Spiritual Ego

[Maguru]

I wonder if anyone has experienced their own 'spiritual ego' or seen it in someone else? I think 'spirituality' is transforming one ego for another and mostly not based in the reality of our humanity.

I think the 'spiritual ego' is recognizable by spiritual ideas of grandeur, being special or chosen by an even greater grandiose figure head. It also doesn't come naturally. There are elements of control, and regular ongoing spiritual practice is necessary to maintain it.

The 'spiritual leaders' who are immersed in it appear to be special in their expertise but if they were permanately removed into a totally different life-style with no access or followers, their expertise would be replaced as they would have to adapt.

Of course, ego is just a concept within which we can know ourselves. What is truly happening is we are changing the sense of self but is this sense of self aware of itself as a human being or is it a 'spiritual ego'?

[supertom]

Not exactly sure what you mean

If you saying that spiritual teachers have just taken their ego and plugged into spirituality but think they have transcended the ego. Than I would agree

[taylor]

I've experienced it in myself in the form of specialness. You feel like you are separate from everyone else. You have the truth, are the holy one, are special or different in some way from everyone else. I really got off on this during my initial phase of spirituality. I worshiped the image of myself as an outsider devoted to truth no matter what. It was really important to me to separate off from everyone else to establish myself and my own values.

It was very Ayn Randish in a way for me because I always derived my values from rational thought processes. I really valued my individuality and difference from other "normal" people. I actually think that's healthy to a certain degree because before then I just kind of followed the crowd when it came to spirituality. I didn't know who I was or what I believed.

Now after studying the ego structure I see that having an individuality different from others is a limitation to love that I don't want or need. In A Course in Miracles it's said that the only real identity is a shared identity. To perceive someone as special is to limit them, when in reality we are the Oneness which isn't special or different from anything.

Any self-identification with form is ego. If that form takes the shape of a superior, more knowledgeable or special spiritual figure, then that to me is spiritual ego.

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by supertom

Not exactly sure what you mean

If you saying that spiritual teachers have just taken their ego and plugged into spirituality but think they have transcended the ego. Than I would agree

Yes but not quite plugging in. It isn't really about their/our spiritual beliefs but the 'spiritual person' that emerges. Thanks

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by taylor

I've experienced it in myself in the form of specialness. You feel like you are separate from everyone else. You have the truth, are the holy one, are special or different in some way from everyone else. I really got off on this during my initial phase of spirituality. I worshiped the image of myself as an outsider devoted to truth no matter what. It was really important to me to separate off from everyone else to establish myself and my own values.

Thanks for your honesty. It isn't always easy to expose your own ego and it probably wasn't for you at the time.

It was very Ayn Randish in a way for me because I always derived my values from rational thought processes. I really valued my individuality and difference from other "normal" people. I actually think that's healthy to a certain degree because before then I just kind of followed the crowd when it came to spirituality. I didn't know who I was or what I believed.

So in reality you were able to make a huge shift in who you were through awareness of spiritual ego.

Now after studying the ego structure I see that having an individuality different from others is a limitation to love that I don't want or need. In A Course in Miracles it's said that the only real identity is a shared identity. To perceive someone as special is to limit them, when in reality we are the Oneness which isn't special or different from anything.

Any self-identification with form is ego. If that form takes the shape of a superior, more knowledgeable or special spiritual figure, then that to me is spiritual ego.

Why would dropping spiritual ego remove your individuality? I can see how your spiritual ego could be a limitation to love but not to you the human being.

I believe we have to self-identify to exist as a human being but the self-identification isn't always true. Your journey with spirituality has given opportunities to change and you have. It's wonderful and there's no harm in loving yourself to bits for this achievement.

[taylor]

Originally Posted by Maguru

Why would dropping spiritual ego remove your individuality? I can see how your spiritual ego could be a limitation to love but not to you the human being.

