Tracing the Ego of Mankind – Summary and Conclusions

The nature of ego has been known to mankind since ancient times. Hindus sought to suppress it, Buddhists sought to walk a middle path of semi-acceptance, and Kabbalists embraced it as a natural and necessary part of our evolution. Christians, Jews, and Muslims seem to live in opposition to the teachings in their sacred texts by embracing, perhaps even celebrating the magnificence of the ego.

Ego has assisted both the rise and the fall of many empires throughout history; telling us that in spite of the warnings and instructions that were given to the world in ages past, people have chosen to live robustly from their ego.

Today the world appears to be at another peak in the expression and experience of ego. Some believe that we are in the end times and that the world as we know it is about to physically self-destruct. Others believe that we are in a period of awakening that will lead us into an age of peace and harmony. Regardless of what one chooses to believe, there is palpable tension everywhere and it is most certainly related to the collective ego of the world at this point in time.

One thing is certain; this is an amazing and interesting time to be alive. We are seeing the convergence of science and spiritual thought. Quantum physics is discovering unseen laws of the universe that support the spiritual wisdom which has been handed down through the ages. Scientific egos everywhere are in turmoil as they rally behind their intellect, looking not to prove the Universe is One but, to prove that everything is and always was separate, in spite of evidence to the contrary.

The world is also witness to a spiritual explosion of awakening to Oneness. As people recognize their connection to, and influence upon everything, both animate and inanimate, they are choosing less consumptive more earth friendly lifestyles. The impact of this change is felt in everything from food, manufacturing and housing, to medicine, education and politics.

It’s as if the world is completing a giant circle; from knowing we must beware of our ego, into a time where we have lived by our ego until recent awareness that the pain has become too great to continue, many are now heading back into a period of knowing again.

If this is in fact what we are witnessing then it would seem prudent to investigate how an awakening world can grow peacefully within an ailing egoistic society. Recognizing that ego is the veil that separates the illusionary physical world from the eternal spiritual world, we know that ego will always be a part of life on earth. We may find that the best solution has already been given to us in the Buddhist Way of the Middle Path.

Yet, one wonders how recent scientific discoveries might change the dynamics of our world. If in fact our world is like a never ending hologram, will the technology of the future will be mechanical, conscious, or both. In a mechanical world we already know the ego turns greedy, based on past experience. But science is telling us that the hologram or energy matrix that has been discovered is influenced by emotion. We might find that the egoistic mind will seek to enslave others more capable of producing the desired emotions. Of course, the other option is that in a world that can be manipulated with emotion, or thoughts, the enlightened have an unfair advantage regardless of position, power, education or just about anything else.

As the world enters a new age it appears that it will carry with it the same underlying problems it has always experienced, dressed in different attire. The goal remains the same throughout eternity; learn from one’s mistakes and strive for better next time.

Tracing the Ego of Mankind – Ego Creates Errors in Perception

Ego is like a balloon in which one lives. Everything outside that balloon is part of Oneness. From inside one’s balloon the Oneness cannot be seen; only the self can be seen and it is separate from everything else. Sadly, most people of the world live entirely in their own balloons, failing to see the Oneness. The balloon has become an invisible barrier that creates the illusion of separation. This invisible barrier also limits and controls one’s ability to interact with the outer world. The confinement and separation convinces one that they are unworthy to be part of anything else. To break the balloon, eliminating the barrier, is all that is required to see and become part of the Oneness.

Before we metaphysicians become too excited and rush out into the world with giant needles looking to pop the ego filled balloons of mankind, we would be well advised to check the condition of our own balloon first. In Jesus’ words, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”

Ego is clearly the source of the world’s problems and miseries both great and small. Yet to wage war against ego is to fuel the very problem we are trying to solve. In the book, A Course in Miracles, we are told that the actions of the ego are errors in thinking. That means that as metaphysicians we might best view ourselves as teachers correcting errors in how the ego perceives itself and the world around it. This sounds much more loving than the waging of another war. Experience has told us many times that war doesn’t create peace. Consider the war on drugs, the war on crime, and the war on terrorism. None of these wars has been successful, regardless of the time, energy, and resources put into them.

