The Modern Human Ego

I would like to share with you what I feel is, so far for me, one of the best description's of what the human ego is. It is a description by Deepak Chopra. He states the modern human ego goes something similar to this...

1. A person who thinks that only material existence is real and thus becomes totally ignorant of their Source, which is both quantum and virtual. They accept the illusion of time and space. When this happens contact with the Source is lost. The voice of the soul begins to grow fainter and fainter.

2. A drift in seperation is felt, the person seeks desperatly for something to cling onto. Life can not abide Being without a foundation; therefore the mind creates an entity known as the ego. This "I" is the same as the personality. It is constructed from all kinds of experiences, and as these become all important, the "I" and its needs have to be defended at all costs.

3. The ego has many needs, and so it begins to value the fulfillment of those needs. The whole world becomes a means to make the ego stronger, more powerful, more important, and more secure. To that end, it pulls all kinds of objects towards itself: food, shelter, clothing, money etc.

4. For a time this strategy works. Although it never becomes truely secure, the ego finds that life can be filled up by acquiring more and more. No one can gain complete control over the environment, however; therefore the ego has to spend a great deal of time avoiding pain and danger. As attractive as certain things are, others are equally repulsive.

5. Caught in a worldwind of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain, the person achieves many goals. The years pass, and seperation (from Source) does not even seem to be a problem anymore.

However there is an end to all this acquiring, all this experience for the sake of experience. Over it looms the certainty that life will end. Fear of death becomes a source of suffering because death is the undeniable reminder that the ego's strategy for survival never solved the original problem - ignorance about how things really work.

The above is taken from his book into the Souls Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries, that of how to Know God.

Ive read many descriptions of what the ego is and how is takes over our true Spirits journey, however the above made me stop and read it several times, its power was so intense and true. How very true that the one thing the ego can never solve is how things really work, it cant and it never will because its a created false entity, its created from the "I" whereas our Spirit is infinite and knows All and comes from the I AM.

Maybe its not how you see the human ego, but I thought Id share it with you anyway.





[edit on 4-6-2010 by Mr Green]

Hello MrGreen!
Thanks for the post!
I am a fan of Deepak, his books read nicely and offer insight into some of the deeper questions we have here. I like that he brings spirituality to people, which I think is needed in this spiritual vacuum, who are turned off by religion and dogma.

I read Ageless Body Timeless Mind and one thing I took from it, in regard to ego was becoming aware of how much we say "I" this and "I" that. I realized how excessive this process was with people, including myself. It is a real challenge to change how we think but I have found this exercise of minimizing the "I" beneficial in taming my ego to stop dominating my thought process'.

I think our ego has been conditioned and fashioned into this materialistic, self serving attitude that only creates more separation from others, reality and inner peace.
So I am down with less "me" and more "us."

Peace


[edit on 4-6-2010 by speculativeoptimist]

wow this is a post great. this is exactly how i try to explain the ego to people, me an this guy are definitely on the same page. i seriously feel the human ego is the greatest downfall of mankind. it creates things such as greed, vanity, ignorance and a sense of inequality as well as so many other terrible traits. if it wasn't for the ego i truly feel the world could be such a better place. some might argue that some of the greatest minds in our time couldn't have gotten to where they are with out an ego, but i beg to differ. i think they would have gone farther because i think the ego is mainly routed in fear, which only holds people back. and since i know this post is mainly opinion, i'll leave it at that.

thanx for the post

reply to post by Mr Green
Maybe it's irony or maybe it's just ignorance on my part? Who's to say?!

When I read or hear 'enlightened' people talking about the egos of others I just can't help seeing them as egotistical. Crazy huh?

For example, Chopra was part of some debate with Shermer and seemed to exhibit the same tawdry emotions as the rest of us. He retaliated, attacked and showed the same human qualities you and I would show when our beliefs are challenged. It made him human and no better or worse than most folk*.

* still better than Shermer

reply to post by speculativeoptimist

I am a fan of Deepak, his books read nicely and offer insight into some of the deeper questions we have here.

This is the only book of his I have read, but I thought it linked metaphysics and spirituality very well. I can not see really how the two can truely be seperated. What other books of his have you read, and what might I learn from them?

reply to post by Mr Green


Ageless Body Timeless Mind
Life After Death
Book Of Secrets
Spontaneous Fulfillment Of Desire
The Path To Love

These are the ones I enjoyed most and here's a link to all of his books.
store.chopra.com...

"What may I learn?"
What I walked away with was a stronger connection with spirituality, love and connectedness. He draws on the many varied sources of faith and religion, combining and presenting them in layman like terms and without the "exclusiveness" of any particular system as being complete.
I also learned more about how love and attitude can/does work in our lives.
He is able to combine Metaphysics and spirituality well, imo, and is one of many writers who has inspired me to live with more purpose.
We can be spiritual without being religious. We can believe in God without putting a particular face on him/her/it.

He is also an Endocrinologist, so he ties in the physical aspect of spirituality and health, describing how our hormones play a part in our beliefs, actions and well being.

I enjoyed Life After Death for it was a different angle on the subject of afterlife.


Kandinsky- I saw that debate and admittedly was a bit turned off too. I will not let that take away all of his credibility though, but that's just me. As you said, he too is human.
I think he got a bit agitated at the "higher than thou" attitude of the established Religious community. But yes, he must be careful not to do the same.
Peace


[edit on 4-6-2010 by speculativeoptimist]

Originally posted by speculativeoptimist
reply to post by Mr Green

Ageless Body Timeless Mind
Life After Death
Book Of Secrets
Spontaneous Fulfillment Of Desire
The Path To Love

Thank you

Kandinsky- I saw that debate and admittedly was a bit turned off too. I will not let that take away all of his credibility though, but that's just me. As you said, he too is human.
I think he got a bit agitated at the "higher than thou" attitude of the established Religious community. But yes, he must be careful not to do the same.

I dont really know anything about the above interaction, but Im sure once a level of enlightenment is reached, and one decides to attempt to share and teach this with others the ego becomes a very real enemy within. I too whont let such happenings take away from me what I feel when I read the words of people such as Chopra, it cant be easy for such people when they are put on the spot in TV debates. Who knows, maybe TV debates arnt such a good idea, maybe its best they let their books do the talking. As long as the human Spirit is in its material body it will always have an ego, one thing we can do is become its silent witness and to not allow it to become a modern monster.









[edit on 4-6-2010 by Mr Green]