The ego mind is a part of the mind that stops forward movement. It’s the belief system; it is the part of the mind that has trapped you into believing that you “can’t.” You can’t have inner peace, happiness, or purpose. Once you believe this trap, you begin to live it.
In the traditional teachings of enlightenment, the goal is to free the commentary in the mind. Humanity is referred to as “ignorant,” void of being awake to the greater capacity of the heart and mind. In this state of not knowing people identify with their outer surroundings, with thoughts and memories. You become obsessed with “me” thoughts—“How can I progress?” and “What do I want?” Because there is no center and no sense of self-awareness. Every thought and emotion creates a separate “me.”
The ego needs to know. It craves control. As you begin to separate from personal needs through daily practice of meditation and self-inquiry the old personality mechanisms start to shift to create a space in your consciousness. In this space you begin to witness life rather than take it on. You begin to stand outside of the experience. In these split-second occurrences your inner self starts to unhook from the ego’s control, and a new awareness starts to take shape.
How to Release the Ego’s Control?
Ego gives you identity. It shapes your world and gives you the ability to move through the world. In one aspect you can’t live without the ego, but on the other hand, aspects of the ego require a peeling away of the outer layers. This allows you to see an inner presence that is beyond anything you can imagine right now.
As you journey through life take a pause while experiencing a fearful situation, for example. Instead of shutting down and stop feeling, open the heart and experience fear. Inquiry to the fear: what is it teaching you? Especially feel the fear in the solar plexus. Once you become unafraid to confront personal issues you’re on your way to teaching the ego how to let go. Every time a confusion or fear pops up dialogue with it to locate the real cause of tension in your life.
Enlightenment
The controlling ego starts to lose its feeling of existing as a “personal guard” to the self. Then a type of “ego death” starts to take place. This perceived loss is experienced through a sensation that one is the whole universe (and therefore there is no need to differentiate the “me” from the “universe”) or by simply acknowledging the “me” does not exist. This is characterized as the perceived loss of boundaries between self and environment, a sense of the loss of “control” takes place.
When these experiences happen they might occur as a fleeting moment of devoid consciousness. This often scares the ego and it lusts forward to grab onto something that is more real and tangible. Usually ego attaches to another personality mechanism of control or disapproval. Until one day the ego trusts the self (soul) and allows for the soul to completely come out of the shadow and emerge. You experience a cosmic ah-ha moment of enlightening the mind from its confines and finally awaken for good.
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