As one prepares to examine their own ego it would be wise to keep in mind the words of author and radio host Garrison Keillor, who introduces us to his mythical Minnesota community with the words, “Welcome to Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.” These words are humorous yet they also represent a poignant commentary on how the ego really thinks. One’s initial self-examination could very well lead them down the proverbial primrose path if they are not completely open to the truth.

One place to test the ego is in identifying one’s motive for becoming a metaphysician and setting out into the world on this particular spiritual journey. Let’s consider this possible mission statement; I will create peace and happiness in the world by teaching, writing, and healing. If we break this down for analysis we might find that create peace and happiness appeals to us either because it simply is the right thing to do (spiritual) or because it will make us feel good (ego). Similarly we can scrutinize teaching, writing, and healing. One may have chosen these means because one is particularly knowledgeable and gifted in these areas (spiritual) or because it’s easier to make a living (money, honor, fame, security) doing this things (ego).

One’s ego will surely try to convince them that they are making their choices for spiritual reasons. Many metaphysicians even argue that it is reasonable to make a living helping people because the Universe demands an exchange of energy. But this argument comes from the ego which believes that life is finite. The Spirit recognizes that the exchange will come sometime in eternity based on one’s need. Buddhists refer to the ideal exchange as selfless giving. Kabbalists refer to it as receiving from the Creator with the intent to bestow. In both of these instances the giver must release attachment to what is given and to all possible outcomes.

When one finds themselves debating or justifying their financial motives it is pretty clear that the ego is involved. This defense is the egos fear that it will not survive. When one’s spirit is engaged this fear is gone and trust is placed in the law of abundance. One only need look at the lives of the great Masters and Saints, who gave help to those in need without expectation, yet their own needs were always met.

The purpose for this discussion is not to say one must be perfectly spiritual and altruistic in order to become a practicing metaphysician. If we were to become perfectly spiritual we would not be living in the physical realm. Rather, it is to demonstrate the crafty ways that ego will dress itself up in order to convince us of our specialness and our separateness. It is when we are able to recognize those times that we are thinking and acting from ego that we are actually awakening to our true spiritual nature. Change then becomes possible through this awareness. This is a lesson one needs to learn about ego and certainly one to be taught to others.

There are many arenas within which one may work to create this awareness. Many individuals are suffering their own self-imposed versions of hell because they don’t understand what their ego is doing to them. Families are suffering from conflicts and pain created by the selfish nature of the ego. Workers are suffering the abuse of power delivered by egoistic coworkers and superiors. Communities and even whole nations are suffering from fear of each other, fear of hunger and poverty, and fear that they may lose control of their destiny. Ego has so many dark faces; there is no end to where the awakened may choose to bring the light of awareness.

It just makes sense to grow where you are planted. That is to say, begin with yourself. The change in you will naturally create change in many of those around you. When you are able to accept the events of your life and your world unemotionally and recognize them as being the way they are meant to be, then you will know you are on the right path. In other words, change what you can and let the rest be. This is what peace feels like and this is what you will want for your fellow human beings. From this position you can teach as a voice of experience. How you value such a gift to the world can only be determined by you.

Tracing the Ego of Mankind – Living Oneness

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Contemporary economist, David Korten tells us “in the world we want, the organization of economic life mimics healthy ecosystems that are locally rooted, highly adaptive, and self-reliant in food and energy. Information and technology are shared freely, and trade between neighbors is fair and balanced. Each community, region and nation strives to live within its own means in balance with its own environmental resources. Conflicts are resolved peacefully and no groups seek to expropriate the resources of its neighbors. Competition is for excellence, not domination.” (Living Oneness, p. 134)

Point by point one sees how much the world must change to experience such a reality. The greatest change of all must be the relationship between man and his ego. As long as man allows himself to be convinced of his specialness, he will continue to commodify, abuse, and destroy the world around him because he fails to see its relationship to himself.

Author Wayne Dyer describes how the ego convinces one of their specialness, by judging some to be more worthy than others, denying the equality of creation, giving one a fear of not being special, encouraging one to accumulate things (to increase happiness and affirm one’s specialness), and by denying unconditional love. He says our ego is ready to be offended by telling us how we expect to be treated and how others should think, feel and behave. The things that offend one are the things that play to one‟s self-absorption.

People who are discovering their Oneness are no longer offended by what others do for; they are only doing what humans do. From a position of Oneness, you see fellow human beings as they are rather than as how you think they should be.

