Leggo the ego

Ego death is a change in one's sense of self-control.

The sense in which the ego 'exists'

How can that which has no true existence die? It is crude to say that "ego has no true existence". The definition or meaning of the term 'ego' is highly problematic. Whether ego "truly exists" or not totally depends on the assumed meaning of 'exist' and 'ego'.

Ego is some ways exists. Ego is some sense can die.

You've got to learn to think in terms of words as signifiers that can take on multiple meanings, referents, or sets of associations.

There is 'ego'(1) and 'ego'(2).

'Ego' in the term "ego death" means, say, 'ego'(1) but not 'ego'(2).

The senses or usages must be differentiated, and only then can the discussion make any progress.

What is it that ego-bashers bash? If there is no ego, as they claim, then why do they get so upset about ego? Ego is not simply nothing at all. The typical newage mode of discussing ego is extremely naive and clumsy and will never get anywhere.

The problem is not to promote ego, as in Ayn Rand's objectivism, or to condemn ego as evil, as in New Age, nor to deny the existence of ego, also as in New Age. The problem is to explain all the meanings, concepts, experiences, and usages of those things or patterns that can well be labelled 'ego'.

To declare ego flat-out nonexistent is to fail to explain anything. 'Ego death' refers to a specific, standard human experiential phenomenon.

link via Brain Orgasm