Often  time, people who are interested in spirituality, as well as those who are considering taking the path to liberation, wonder if it is possible to function in this world without the egos, without the defence mechanism and the psychological buffers created by the ego; without things such as anger; the wondering sparked by the rationale that anger is needed in order to go well through life. It is also reflected upon if life could be lived without other mechanisms, such as lust, sadness, fear, excitement, and many other subconscious states that we have inside of us. Besides wondering whether this is even possible, there are also conclusions  saying how it is not desirable to be without the egos, because without them we would be cold and lifeless, just like a plant is.

Despite the common opinion, life without the ego is possible, and it is not the vegetating state that is thought to be, but rather a liberating state of being, a state in which we are conscious of ourselves and our environment to the fullest extent.

I believe that the reason why it is believed that we wouldn’t be able to function without the ego is because there is a misconception as to what the ego is, and a lack of understanding regarding what is our true nature (the consciousness), and because of that it is easy to conclude that the ego and consciousness are one the same. That is why it is necessary to experience ourselves as consciousness as much as possible, which is possible to do by practicing self-remembrance (being aware of the present moment and oneself in the present moment), by regular meditation, and by self-observation (observing the egos in the five psychological centers of the body).

When such exercises are practiced regularly, we get to experience our consciousness in a more profound way; we can then make a clear distinction between the consciousness (who we are), and the ego that we observe. When this is practiced for some time, we would get to moments of inner stillness, of inner peace. Such moments would become prolonged the more we practice, and then we can realize that the ego is not necessary for our survival when we start walking on the path to liberation. The reason for this is because the consciousness (the essence, our true nature) is supported by the inner Being, its greater aspect; we realize that it abounds with virtues, knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. Interestingly, the more we quiet down our mind, the more we can access those qualities of the Being.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that the process of the dissolution of the egos on the path to awakening is not something that happens all at once, but it is a gradual thing. And also, as we eliminate the ego we are not left with a void, but rather with a liberated consciousness. Normally, approximately 97% of consciousness is trapped in the subconscious mind; it is trapped in desires, greed, pride, fears, and many other inner states, and as these subconscious states are eliminated, the previously conditioned consciousness trapped inside them is set free and it merges back with the free consciousness that we have and are.

Therefore, dissolving the egos means that we are transforming our shadow, the subconscious  part of us, by liberating the essence that is trapped inside it. By so doing, the ego is dissolved  and we are more and more free.

Dissolution of the ego means replacing the subconscious, unconscious, and infraconscious states, with consciousness that was trapped inside it. And thus, not only are we not ‘left with nothing’, but rather we remain with a lot more; we gain marvellous qualities of the Being, such as love, compassion, wisdom, knowledge and intelligence, which enable us to do very well in life. Most importantly, we are left with ability to make a conscious decision; which previously was possible only to a very small extent, as most of our decisions are influenced by mechanical subconscious thoughts, emotions and drives.

To be without the ego means to have full control over your life, to be fully conscious of yourself and your inner processes, and to be able to make a decision that is the best for you, not only from the point of view of this lifetime, but also from the point of view of eternity.

To be without the ego is to be truly alive and awake, with your inner divine Being always present inside of you, giving you a continuous peace and high states of being, access to its wisdom, and connecting you with a higher and more total form of life.

It is this that replaces the mechanicity of the egos.

HDP, June 2020.