Dyer offers some suggestions to help transcend what he calls ingrained ideas of self-importance. The first thing one need do is to stop being offended. Offence is the ego at work convincing one that the world shouldn’t be the way it is. Yes, we do need to act to eradicate the horrors of the world, but we can do this from a place of inner peace rather than from a destructive energy that only serves to escalate the horror.

Let go of your need to win. There are no losers in a world where everything is one. When we become observers to the world around us we are able to realize that winning only means that on a certain day, with certain competitors, and with certain circumstance, one performed at a certain level in comparison to the levels of others on that day. It simply is not possible to win all of the time.

Let go of your need to be right. Dyer tells us this is like refusing to be the slave of one’s ego by choosing kindness instead. He suggests stopping yourself in the middle of an argument and asking, “Do I want to be right or be happy?”

Let go of your need to be superior. Superiority comes from perceiving something lacking in another. This is the ego protecting its specialness. In a universe where everything is one, each creation has its special job to do and has been given just what it needs to accomplish that job. The gifts each has are unique to their purpose but no purpose is more or less important than another.

Let go of your need to have more. The ego is never satisfied. To transcend the selfish nature of ego one must allow abundance to flow to and through you. In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, “…it is in giving that we receive.”

Let go of identifying yourself on the basis of your achievements. Jesus said, “It is not I who do great works, but my Father.” Billy Graham said, “I am not a great speaker, I just have a great message.” Jesus and Graham transcended the egoistic desire to take credit. Again, the ego seeks to protect our specialness and we must transcend the desire to believe the ego. We are not our achievements anymore than a hammer is a house or knitting needles are a sweater.

And finally, Dyer tells us to let go of our reputation. Reputation resides in the minds of others leaving us with no control over it. When we are overly concerned about how others perceive us we are allowing the opinions of others to be our guide. Character, on the other hand resides within us; staying on our purpose, detaching from outcome, and taking responsibility for ourselves. Character is where we must place our attention.

As the awakening to Oneness has continued to unfold, many speakers, writers, groups, and organizations are appearing with a consistent message that we are not our ego and that ego is a powerful master of deception. There is an uncanny resemblance of ego to the powers and attributes Christians have ascribed to Satan. Evidence is mounting that the battle between good and evil is not necessarily one between nations, armies, religions, or even gangs of thugs, but rather a battle between the Soul and the ego of each individual.

If this is true, then it must also be true that world peace will not happen out there someplace, but will happen one person at a time wherever they reside and whenever they are ready to make the commitment. Some people will always be called to active service like building bottle schools in Guatemala, offering hurricane relief in Haiti, feeding the hungry in Somalia and attending to the many ways that people are suffering in the world. But many more people will be called to grow where they are planted.

For many people their contribution to Oneness and world peace will come from the simple acts of everyday life. In the book, Divine Nobodies, Jim Palmer recounts the stories of ordinary people who have a divine impact on those around them. A few dollars or the right words delivered in a time of need, an unexpected assist with a difficult task, or even just coffee, conversation or friendship; all are simple acts that can have divine consequences. For when we suspend judgments of others and release our attachment to the outcome of our generosity, we are transcending ego and experiencing the connection to Oneness and creation.

Living in an awakened state to Oneness, and consciously making an effort to transcend one’s ego, will lead to many changes in our society. In place of charity delivered with an attitude of benevolence we will find actual caring, loving, and friendship offered to the needy. Our cars will become a reflection of our need for transportation and our homes will become more functional as they reflect and fit a responsible less consumptive lifestyle. Technology will become the tool it was designed to be rather than the status symbol it has become. As our wants give way to our needs, we will find the time spent working to acquire money shrinking and the time found enjoying our lives, family, and friends will grow.

Some people will return to an earthly connection found in gardening or farming, others will find their place in the traditional volunteer organizations, still others will turn their creativity into other types of production that support them in body and soul. For some, their awakening will take them on a journey down the streets of their community putting them directly in touch with those who are most in need of love and acceptance.

One thing is certain, no law can ever be passed that will ensure peace. Laws are a device used by the ego to tell us how things should be, but rarely are. Humanity, as the collective consciousness of mankind, has created the world in which we now live. To change the mind of humanity, we must first change ourselves.

