What is the Ego and How Does it Function?
In this contemplation, I share my ideas on the structure of the ego and it’s primary function.
Possibly the most important aspect of Human psychology is a deeper understanding of what we call ‘self’.
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Transcript
What is the ego and how does it function?
0:05 – Intro
Okay, so this is a contemplation on the structure of the ego and how it functions. Because we don’t really get taught about ego development unless you actively seek out or go to university after schooling. When you understand the mechanics of the ego structure, it completely changes how you see the world completely changes your life.
One of the benefits of myself being outside of academia is that you can research and embody things which academia refuses to consider and teaches as a standard. There’s books out there from people who academia simply dismiss, in my opinion, completely overtake anything that university degrees can ever touch. So that’s one good thing about being outside of academia.
1.14 – Neuroscience
It’s well known in the field of neuroscience that neurons create strong links and bonds with one another, particularly with like traumatic events, in order to keep you safe and not experienced that trauma again. So this is just a body in the mechanics of the mind doing its job, like it’s meant, it’s there to keep you safe. But often, these neurological links that made it fair remain on observed, they can be there for years, decades and a lifetime. This limits our experience of what’s real, with the mind doing all it can to make the world a safe place. Because that, you know, we’re only animals at the end of the day, we just an evolved animal with a, with a bigger brain than others. So, so a lot of what an animal does is just to live, to stay alive, right. So that’s, that’s all it’s doing.
And so that is the same with all the identities that we build for ourself. You know, I am a writer, I am a doctor, I am a nurse, I am this I am that. They’re just identities and structures that limit, the reality of existence. They are not true, in truth, and not you at all. And this is why it’s so painful for people to let go of their identity, because they weren’t aware that it’s just the ego creating safety in a world of chaos, they need that order. And that’s, you know, it does a great job of doing that. But it also limits the magnificence of everything, because it keeps everything in a structured box. Experiences shut down and are suppressed because it doesn’t fit the identity, the ego is created for this, then the suppression becomes what we call the unconscious mind. And things we aren’t aware of in our psychology.
3.17 – Projection
So then the unconscious is projected out into the world. As an example, what we are suppressing within ourselves can often lead to relationships whereby you expect the other person to make you whole, because you suppressing those bits in you, you look outside of yourself to other people to actually to express those those parts of you the qualities which you’re suppressing, you expect the other partner to have. So on a first date, you might, you know, surprise you with all these qualities, but two or three months down the line, you realise it’s not fulfilling here because what you’re actually seeking is within yourself. So the relationship ends up in disharmony, you’ll get divorces, if you’re married further down the track.
3:51 Fearful of unlimited power, not our weaknesses
We shut out a lot of reality quite often, which is surprising, due to the fear of our immense potential not because we are actually hiding our more primal natures. The identities that we have built around us to create order out of the chaotic reality of the universe, that the ego is petrified of having the foundation shook. And this is why the ego is more often than not – more fearful of our potential than our suffering.
When we realise that the reality of existence, which is to say that reality is non dualistic, everything is ultimately one thing and all experiences actually been dreamed up by ourselves and collectively. The potentiality that we have once we realise that becomes limitless and the ego begins to dissolve. as we evolve consciously, to the more conscious we make things. The more elevated we become, the more aware we are that everything is one thing and this is all a dream, the more the ego can’t cling on to its juice, if you like.
5.16 – Life Crisis
And this is what happens you like midlife crisis, which obviously can happen at any point, at any stage of life. But it usually occurs when someone becomes aware of a large part of themselves, which has been on lived and suppressed up to a certain point and they just can’t hack it now more – people turn towards their soul rather than the Earth, which is a good metaphor, really, the Castor and Pollock’s story of Greek mythology if you know that.
You’ll see marriage breakups, changes of careers, drastic, people moving abroad on a whim. And all that is, is that the images and portraits in our own psychology, which have yet to be coloured by the flow of life, begin to have the light of awareness shined onto them. And these lead to drastic actions, in real life, they’re just manifestations of, of the hidden coming to the surface again, and people wanting to be more complex in their mind and not simply stick to rigid structures that the egos created for them.
6.21 – Exercises
We can become aware of them, as an exercise, we can become aware of our patterns of behaviour by simply catching ourselves in the space between our thinking; becoming separate from the thought forms as they arise and shining the light of awareness, which is sacred, onto them.
Looking over the last few days, just look and begin to question what has made you feel uncomfortable, nervous, anxious, sad, annoyed, triggered, and just write them down and see where that where that stems from. Put your sacred awareness onto them, and become conscious of the patterns that you’re running. Because it won’t take, if you do these type of things, these type of exercises, you won’t take a marriage breakup or you know, changes of careers, which can jeopardise a lot, you know, your family and whatever, it won’t take that. Because if you put your awareness onto them, it starts to dissolve the neurological pathways that you’ve created; you become aware of them. And it just gives you a more holistic view of life. It’s not so rigid and structured, because you’re going to experience it anyway, at some point, there’s going to be existential crisis in your life. So you might as well start now, there’s no point in waiting for a natural crisis.
7:39 – Project Sovereign
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