence would be a conifer tree. And I think we are all trying to get out of our phone addictions.
'living in a hive mind would be such a bliss' - probably. I guess that's why cults are so popular. Only that the hive doesn't control itself through communication, but is controlled by it's leader. The emotional experience must be similar though. I don't think it's a possible state of existence for humans, neither is complete individualism. Although our contemporary outlook on the world differs greatly from that view I am convinced humans already live in some form of a hive mind albeit in a very imperfect one. I'm thinking especially of our transfer of knowledge throughout generations, spanning thousand and upon thousands of years. We modern humans probably aren't an inch smarter than any of those before us. Our vast knowledge is not our own achievement, neither is it that of any particular generation or god forbid person. It's the collective effort of every person that has ever lived, or rather of every two persons who have ever interacted with each other. Be that as it may I don't think humans could ever transcend into being one with each other. It may be our greatest wish (looking at certain marriage ideals and religions) but it's not possible
You've missed the point entirely. The "ego" is not a resource that can be depleted. It's simply you. The one reading the comment. The one understanding this sentence. That one doesn't exist.
The pandemic helped me experience some sort of ego death. The complete disconnect of what my life had been for so long helped me come to terms with my anxieties and worries. For a while, i didn't seem to have a self. I was worried i wouldn't be someone for the rest of my life. I live in a state that opened up pretty soon after lock down so going back outside helped me restart my ego and now i am in a healthy point between myself and not myself. I still worry and have anxiety but i can work through it in a more healthy way. No more running to coping mechanisms.
Do I want to see where I end up, or where the road ends? Is it experiencing the world as much as possible, or truly understanding and mastering myself that is the most important? I hope that I can find pieces of myself spread through different people, and my reason for being in this world in it’s structure. These videos, which are from you and the world are proof because they resonate with me, so they are part of my ego. But I don’t think I’ll ever stop searching. Not until I find out if my ego is nothing.
WOW! That's a good catch! It isn't a destination that matters, but the journey. We have only 1 journey, so canwe do something with destination that is better than the journey itself?
I have Dissociative Identity Disorder, or something similar to it. Currently seeking a proper diagnosis, but I know for a fact that I'm not alone in my head. I'm one of the five distinct personalities in this brain, and even though I've been around the longest, I have the least sense of "self" of anyone in my plural system. It's bizarre watching my dissociative alters pilot my body around and develop themselves as people while I just... chill from inside the head, watching life through my own eyes like it's a movie of someone else's life in my body. Dissociation helps with minimizing one's ego; it's easy to question the concept of a "self" when you're watching someone else control your body. Personally, I don't really enjoy anything anymore. I watch a few shows and seek some kind of philosophical inner peace by watching philosophy videos on RU-vid, but the ones who actually enjoy things and identify with activities are my alters. I might be the "original" personality of this body, but by now I just exist every so often, whenever it's my turn in the pilot seat. The rest of the time, I'm either watching someone else's life, or I'm just... not there. Like being asleep, but more nothingness. If that's what ego death is like, then maybe it's not so bad after all. I'm sure my alters can take care of the body once I'm gone.
I went through the entire process that you describe here, teetering on the edge of ego death I realised that if I took 1 or 2 more steps I would be completely dispassionate about living. Turning around, I was able to continue living with the understanding that externals have no automatic meaning; meaning is prescribed by and exists within the subjective observer. In this chaotic world, I think its incredibly valuable to tear down what is built through childhood so that you can consciously rebuild it when you progress into adulthood. I wish ego death was seen as the first step in a process rather than the end goal of enlightenment
If nothing matters or everything matters equally, then "you" as an entity that is capable of experiencing the universe are capable of DECIDING what matters-- *to you.* The perspective of being a part of the universe that is capable of understanding and perceiving itself is invaluable. There is no need to throw it away to better the "self" as there really is no point in "bettering" something that is constantly changing. Acquiring skills and universal truths over time is the best way to go about life.
It’s kind of weird I thought about this myself randomly one day sober that nothing matters at all but in return it makes everything matter in a way if that makes sense
this sounds like giving up on yourself. There’s always going to be things you can’t do, but why should that make you not want to at least try to do them? And if you’re determined, you try several times until you eventually get it. I’ve been through ego death and the other side is realizing the people with everything you ever wanted isn’t any different from you in reality what’s different is their perspective of reality and their desire to keep going.
"Stop being selfish and focus on your partner's needs?" Aren't relationships a two way street? Why would you be in one if it is only to be subservient to another?
Sissyphus is just here to try and Blackpill people. I forget which episode it was that shattered my perception of the channel but now I come here just to cringe.
