If you’re in pursuit of spiritual awakening and enlightenment you’ve likely come across the term “ego death” or “ego dissolution” in your search.
Ego death has a deep tradition in Hinduism and Buddhism, becoming popularized in the west by Carl Jung’s term “psychic death”.
But what exactly is ego death? How do you experience it and is it even desirable?
These are all questions we’re going to answer today.
Key Takeaways
- Ego death is the experience of losing your sense of self. During this experience the boundary between you and the external world dissolves.
- The experience of ego death though terrifying at first often leads to a state of love, unity, and bliss.
- Ego death, though very profound, is not a permanent state and you will come back to a regular state of mind at some point.
What Is Ego Death?
Ego is an individual’s sense of a separate self. It’s the identification with your mind and body.
Ego death is the experience of losing your sense of self. During ego dissolution your sense of self identity literally dies leading to a feeling of unity with all of existence.
It’s the experience of losing the boundaries between the self and the external world.
What Does Ego Death Feel Like?
At first, ego death can be the most terrifying experience of your life. It’s a truly intense experience. Imagine feeling like you’re actually dying.
The ego death experience itself can be full of panic, fear, shakiness, and adrenaline.
Now you aren’t dying of course, just the “you” that you thought you were dies.
After the death of the ego you merge with infinite consciousness. That is what “you” end up being behind the ego.
The experience after ego death can be quite blissful and peaceful as you’ve merged with all of existence. Some say they merge with love itself during ego death which is a very pleasant experience.
Other’s say that after ego death you forget not only who you are, but you forget that anything exists at all. You just are. Plain and simple.
Ego Death Symptoms
The symptoms of going through the ego death itself can be described as:
- Fear
- Panic
- Dread
- Impending Doom
- Adrenaline pumping
After the ego actually dies and you merge with consciousness itself symptoms include:
- Bliss
- Love
- Spaciousness
- A feeling of no time
- Expansiveness
What Causes Ego Dissolution?
Many things can cause the experience of ego death. Some can be intentional while others accidentaly causes.
Spiritual Awakening
Ego death is a form of spiritual awakening itself. However, other types of spiritual awakenings can trigger the experience of ego death as well.
Anything that increases your conscious awareness has the potential to trigger ego death including spiritual awakening.
WHAT STAGE OF YOUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY ARE YOU IN?
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Psychedelic Usage
Another common cause of spiritual awakening is using psychedelic substances. These mind altering drugs can expand and change your consciousness in such a way that ego death occurs.
Substances that can induce ego death include:
- LSD
- Psilocybin
- Ketamine
- Ayahuasca
- DMT
* I am not advising anyone to take these substances, use your own discretion and consult local laws in your area for legality.
Meditation
Many spiritual practices can induce ego death. The most notable of these practices is simple meditation.
Meditation is known for its ability to expand your awareness and help seekers have spiritual insights.
The best way to meditate for spiritual awakening and ego death is by using a technique known as strong determination sitting.
Benefits Of Ego Death
Many ego death experiencers claim that it changed their life for the better. Some commonly reported benefits of ego death include:
- Greater life perspective
- Feelings of bliss and love during the experience
- Reduction in depressive and anxious symptoms
- Spiritual growth
- Emotional healing
- Reduction in bad habits
The experience of ego death is deeply personal. What one person experiences will be totally different from what you might experience.
Ego Death Common Issues
Ego death is not without its issues. Especially leading up to the experience ego death can cause a lot of inner turmoil.
Common issues with ego death include:
- Dread and fear leading up to the death of the ego
- Feeling ungrounded and too detached
- Depersonalization after ego death
- Difficulty integrating the experience into life
Though ego death may have some common problems, most report it to be a positive experience leading to beneficial life transformations.
Ego Death FAQs
How long does ego death last?
The duration of ego death can varies from person to person. The experience after ego death is often that of timelessness. Usually the experience lasts from a few minutes to several hours.
In rare cases some individuals experience a prolonged state of ego death that lasts for several days or even longer.
Is depersonalization the same thing as ego death?
Depersonalization is a dissociative experience that involves feeling detached from one’s self.
It can be a symptom of ego death, but depersonalization is not the same thing as ego death.
Can you experience ego death without psychedelics?
Yes, it’s possible to experience ego death without using psychedelic drugs. Ego death can be triggered by many things including meditation and other spiritual practices.
However, the use of psychedelic drugs can induce ego death more quickly and reliably than other methods.
Conclusion
Ego death can be the most intense and transformational experience of your life. Though at first it may be challenging, this common type of spiritual awakening will leave you feeling connected with all of existence. At the end of the day ego death will lead to positive spiritual transformation.
Hi, I’m Ryan. I’m a meditation teacher, spiritual seeker, and founder of nurtureyourspirit.org. I’m glad you’re here! I founded Nurture Your Spirit because of my love of meditation, spirituality, and spiritual awakening.