I believe we have to self-identify to exist as a human being but the self-identification isn't always true. Your journey with spirituality has given opportunities to change and you have. It's wonderful and there's no harm in loving yourself to bits for this achievement.

I do love myself Maguru and thank you for that.

I went to a spiritual seminar once and I actually felt a moment of panic because there were so many people just as weird as I was. I identified with being special to the point where I actually found it threatening to find this group too similar to me. I think a lot of the interest in psychic powers can be related to that. There is a certain sensual appeal to being special, powerful, mysterious, etc.

Giving up spiritual ego doesn't mean you have to drop an identity, that's just the way I do things. I'm of an eastern school where I don't want an identity. To me ego is any identification with form and is the core "problem". But there are many different ways to combat that spiritual ego, or spiritual pride you might call it. One way is just to be grateful for your spiritual good fortune rather than proud.

Any method in which you turn self-aggrandizement into self-acceptance or love is good in my eyes. It's an energy thing. You can feel it. Is it coming from love or are you feeding off the "juice" of some image you've made up.

[theuprising]

Originally Posted by Maguru

Thanks for your honesty. It isn't always easy to expose your own ego and it probably wasn't for you at the time. So in reality you were able to make a huge shift in who you were through awareness of spiritual ego.



Why would dropping spiritual ego remove your individuality? I can see how your spiritual ego could be a limitation to love but not to you the human being.

I believe we have to self-identify to exist as a human being but the self-identification isn't always true. Your journey with spirituality has given opportunities to change and you have. It's wonderful and there's no harm in loving yourself to bits for this achievement.

no, you must drop all egos to stare into the reality of existence. Afterwards you can take on whatever ego you choose with the wisdom that its not REALLY real, but at the same time, its the only thing that's real atm.

[ChrisGinsburg]

I had all my ego's fight it out gladiator style. You might say I'm being silly but I can do whatever I wish with self created illusions.

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by taylor

I do love myself Maguru and thank you for that.

I went to a spiritual seminar once and I actually felt a moment of panic because there were so many people just as weird as I was. I identified with being special to the point where I actually found it threatening to find this group too similar to me. I think a lot of the interest in psychic powers can be related to that. There is a certain sensual appeal to being special, powerful, mysterious, etc.

Giving up spiritual ego doesn't mean you have to drop an identity, that's just the way I do things. I'm of an eastern school where I don't want an identity. To me ego is any identification with form and is the core "problem". But there are many different ways to combat that spiritual ego, or spiritual pride you might call it. One way is just to be grateful for your spiritual good fortune rather than proud.

Any method in which you turn self-aggrandizement into self-acceptance or love is good in my eyes. It's an energy thing. You can feel it. Is it coming from love or are you feeding off the "juice" of some image you've made up.

My spiritual ego experience is a lot different to yours. I have been unravelling, searching and making conscious changes for several years. I used the concept of ego as a way to see all the aspects of myself. In the beginning I found aspects of self born from life experience, for example being a martyr, saboteur, pioneer and more.

I had not been previously aware of these 'ego' parts of myself. Usually, awareness is enough to make the change and as these began to dissolve, another aspect of myself began to emerge. A spiritual self. Now this is where it gets big. I thought I was god's daughter as the spirit of Jesus, then a reincarnation of Jesus' mother, then I was metaphysically 'first string' in the string theory, then god's wife, then god's mother, then first amongst equals, then the devil, daughter of darkness, then spiritual mother to all mankind and finally, god's equal. I've probably missed a few out but it was quite a journey.

I haven't ever divulged this kind of information before but, like yourself, I recognized them for what they were and the whole process has cultivated everything that I was searching for outside of myself. I now have faith, trust, belief and a knowing of my whole self. I am completely content with who I am. No more spiritual, egotistical skeletons in the cupboard for me. It's so good to be just me. Ahhh....