Being honest with ourselves and our experiences allows us to interact with others with empathy. When the video mentioned experiencing uncomfortable emotions and then noted that people try to minimize these emotions to be less "selfish", this is the exact opposite of what you want to do. We need to recognize our own sufferings and pains and recognize that we are allowed to cry. Only then, the catharsis of our situation can allow us to empathise with those in pain. We can then make smarter decisions on who is worth suffering for. Our empathy starts with our core because we cannot see the internal life of others. We only see their expressions and realize what they mean because of our relationship with those experiences ourselves, and then, the application of imagination for the rest. And if our internal emotions are damaged, we will only lash out in confusion and mental instability at the people around us. So, love yourself and your inner child, and in so doing, you may reflect on the love others deserve as well.
My teenage years were marked by the lack of my sense of self as I struggled between completely letting go of my self and trying to find my self. In the end, I felt that letting go would make me feel hollow for the rest of my life and that I didn't need to know who I am exactly to be my self. Looking back I can see that I was definitely neglecting my self for the expectations of those around me and that letting myself be "selfish" was the right things to do
4:18 inflated self-worth isn’t that much of an issue, tho; not until conflated with the perception of other people as lesser, and more specifically lesser deserving of life. The idea of being more worthy of preservation or protection. That’s more of the ego-centrism stirring up in trouble today. Misplaced confidence is, at worst, annoying.
It's interesting how often, when changing as a person, a old part of our ego dies for a new one to be born. An example is: Compare your 11 year old self to your current self (if you're over the age of 11, lol); You will probably cringe at some things that you did, you did these cringey things because of how your personality was, ergo: your ego in some aspects. The parts of your personality that made you do the things you did back then are now, most likely, long gone. I'm not saying that you experience partly ego death when changing as a person, I am saying that certain parts of your ego tend to fall off while time passes. You as a person change, change means that you now differ from your old self, and some aspects that made your old self be your old self are now probably non-existent, therefore you experience a death of certain aspects of your ego, but the death or change of one aspect implies room for there to be another new created or changed aspect.
I would argue that, nothing "falls off", nothing "dies" this way, we are just constantly changing. What makes it difficult to see is that it's hard to look at our ego like we look at some object we're interacting with. There's no counter of how many thoughts we've thought, no ego id number, no coordinateof our ego in a egospace. We can only compare our self with our previous self by using memory, but that's by far not as precise as we can study some physical objects with modern technology.
I don't understand exactly how do you come to your conclusions. You are evaluating non-egoic existence with ego's standards such as meaning and the need to justify your existence. You evaluate non-egoic existence as meaningless, but to such an existence there seems to be no need for a meaning. To me it seems that if there's no ego, then there's nothing to justify, to gain or to lose. A shrew doesn't need to justify itself, it simply exists.
Back in 2001 I had the great opportunity to participate in my first Vision Quest. I won't get in to what I experienced except for this... I was told to get rid of my ego if I wanted to achieve what I was trying to. I tried my best and I was able to get recognized and was nominated 8 times for my music. But during this time of attempting to achieve my goal I learned that those involved with making or breaking a musician were filled with ego and no matter how I tried to dismiss this issue I could not. So I learned that I really didn't want to proceed because I would have to sell my soul. I decided to keep it and bailed on my aspirations, as I discovered that these aspirations were not worthy and quite ignoble and the higher one reaches for a goal such as this the less in touch with spirit one becomes. I chose peace over a moment of selfishness that will fade as ones ego gets irreversibly damaged as they will inevitably fade away into obscurity paid for with their very soul.
When you the experiencer loosens the sense of self to the degree that there are no boundaries between the self and the world, the world ceases to be, or ceases to make any logical sense because there is no self to reflect it from and vice versa. It becomes a matter of simple ambitionless beingness that is experienced by something that is both the experiencer and the experience. Iv come to realise that such a state can be reached only periodically if the ego/constructed self is not fully integrated as the remaining ego’s gravity still pulls consciousness. For those who seek such a state of being, keep in mind that the mind itself and ego don’t disappear but are just derealised so don’t worry if you still find some left. Simply remain at peace with the reality that there is an ego construct that exists purely out of natural biology, and that it can still exist without being an obstacle. Balance is key, you are not the self, yet you are the self in a paradoxical sense. Doesn’t have to make logical sense, it just is.
Gotta love me some brain candy. Would be patreon if I could, but just out of uni and gotta earn some money before. Thanks for the vibes man, much love from london
These are troubling times for me. But I'm finding the words of those who have dealt with life and it's strife to be so comforting. I feel drunk on their words. Able to understand my pain. Heal, then move on. Thank you for all the content Sisyphus 55. Your channel is getting me through a lot right now!
