Final Thoughts On Ego Death (Part 9)

In this final entry in our series about ego dissolution, pulled from my graduate research, we synthesize and summarize what has come so far, and what questions remained to be answered for mental health practitioners and researchers.

Though the concept of ego death has roots going back to antiquity, Western science has made few efforts to understand or categorize this experience. As someone who has experienced varieties of this, and has tasted the type of wellbeing that is available when normal “egoing” temporarily relaxes, this is rather baffling. It’s no surprise that folks are so adamant about psychedelic and spiritual experiences, when they seem to offer us a type of relaxation and freedom that is so unfamiliar it is almost alien.

Perhaps modern neuroscience has the most widely palatable model of ego death to date: when one experiences ego death, the parts of the brain involved in stimulus predicting, as they relate to a self-image, temporarily go offline or are inhibited; the result is that one experiences life without a self, or without a center to whom all experience is presented. (The neurological features are likely different for an individual in a sustained and functional state of egolessness, rather than in a temporary, substance-induced state). Though this process is interesting enough to keep at least a couple dozen researches busy for a few decades, what happens after ego death seems to be what folks are more interested in talking about; and for good reason. Finally feeling that one is at peace, largely free of anxiety, and in alignment with all of life is no small thing. Arguably, it is what we all ultimately want.

I am not interested in speculating about the ontological, metaphysical, ethical, or epistemic implications of the experiences that follow ego death (though it’s fun to do). Rather, I want to know how and when ego death shows up on the human journey towards well-being. More importantly, for my purposes as a counselor: What are the pitfalls? What does a client who has been traumatized by an ego death experience need? Are there times and places for ego death to happen? Are there developmental milestones that need to be reached before one can have such an experience safely? Are there inherent risks? Can it go wrong? Can it go really really wrong? Those of us who have seen desperate psychonauts go off the rails in their seeking for these experiences intimately understand why one might focus on these questions.

I wish you the best on your journey towards these less well known ways of being. We are lucky to live in a time in which there is widely accessible information about transcendent experience. It’s much harder to trek to a isolated monastery than it is to do some research from the comfort of your own home and find a meditation practice that works for you. For fellow travelers on the path, I offer this: look for guides who offer information about these subject with humility, transparency, and clarity. If someone tries to sell you enlightenment and ultimate freedom from suffering, if you just buy their course or join their group, bow politely and walk away quickly. To other counselors who wish to help navigate these waters with clients, I advise that you study the very best materials we have available. For the rare client who has been deeply rattled by an unexpected ego death, your ability to normalize, explain, and comfort them in their distress may go a long way.

For (just a few) academic resources on this subject, check out these peer-reviewed articles.

If you’d like to streamline the process, skim through this blog series from part 1.