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by theuprising

no, you must drop all egos to stare into the reality of existence. Afterwards you can take on whatever ego you choose with the wisdom that its not REALLY real, but at the same time, its the only thing that's real atm.

What part of self is staring into the reality of existence and what is the reality?

[ChrisGinsburg]

Originally Posted by Maguru

What part of self is staring into the reality of existence and what is the reality?

There's only parts of your self if you want there to be parts.

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by ChrisGinsburg

I had all my ego's fight it out gladiator style. You might say I'm being silly but I can do whatever I wish with self created illusions.

I have had some major inner battles too. I took on god to dethrone him and me take over. It was a hard won victory but exhilerating!

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by ChrisGinsburg

There's only parts of your self if you want there to be parts.

It's useful when wanting to know self or change self.

[zeitgeist]

Originally Posted by Maguru

I wonder if anyone has experienced their own 'spiritual ego' or seen it in someone else? I think 'spirituality' is transforming one ego for another and mostly not based in the reality of our humanity.

As always Maguru, you are spot on. I tried communicating this idea in a different discussion about whether or not the spiritual path traveler should leave those - supposedly - stained worldly activities behind. We feel downspirited because we see and feel things we don't like, but then the same force that creates those issue in the first place takes us and tells us to go to a place where everything is supposedly much holier. The spiritual ego is the last illusion and unfortunately it is easy to get trapped in it.

All the best,

Zeitgeist

[taylor]

Originally Posted by Maguru

I thought I was god's daughter as the spirit of Jesus, then a reincarnation of Jesus' mother, then I was metaphysically 'first string' in the string theory, then god's wife, then god's mother, then first amongst equals, then the devil, daughter of darkness, then spiritual mother to all mankind and finally, god's equal. I've probably missed a few out but it was quite a journey.

Maguru, what a journey! I bet you learned a lot adopting all of those different identities.

[SethWilliams]

Originally Posted by taylor

I do love myself Maguru and thank you for that.

I went to a spiritual seminar once and I actually felt a moment of panic because there were so many people just as weird as I was. I identified with being special to the point where I actually found it threatening to find this group too similar to me. I think a lot of the interest in psychic powers can be related to that. There is a certain sensual appeal to being special, powerful, mysterious, etc.

Giving up spiritual ego doesn't mean you have to drop an identity, that's just the way I do things. I'm of an eastern school where I don't want an identity. To me ego is any identification with form and is the core "problem". But there are many different ways to combat that spiritual ego, or spiritual pride you might call it. One way is just to be grateful for your spiritual good fortune rather than proud.

Any method in which you turn self-aggrandizement into self-acceptance or love is good in my eyes. It's an energy thing. You can feel it. Is it coming from love or are you feeding off the "juice" of some image you've made up.

Really. I always felt a sense of disconnection with people. I didnt care for speciallness. Were not special in any sense. No one is.

Even Jesus, Buddha, or anyone.

Doing things no one else had reached the capability just meant I spent my time differently to others.

Even if I seemed to have a "knack" for it.

Infact I loved being around other people who were like me. It gave me a chance to experience human love and connection I had never had before.

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by zeitgeist

As always Maguru, you are spot on. I tried communicating this idea in a different discussion about whether or not the spiritual path traveler should leave those - supposedly - stained worldly activities behind. We feel downspirited because we see and feel things we don't like, but then the same force that creates those issue in the first place takes us and tells us to go to a place where everything is supposedly much holier. The spiritual ego is the last illusion and unfortunately it is easy to get trapped in it.

All the best,

Zeitgeist

Thanks Zeitgeist, the idea doesn't seem very popular.

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by taylor

Maguru, what a journey! I bet you learned a lot adopting all of those different identities.

Yes, I learned when to keep my mouth closed. I didn't become lost in any of them but I sensed myself as them and tested them out. Bit by bit, I realized they were projections of myself born from ingrained childhood fear and pain. I had a great need to 'save' the world and realized I needed to save me. What a battle! All the best to you.