Introduction
Ego-Death Explained
When you experience ego-death, your individual self and your boundaries dissolve. Your identity is temporarily lost.
Your perception of time and space disappears.
And if you have consumed psychedelics to reach this space, you will experience incredibly powerful visuals and hallucinations.But what exactly is our identity?
Identity is what makes you special. Your personality, values, relationships, memories etc. As the ego dissolves, all these interconnected elements that make up "You" are no longer there, or relevant. We cease to comprehend ourselves as an individual, we are part of the whole.
However, it is important to mention that there are different descriptions of ego-death. Western culture often views this experience as simply a temporary effect of a psychedelic trip, which vanishes after a period of time. In many eastern philosophical traditions, though, ego-death is not a solitary moment, but a step on the way to self-transcendence: “enlightenment”. The end goal of a spiritual journey.
What do you get out of the experience?
Ego-death is often described as a mystical, spiritual adventure, which leads to profound change. The crux of the much discussed "consciousness expansion" catalysed by psychedelics, or the practice of spiritual traditions like meditation which can lead to a deeper understanding of the self and the universe.
The ego is the source of fear, suffering, “negative” thoughts and emotions. "Negative”, meaning emotions which are difficult to experience, rather than a particular value judgement. In reality there are no good or bad emotions, it is the ego which assigns a value to them. So, if the ego is removed from the equation it stands to reason that the individual's experience of these "negative" emotions also disappears. Spiritual frameworks such as Buddhism describe this experience as reaching inner peace.
Often people report increased feelings of empathy and compassion following an instance of ego-death, from psychedelics or otherwise. This can improve interpersonal relationships and reduce unnecessary conflicts. Egoic behaviours, or, behaviours which are self-serving, motivated by fear/greed for example, are minimized and the well-being of others be given greater consideration.
People also report that these experiences promote a deeper sense of purpose and motivation. Often we already have the answers to our personal issues and mental struggles, but the ego can hold them back.
The ego is shaped by past experiences, opinions of others, cultural and social norms etc. Perhaps this experience can reassert your conscious realisation of this, rather than living with it on autopilot. The means to look at society or the self from a healthy distance, outside of your personal biases, can perhaps allow you to find out more about your true self and actually apply these realisations to your life as a whole.
Negative Aspects of Ego-Death
Carl Jung once said:
"Beware of unearned wisdom”
But what did he mean by that? The death of the ego can force the mind to see parts of itself for which it is unprepared. This can cause incredibly difficult experiences, terror, confusion, the famous bad trip. This experience may be very chaotic and unpredictable, especially with the addition of psychedelics as the cause.If you are a person who likes to cling to control and security, it can be extremely challenging.
You will be forcefully removed from your day to day experience. If you are not prepared to let go of everything, self included, do not attempt to reach this state of consciousness. There are many things to keep in mind before embarking on such a journey.Ego-Death with Psychedelics
The fastest way to reach this state of ego-death is of course the use of mind-expanding substances.
Magic Mushrooms
Bear in mind this dosage range relates to the most commonly used mushroom species, Cubensis, which are of a medium strength.
Dosage will vary drastically for other types of mushrooms.
This dosage calculator from Shroomery.org is a very useful tool for determining your desired outcome: Dosage CalculatorMushrooms are considered a relatively safe option to reach the state of death of the ego due to their low toxicity, and reasonably reliable potency. As always, beginners should proceed with caution and titrate their dosage slowly.
LSD
It is said that you need to take a higher dose relative to shrooms to experience ego-death. However, it is difficult to generalize an exact amount, because everyone reacts to it very differently. Pay close attention to set & setting also, as they play an important role in directing the experience.
Ayahuasca
Ketamine
A typical experience which consumers describe, is the loss of contact with their environment. With sufficiently high doses a“K-Hole” can occur. The user feels a complete separation from the self. The K-Hole is in fact just an alternate description of ego death, likely with less of the spiritual undertones, due to the powerful sedative effects of the substance.
DMT
Ego death with DMT, is often described as the experience of a “breakthrough”. The sheer pace of this can be hard for some minds to endure. Those who make the journey, describe it as being shot through a tunnel into a new reality where "you" cease to exist.
Ego Death Through Meditation
The longest, but likely the safest, most comfortable way to reach the state of self-dissolution is through meditation. Buddhists call this experience “symbolic death” and “rebirth”. It is a profoundly important stage on the journey to enlightenment, which is an idea widespread in eastern culture.
It can take a lot of time and self discipline, a lot more commitment is required than simply placing a tab on your tongue.
In my own experience of this practice it took several weeks of meditating at least once a day to notice any alteration of perception at all, and I still have yet to fully experience self-dissolution. There is no right or wrong approach and there are numerous descriptions of how to reach ego-death through meditation online without taking psychedelics.Conclusion
There is no guarantee that ego-death experiences are going to happen regardless of the practice or substance you employ. But, I believe exploring the possibility and being prepared for it is wise. Psychedelic and spiritual/transcendent experiences are completely individual and other factors like set and setting play a crucial role in making them manageable.
Even taking into account the fact that there is a fairly high chance that the experience of ego-death can be difficult and uncomfortable, I am convinced that I want to attempt to reach it someday.
But I'm in no rush.
I don’t want to actively recommend it to anyone, especially with my lack of experience, but I think the world would be a better place, if more people let go of their ego and attempted to better understand themselves.Remember: you will become “nothing” in this state of ego-death.
By its inherent nature, this is impossible to understand from the perspective of a conscious individual. Do not jump into this lightly. Maybe a wise initial move if, like me, you are excited by the potential for betterment that this experience promotes. Perhaps choose the slow and comfortable method of meditation practice. Once you have a feel for the state of mind (or lack thereof) begin experimenting with psychedelics.Good luck on your journeys! I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments, along with any further ideas, or, methods you use to stay comfortable and safe throughout.