Tracing the Ego of Mankind – The Oneness Movement

The ancient philosophies recognized the human ego and determined that the purpose of life was to somehow manage or overcome its hold. They also recognized the connectedness and inter-dependence of all things in the universe. They called this oneness web of light (Vedic), wheel of time (Tibetan), the Way (Taoism) and One God (Islam). The Eastern World struggled to hold on to this tradition as the Western World embraced the legacy of Abraham.

It seems that the Western World was somehow blinded to the understanding of ego and inter-dependence. The West embarked on a long history of ego driven development where humans viewed the universe as being at their disposal. Many wonderful discoveries and inventions have resulted from this ego driven perspective. Yet, when one looks at the world as a whole it becomes painfully apparent that what has been good for some parts of the world has not been good for others.

The world is now experiencing what is being called the Oneness Movement, which began in India in 1991. It was started by twin avatars Sri Bhagavan and Sri Amma, who are acknowledged as teachers and bringers of enlightenment and god-realization by more than 20 million followers around the world. Their purpose is to uplift humanity’s consciousness from a state of chronic separation and suffering into a state of enlightenment; the awareness of wholeness and Oneness. This is accomplished primarily through deeksha, a transmission of the energy or frequency state of enlightened Oneness.

Deeksha is delivered by a laying on of hands by a trained initiate. It is designed to re-pattern neural functioning in the brain, and thus create a shift in thought processes by dissolving personal perceptual filters that foster the illusion of separateness.

Deeksha has been available outside of India since 2003, and has attracted the interest of biochemist Christian Opitz, a German PH.D. With extensive testing of individuals before and after receiving the blessing, he found that the parietal lobes of the brain were greatly quieted and the frontal lobes were greatly activated, with a slight dominance of the left frontal lobe. The significance of the left frontal lobe is that it brings about a greater sense of happiness and integrated spiritual experience. Whereas, when the right frontal lobe is dominant spiritual experiences may actually make a person more pathological, or even cause hallucinations. Opitz also observed a quieting of the brain stem, which controls much of our primitive fight or flight responses.

In studying some of the dhasas (direct disciples of Bhagavan and Amma) in India, Opitz was surprised to find a huge septum pellucidum. This is also called the brain’s joy center. In most people this part of the brain is underactive, and in depressed people it is severely shrunken.

Testing on deeksha participants seemed to indicate that the blessing not only produced quantifiable neurological changes that were beneficial, but also, unlike investigations of long-term meditators and others who do energy work; the benefits appear to be permanent.

Science has once again demonstrated the reality of the mind body connection in measurable terms. The Oneness Movement seeks to provide the deeksha blessing to 64,000 people worldwide by the year 2012. That represents a lot of lives being lived in a happier more cooperative spirit. Yet in a world with over 6.5 billion people this number seems pretty small. That is, until you apply quantum physics.

Research in quantum physics has revealed, after years of research on the morphogenetic effects of meditation, that the minimum number of people necessary to affect human consciousness in a particular population is the square root of one percent of the population. If we apply this formula to the world population of 6.5 billion, then we see that it only takes 8,000 people in meditation to affect the consciousness of the entire world. If the Oneness Movement is able to affect 64,000 people then they have increased the minimum requirement for change by eightfold.

Not coincidentally, the great hall in the Oneness Temple in Golden City, India accommodates 8,000 people who can meditate together, purposefully influencing the morphogenetic fields across the earth and helping to elevate humankind into enlightenment.

The Oneness Movement appeals to Westerners because it is not a religion, a particular spiritual path, or a set of religious beliefs. However, the movement that began in India is not the only force bringing about the awakening to Oneness. The knowledge has been part of Eastern, Native American, and other indigenous cultures from the beginning of time. As Westerners become more disillusioned by the current state of the world, they are seeking spiritual guidance and many are finding it in some of these older traditions.

As the world awakens to Oneness, we are recognizing that we are not our ego. We are spiritual beings having a human experience; it is the human form that possesses ego. When the human form dies the ego dies with it, and the Spirit, which is who we really are, moves on to the next realm of existence.

Western religious traditions teach that man was created in God’s likeness. The error in man’s thinking was that he understood this to mean that he was superior to all other forms of creation. As he awakens, he becomes aware that his likeness is a spiritual form that is equal and not superior to any other creation.

