“Ego is the immediate dictate of human consciousness.” – Max Planck

The ego is a primary aspect of our multifaceted identity; it is often misrepresented and misunderstood. It is how we perceive, behave, and interact with our surroundings. It can also suggest a sense of self-esteem or centredness. But its main feature is that it confuses the mind into thinking it is the true self, which it is not. The ego is that mask that the mind plays in the drama of life.

The ego separates one from all other selves and the world. The mind develops a complex neurological concept that leads you through a rollercoaster ride of dualities, including arrogance and selfishness. You and your ego often seem inseparable, but they are fundamentally separate; the ego is the part of your subconscious mind that functions in a lower consciousness, constructing your outer identity for the material world.

From a psychological perspective, the ego represents the sense of “I” that interprets what the sense organs perceive through cognition, mediated by thoughts, emotions, desires, and experiences. It is the mental framework through which the mind protects its personality (in Greek, a false persona), forms judgements, accumulates assets, and defends and distinguishes itself from others. In the material dualistic world, the necessity of the ego arises for the sake of name, fame, and wealth, which we all aspire to.

All this swirls together to create the ego: the mental construct we call ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ which, according to science, functions primarily at over 98% in the ego or, for that matter, the subconscious. Life remains imbalanced because only about 2% of consciousness and the soul (pure consciousness) are present. The ego thrives on memory, operates autonomously, and consistently strives to be correct, superior, and in control, fostering a sense of superiority. The ego fears falling apart because it relies on external thoughts, feelings, and actions that the mind identifies with and considers to be its own.

However, all the above factors obstruct spiritual growth, inner peace, and the soul’s functioning. Above the subconscious, when the mind is centred and focused, we refer to that state or section of the mind as conscious. The ultimate state of any individual mind is pure consciousness, the aspect we refer to as the soul.

The ego’s very function of protection gradually becomes its limitation. The ego rejects criticism and fosters delusions of superiority to protect its identity. And, if unchecked, it drives the mind rooted in comparison, conflict, and contempt in fear, attachment, jealousy, and separation—all of which can lead to anxiety, depression, and suffering.

Advaita Vedanta asserts that the ego is a false construct created by the mind to gratify emotional desires that believe in separation from one another. This illusion of separation separates the mind from the unity and continuity to which we essentially belong, spiritually. It means that spiritual awakening, or the awakening of the soul, only commences after the mind becomes aware of its false self, the ego. It learns to witness the body, mind, and thoughts without preconditions or attachments, dissolving the illusions created by the ego.

I repeat, the authentic you is that spiritual being-ness, the spirit of awareness that makes the soul first aware and then conscious as it goes through human experiences and is beyond this temporary identity. You are that witness as the waves of spiritual energy, and the witness-er is that individual soul. You are the aware energy that enables your mind to become conscious of the universal awareness and to perceive and conceive everything we know, experience, and realise about the universe. For this reason, you never express your body and mind as ‘I am that’ but always claim it as ‘your body and mind.’

Once this dawns on you, the illusions of ego crumble, and a more profound sense of peace and clarity arises. Where you rise above the limitations of the ego and transcend freely, where life and existence are effortless and unshackled from the idea of ‘I’ and ‘mine.’

Studies have shown that witnessing the mind through the soul and meditative awareness through mindfulness reduces egocentric activity, leading to a higher consciousness of selflessness with a greater sense of unity and compassion. It suggests that the ego is not an inherent essence but rather a neurological pattern that we can transcend through conscious effort.

Ultimately, your ego serves as both a tool and a test. It sustains you and helps you to thrive within a world of form; however, it also makes it more difficult for you to see beyond form. The challenge is to learn how to use it without becoming enslaved by it. The more you mentally note your thoughts and reactions, the more you appreciate your ego for what it is: a conditioned construct, not your authentic self and identity. Liberation is about mastering the ego while still maintaining its integrity by calling forth the deeper self, the timeless, aware spirit, beyond name and form.

Life demands celebrating and experiencing a balanced life in both the material and spiritual realms, as they cannot exist without each other. Only after achieving material realisation does the spiritual soul have the opportunity to awaken, enabling the mind to transcend and evolve into a higher state of consciousness.

The individual soul and the ego are concepts that signify the former as the authentic, integral aspects of your consciousness, enabling your mind to operate in dualities. You, as awareness, embody non-duality, the highest form of energy, which we call “That art Thou.”

The individual soul is that witnessing self, which guides you with the presence of awareness residing within. It is metaphysical, mystical, and spiritual. The ego and the soul separate the absolute energy of consciousness from one another. Both have relevance, as one needs to evolve from ego-consciousness towards the divine through divine deeds for the sake of that divineness that is who you are. The ego is a dynamic energy that drives us towards material progress; however, it becomes detrimental when it takes hold of our vanity.

Ego may cause all our pain, but it is also part of our ‘I am-ness’ that emerges from the same consciousness that determines who and what we are. Without ego, the need for spiritual empowerment would not be there. One should never underestimate the power of our psychic energy, where the absolute non-dual energy has been separated in duality into one end by the ego and another as the spiritual divine. An obsession with one will lead to the deprivation of the other, whether in your material or spiritual development. There is no good or evil; only our dual-operating mind and our choices in separation make it so.

However, the essential purpose of my body and mind, after realising maturity, tells me I must grow out of this rollercoaster ride of success and failure and happiness and sadness. Knowing that God is within, I must also be kind and help humanity find joy. My inner awareness informs me that these two aspects are inherently and intrinsically linked. Buddha, Jesus, and Lord Krishna were neither religious nor rigid; they illumined higher consciousness because of their strong inner individuality. They stood up as rebels, supporting their thoughts and humaneness amid those who were weak, dependent, conditioned, and followers of some faith or another. Humanity still reveres them today.

In conclusion, your ego is neither your enemy nor your essence. Think of it as a curated mask that allows you to partake in the grand drama of life. Recognise and respect it, but do not confuse it with your actual being. The true nature you hold is dwelling beneath the ego in the silence, a place of freedom that is still boundless awareness beyond harsh judgement and fear or division. Understanding and experiencing that space allows a person to transcend the ego. In that transcendence, there resided true wisdom and peace.

NAMASTE