eli5: What is an “ego death”?
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A lot of commenters have provided a textbook definition which is certainly helpful but the root of your question may also be what does it mean for a person and what could be a result of it?
Ego death can be very uncomfortable and even scary for many people. While some may stumble into it accidentally others may actively pursue it and if its uncomfortable you may wonder why?
Separating your ego/self from your consciousness, while scary, also can offer perspective that some may see as therapeutic and beneficial to personal growth in the long term.
For example, maybe a person’s ego tells them they are a smart human american man who likes cars and sports and maybe they look down on certain kinds of people with unconscious bias because they don’t adhere to their idea of what that person should be and act like. Maybe before ego death that person never really thought about these things consciously and afterward they may now better analyze having experienced what its like to be free of these tendencies, if but for a fleeting moment in time.
The perspective I mentioned from detaching from one’s ego could allow them to observe these things in a conscious way. Perhaps this theoretical person decides they don’t want to be defined by being smart or being a man or being american and maybe they experience a lasting perspective or personality shift. Maybe they gain more empathy for other people unconsciously operating meat suits who are going about their own daily lives governed by this somewhat fabricated ego themselves.
To summarize in a simple philosophical sense, an ego death offers perspective that helps some people reevaluate their lives and personalities.
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