The world is beginning to understand that Oneness is a life force, a power, a consciousness, and a dimension of existence in which all life is interconnected. It is alive within each of us, and also present throughout nature. It is so much a part of our personal lives that we can easily miss it, unless we catch a glimpse in a special moment; grand moments like a concert where everyone sways and moves to the rhythm of shared music, and simple moments like the blissful peace of a beautiful sunset shared with a loved one. For it is in such moments that we share feelings without regard for status, gender, race, religion, or any of the other illusions of the ego that separate us.

It is not at all surprising that this massive awakening process is creating tumultuous times on Earth. As many people are awakening and therefore striving to transcend ego driven behaviors, many more are responding to the changes with fear, anger, denial and bewilderment; all defense mechanisms used by the ego to protect its self against unknown dangers. Yet, to awaken will require facing the truth of what our ego has done; a truth that includes wasting and polluting resources, extinguishing whole species, and causing unspeakable pain and suffering to our fellow human beings.

Regarding this awakening, Hilary Hart believes “this isn’t a futuristic utopia we’re considering. We might recount some compelling myths, but we’re not talking about a fairy tale. Increased awareness of Oneness doesn’t mean an end to pain or suffering and it’s not an elixir for personal happiness. After all, working with oneness requires us to face the truth of where we’ve been and where we’re going, and take responsibility for our choices that shape the future. But it does bring a lot with it – mystery, meaning, and the hidden powers of unity, and of course cooperation and peace.”

Hart tells us we need to enlarge our perspective. People are starving not because we don’t know they are hungry but because we have either failed to find the solution or have chosen to do nothing; so too are people suffering from oppression and war because we lack the moral wherewithal to develop workable solutions. She goes on to say that the awakening we are experiencing around the world is both revolutionary and evolutionary. It is a historical shift in consciousness that remains difficult for many to comprehend.

Hart is not alone in her assessment of our collective will to solve problems. In the book, End of Days, Sylvia Browne writes that the Antichrist is already here in human form and that his name is apathy. She says, “It’s a fact that evil prevails when good men do nothing.” Too many have been doing nothing for far too long, and what could be more ‘anti-Christ’ than to take the position that poverty, hunger, injustice, and abuse of the planet and its inhabitants are none of our business, or that we’re just too busy to do anything about it? Apathy is a luxury we can’t afford any longer, nor do we want to, because in the end it will destroy us.”

The world has seen the strength and confidence of man’s ego evolve to what is undeniably a high point in history. It would be foolish to think that man will not discover, create, and build even more amazing things in the future. In 1899, Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the U.S. patent office declared, “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” Clearly, he was mistaken and we would be well advised to set no limits on man’s inventiveness.

However, as awakened beings we may find that our inventiveness takes on new dimensions. As more people decide to live from their Spirit rather than from their ego, a new sense of purpose and responsibility will begin to permeate everything in our lives. Science is already feeling the effect of these changes as quantum physics moves rapidly ahead, changing our view of the mechanical Newtonian physics we‟ve trusted since 1687.

It was in 1905 when Albert Einstein rocked the world with his theory of relativity, stating that time and space cannot be separated and together exists as a fourth dimension. Then in 1970, string-theory physics discovered new properties for the behavior of energy.

In The Divine Matrix, by author Gregg Braden, we are told that physicists are on the verge of explaining the holographic nature of our world based on recent discoveries in quantum physics. Physicists have already proven the existence of a web of energy and they have proven that emotion affects this web. These discoveries have brought science and spirituality onto a convergent path of agreement that, as we think, so shall we be. The world around us has been, is now, and always will be the product of our collective thoughts.

This new scientific information has caused some speculation about the ancient wonders of our world. Some scholars speculate that ancient civilizations understood the energy matrix and used it to create such things as the pyramids, aqueducts, and other structures of their time; structures that we would have difficulty replicating today with our technology. We continue to search for clues to how they accomplished such feats. Perhaps when we find these answers we will also be looking into our own future.

Quantum physics and Oneness are giving us the same message that everything is connected and everything is affected by the quality or degree of love we give. Our greatest challenge to implementing this knowledge for the benefit of mankind is the ego. The ego does not recognize Oneness. It sees everything as separate from itself. This duality will be overcome as individuals consciously seek to transcend the pull of egoism. This will occur one person, one ego, at a time until a critical mass is achieved that will change the collective ego.

