eli5: What is an “ego death”?
In: 44
Most of these answers are incorrect…
Your ego is the version of yourself the outside world tells you is you.
Over time you begin to believe in this version of yourself and it can be empowering but also deceiving.
People who cultivate a public persona, are very attractive, funny, creative, or popular, or like
losers, failures, criminals, or outcasts can start to believe they are these things and become trapped in these identities by being forced onto them (losers, perfect, and strong people) or by using these personas to bolster weakness ( vanity, body builders, politicians, anorexia can be like this).
Ego death is a way of separating the interior self that is authentic from these identities that may become more habit and exterior expectations than real spiritual and personal desires.
This ties into Jungian concepts of the persona etc…
Basically, a reversion to a state of childlike perception of the world free of your preconceived judgements that prevent you from loving and experiencing people as they are and freedom from their judgements and perceptions that force you into an identity that lacks the depth or real desires you hold.
Edit: The part I left out is the losing of the perception of being separate from everyone and everything and gaining the recognition of being connected to all other things… I think this the other phenomena that most people here have already touched on.
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