Guest Author - Andrea Gardiner, Ph.D.

In the article The Ego - Not Really as Bad as You Think, I began a discussion (really a defense) on the necessary functions of the ego. I felt it necessary this week to expand on the topic of the ego and discuss the possible effects of the attacked and overworked ego that I spoke about in the previous article.

Now the ego that was great at its abilities will now suffer. In its paranoid overworked state it will mismanage its duties. It will no longer see itself as the champion of reason. It will instead become the defender of reason. It now sees any attempt to seek insight as a direct assault and must defend itself. Its first line of defense is to have a great offense. As director of thought and focus it can control the information that is looked at. Focus will be taken way from those areas of the mind that carry information of the nature of Self. The subconscious mind for example, may even be seen as the enemy. Since it is a direct thruway to the deeper portions of you, the ego mind will neglect all information that is there.

Your thoughts will most likely be taken up with things the ego mind can validate, mainly with the five senses. Since the outer reality is its area of specialty it will not feel threatened. It will spend much of your time convincing you of the validity of your physical reality and explaining to you all the reasons why you should identify yourself with this reality. For instance, you may become preoccupied with the belief that you are the physical body that you see in the mirror or that you are what you eat, or maybe even what you feel! All of these associations are directly related to one of the five senses. They are all identifications that the ego mind can validate.

Now if it just so happens that you get hold of information that you weren’t suppose to then the ego will turn into defense mode. It will direct your attention to thoughts that express how silly your thinking is. It will show you how unreasonable you are being to pursue unproven ideas. You will chastise yourself for venturing into unknown waters. Really these waters are not so unknown to the Self, they are however unfamiliar to your personality, and of course anything that is unknown should be feared. Your unproven inklings of yourSelf should be feared according to the ego because you do not know what it is. You have no idea what will happen once you find it; what will it want and what will happen to you? What will become of the you that you know if you are really suppose to be something else that you are not even aware of?

All of the questions posed by the ego are quite frightening and is more than enough reason to give up the crazy notion that there might be more to you than meets the eye. It will effectively sabotage your efforts to put your attention on anything that is not an ego derivative.

As a creative being your flow of Self will ultimately become diminished. The part of You that is meant to be your ally will now work against you. As a result of a divided view of yourSelf you have sprouted an overworked ego that is paranoid, manipulative and fearful. Because you are not allowing the fullness of your Being you will severely limit you creative potential. You will become as limited as you have made your ego. Insights of deeper existence will now fall to the wayside and you will accept the ego version of yourself as Self. Even if you do acknowledge your Inner Self despite your fears you are still setting yourself up for another obstacle as long as you continue to see yourself in a separated manner. Your “spiritual” journey will be littered with struggle and hardship as you engage in battle with your ego. A paradox will be created where your must despise one area of the Self for another. It is not possible to be your True Self under such circumstances.

Unfortunately, the holistic community’s view of the nature of Self is not very holistic either. There are various literature, articles, and holistic radio conversation that condemn particular areas of the Being. Although the ego mind/personality seems to be the most popular one, any and all areas of the mental body may be subjected to scorn in favor of the heart or spirit. Inherent within these views is the understanding that the Self is not continuous. They misrepresent your Being and alter your creative performance while you are here on earth.

The remedy for a plagued ego lies in the true understanding of the Self. In this way the ego can be reassured of its value and purpose within the scheme of your Being. There are many aspects of your Being that are necessary for your full participation in life. None is to be sacrificed over the other or more highly revered. They are all aspects of You. You dishonor yourSelf when you choose to divide yourself. The old adage of “divided we fall, together we stand” has never been more true than in this case. You will conquer yourself when you refuse to acknowledge the wholeness of yourSelf.