I dont think you have a full understanding of what ego death is. It's not you becoming nothing, realizing nothing matters, and being okay with it. Having an ego death is more falling back into the fabric of everything/existence. And what we find isn't nothing, but infinity. Vast seas of infinity that we can't see because of our ego gets in the way of us seeing. And it's a good thing that the ego does that, because we wouldn't be surviving if it didn't. There are many ideas and philosophies of what to do with this information that ego death gives us. Most of us agree that existing in a constant state of ego death isn't the way to go about it. Probably the best way to approach it is as a learning experience. Ego death simply for ego death is a waste of time. Use it to shape the ego into something you think it aught to be instead of have it as what dictates your life. I'd say your conclusion in this video is something that most people who have had ego deaths would agree with. But having that occasional reminder of what we are that ego death brings is something that helps go down that path with more clarity
If I understand correctly, narcissists use the self as their entire framework, meaning that no matter what information is presented to them, they find something in it that validates or somehow involves their high opinions about themselves? And so by "framework" we mean the thing or philosophy that all other perception, observation, and knowledge is brought back to and understood in the context of? I'm confused on what we mean exactly when we call this a framework...
In the bible Jesus said "deny yourself and follow Me". It's true cause we are so self-centered that it creates so many problems. It's better to not always keep on following what we want.
In my teenage years I grappled a lot with the meaning of life and had a eureka moment when realizing that their are no ultimate values as it is all relative based on the observer, which I called relativistic nihilism. I was contend with this description cause I couldn't challenge it, so it felt like truth. I've grown over the years by listening to a lot of thinkers, and eventually discovered meaning in life. I realized in hindsight that the Relativistic nihilism view though quelled my pursuit of meaning but it was utterly useless in any other regard of life - it didn't help me in making any choices. Anyway, I told many friends about this philosophical journey, and none could connect or see themselves share similar experience. So I wonder how common this journey is and who is susceptibel to it
You mentioned things like love likely not mattering. I'll assume you're speaking from some sort of cosmic perspective some time far off in the future. I'll say these things do matter, because they matter now, and now is all that exists. There's no future and no past. Those are the real illusions. If you insist on keeping that perspective then I'm reminded of a story about a boy that was walking along a beach with tens of thousands of starfish that were stranded on shore. They can't return to the ocean themselves and thus will die. A man see him tossing them back in one by one and says to him "There's too many of them. You can't even get a fraction of them back to the sea. It doesn't matter". The boy picks up a starfish and says "It matters to this one" and chucks it back to the sea.
If one wants to ruminate on the topic of the permeable self more from a """darker""" angle, i'd recommend reading the booklet that comes with Giles Corey's (aka Dan Barrett from Have a Nice Life) Deconstructionist album, it should be available somewhere on the internet.
@@aedile2819 well, imo "im going to do it" has 2 layers: first, face value - suicide, and given the context behind the album it'd be right to assume that the lyrics can be read literally. second one - ego death, as you've mentioned it. p.s. nice mount eerie pfp
Its not that I am so small in the grand scheme of things that I dont matter, its that my sense of self limits itself to this brain inside this body inside of society inside of the universe; but where do I begin and where do I end? Am I just a brain? Or am I just a body? Are my cells not me, for me to say I am not society, even all life? I am simply playing a role to the person I call "I". And every other role aswell. I cant not matter, I *am* matter.
The self arises. That doesn’t mean it exist. That’s the philosophical contradiction that one must hold And of course it all matters. Life is the greatest teacher, without life one couldn’t experience it’s transitory nature. However, it doesn’t have meaning outside of the meaning we assign to it.
I experienced psilocybin-induced ego death one time. I would imagine it to be the closest sensation to what it must feel like to be born with the exception that everything as absurd as they are is somehow familiar. I remember I pulled out my keys from my pocket, I knew they were keys but it was like the first ever time I learned about it. truly bizzare.
After a few month period of using lsd and mushrooms frequently I have completely dissolved my ego into my body so I experience a stream of consciousness now much like he talks about. Because of this I can perceive the flow of time. When sober walls or objects may flow a bit but it's nothing too noticeable but after smoking weed or even getting a good nicotine buzz the texture of things starts to form this 3d geometric fractal that is seen over time so I have to clear my head and just be in order to really see it. I don't know if anyone has had a similar experience but that's my reality for right now
If you’re of sound mind and body the answer to this question is to take psychedelics. You cannot experience true egolessness without them, unless you’re as dedicated to meditation as a Buddhist monk.
Good you; bad you “I can only think seriously of trying to live up to an ideal, to improve myself, if I am split in two pieces. There must be a good “I”, who is going to improve the bad “me” “I.” Who has the best intentions, will go to work on wayward “me” and the tussle between the two will very much stress the different between. Consequently “I” will feel more separate than ever, and so merely increased the lonely and cut-off feelings which make “me” behave badly - Allan walts
Ive had ego deaths while im on shrooms, i just think that you should not identify yourself from the "losing" your self in the process. Focus on the things that you have gained in the process and just add the knowledges that you have in the person that you are . You feel lost at first but then you will also discover that everything has meaning, that everything that was given to you has a purpose .
Interesting! I read a book about living with and without self and how it might be possible to make a transition to no-self, Don't mind the pretentious name lol but it's called "enlightenment: the damnedest thing" by jed mckenna, It's kind of like a critique of the new age quest for intense experiences and a description of what living without self is like, and what the process of losing the self might look like, I wonder what you'd think of it 😄
