The Ego and Spirituality

What is ego? I’ve often heard people say someone is coming from his or her ego. Ego has gotten a bad reputation because if a person is in his or her ego, how can he or she be spiritual? Are ego and spirituality separate?

Our modern concept of ego started with good old Sigmund Freud. Originally, Freud defined the word ego as a sense of self. Later, he revised his definition of ego to mean the organized realistic part of the psyche, compared to the chaotic instinctual id and the critical and moralizing super-ego.  The ego finds a balance between primitive drives and reality while satisfying the id and super-ego. In psychoanalysis, the ego is the part of the psyche that is conscious, controls thought and behavior, and is most in touch with external reality. This perspective is entirely focused on third dimensional experience.

In third dimensional experience, the concept of ego has commonly come to be applied to self worth, self esteem and self identity. A person who is has an inflated sense of self worth is referred to as egotistical. Ego is your identity that separates you from all other people. Taking ego a step further, does having a separate identity separate you from not just other people but from your spiritual nature and from God? You are a spiritual being in physical form. As a spiritual being in physical form, isn’t ego part of you and part of your Divine nature? Every one of us has a mind and emotions. Your mind and emotions are part of you and part of your Divine nature. In order to become more spiritual, is it necessary to eliminate your ego? If we are truly all one, why does separation in the form of individual ego exist?

The ego expresses individuality. Oneness of all Creation expresses spirituality. You are both a distinct individual and a spiritual being. You are an individual with your own cumulative experiences and lessons, while at the same time; you are part of the whole. Just because you have an ego or sense of self, does not in itself create separation. The sense of separation is created by your belief in separation. When you focus on separation and create thoughts and feelings that reinforce separation, you are creating separation. When you move into spiritual trust and embrace your individual connection to all creation, you are creating oneness. There is a duality here, a duality of separateness and oneness that balance each other out. Ego is about balance, balancing your individuality with your spirituality, allowing for and accepting the flow between them. Ego and spirituality are interconnected, balancing energies. Instead of struggling with ego as a separating energy in your life that takes you away from your spiritual path, embrace and work with your ego. Become aware of when you are experiencing an ego related feeling, such as guilt or embarrassment. Any ego related response is a normal part of human experience. As a spiritual being in physical form, how you react to your ego related responses is your choice. You can get involved in the thoughts and emotions that come from your sense of self and create separation, or you can acknowledge the thoughts and emotions you create and experience.  Love the thoughts and emotions that come from your sense of self and send love to all who trigger these responses in you. Focus on Oneness as your Divine nature and the Universal nature of the Divine in all experiences and all beings. Life is in Divine order. Ego is only a bad thing if you see it as a bad because it separates you from the Divine. Ego is Divine.