Question:
Does the ego ever come into alignment with the evolutionary impulse? And if so, what happens to it? Does it go away or dissolve?
Answer:
It depends which ego you’re talking about. Ego is a term that is used in different ways, by different people to mean different things. So when you hear the word ego, you might have a certain set of reference points, but they might not reflect the definition of ego that I’m using.
So there are many different ways that people talk about ego, but for the purposes of this conversation, there are two main definitions: the psychological and the spiritual.
The psychological definition, which originated with Sigmund Freud, talks about ego as the functional center of the psyche. It’s the organizing principle of the self that allows us to engage with the world. It’s where our values and commitments live. It’s our psychological center, which allows us to make good, healthy, mature choices, and not just be ruled by our primitive impulses or by the influence of others. That kind of ego is something that never goes away.
But the definition of ego commonly used by spiritual teachers is something altogether different. Ego, in this context, is your self-image. It’s your story about yourself. But it’s even more than that. Ego, in this context, is the emotional investment you have in your self-image. It’s your attachment to the story you tell about yourself that causes you to defend it, no matter what.
And if you’re invested in a narrow, limited view of yourself, it will be extremely difficult to discover the limitless consciousness that is your true nature beyond the ego. It’s for this reason that, in spiritual circles, ego is often described as the primary obstacle to awakening.
So, going back to your question, I think what you’re really asking is “Can my own sense of self become fully aligned with the evolutionary impulse? Can this impulse become my core orientation for how I relate to the world?”
The answer is yes! This kind of reorientation of your own psyche is definitely possible. In fact, it’s the goal of all this work…..
……Simply put, when you take a consistent stand to no longer align with it, the ego stops bugging you as much. It’s there, but it doesn’t have as much influence as it used to. It goes from being like a Rottweiler that’s got you pinned to the ground to being more like a little Chihuahua who’s a few feet behind you yipping at your heels as you walk down the road. It’s still annoying, but it doesn’t really affect your walk. Even though you’re aware of a noise behind you, your eyes are facing forward
Read the total article:
Does the Ego Ever Disappear? by Craig Hamilton