These changes are already occurring on a massive scale throughout the world. Universal access to and acceptance of the internet has facilitated massive gatherings of like minded people who are sharing their ideas for everything; from animal rights, organic farming, social justice, responsible energy, and world peace, to spirituality and much more. These groups of people recognize Oneness, if not in its entirety, at least in regard to an issue of concern to them.

Further evidence in the rise of consciousness is the vast array of documentary films that have appeared in recent years; films like, Waiting for Superman, Dirt The Movie, I Am, The Future of Food, and To Catch A Dollar. Some of these films are making it to the big screen in theaters around the country, while others are being shared person to person via the internet in a quiet yet powerful cry to us all to wake up and recognize that we are all One.

Tracing the Ego of Mankind – Imagine the Future

Thomas More wrote Utopia in 1515. His vision was of a world of individual freedom and equality that was governed by reason. He said, “in Utopia, where every man has a right to everything, they all know that if care is taken to keep the public stores full, no private man can want anything; for among them there is no unequal distribution, so that no man is poor, none in necessity, and though no man has anything, yet they are all rich; for what can make a man so rich as to lead a serene and cheerful life, free from anxieties.” (Utopia,ch10.html)

The world has experienced communism, socialism, and capitalism; each identified a set of rules for cooperation intended for the good of all the people. Yet each has failed to achieve the perfect state that mankind professes to desire. Too many people don’t like to play fair, and these systems only work when everyone follows the same rules. The ego loves power, status, control, and possession of material things. When the gap between the haves and the have-nots grows too great, the society flounders and falls. There is no peace when all people’s basic needs are not satisfied; and even when they are, the ego becomes envious of those who have more.

Mankind has always imagined a better future for himself. Yet, the world has grown in pockets of disparity, where some countries live in prosperity, even excess, while others live in poverty and despair. It would seem that the perfect world has been elusive, but not for lack of vision.

One would think that the U.S. would be among the happiest and most peaceful places in the world. However, wealth and possessions are not predictors of peace and happiness. Faith Popcorn, futurist and founder of BrainReserve, has spent her career observing the world and predicting trends based on people’s collective interests. In 1992 she said, “For the first time ever in the history of mankind, the wilderness is safer than civilization. There are no crack vials in the wilderness, no subway murders, no asbestos, no Scuds.” (The Popcorn Report, 4)

Popcorn identifies trends that will entrench us in our homes; which she says will become our fortress and place of refuge providing us with a feeling of safety from the outside world. This will lead to distribution systems that supply our fortress. More people will work from their homes and making them intruder-proof will become much more important.

She also says, “For the first time in history, nature is no longer our ally but our enemy. We are the new endangered species.” (The Popcorn Report, 4) Popcorn predicts that our food will be grown under controlled conditions in hygienic labs. This hardly sounds like the Utopia of our dreams.

Popcorn’s predictions clearly identify the separation and fear created by the egoistic mind. If there was a bright spot in her predictions it would be a trend she calls rooting; which is a return to our spiritual roots. For it will be in the security of our spirituality that we will find what we need to prepare for the future.

Man has industrialized the world, made significant scientific breakthroughs, and developed mind boggling technologies in the hope that it will improve our lives. Yet, we always find the need to return to spirit for comfort, security, and hope.

“The future bears a great resemblance to the past, only more so.” (The Popcorn Report,xv)

Tracing the Ego of Mankind – Male vs. Female Ego

Throughout the latter half of the 20th century the Western World experienced an enormous shift in the perception of women’s roles in society. While the seeds of thought for these changes were planted during the suffrage era, they literally exploded as the baby boom generation entered adulthood. The challenges women faced in their new world of work outside the home came from centuries of conditioning both men and women as to how they should behave and what was expected of them.

The resulting turmoil gave rise to a plethora of self-help books intended to educate the genders on how to relate to each other as equals. One of the most widely read books of that time was Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus by John Gray, Ph.D. This book paved the way for improved communication through understanding the communication style and emotional needs of the opposite sex. The book generated enormous conversation and ultimately succeeded in improving the way men and women related to each other, though there were many from older generations who chose to remain unaffected by its revelations and suggestions.

Another type of self-help book emerged as well. This type was aimed at teaching women how to survive in the world of work. They came with titles like “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office,” “Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman”, and “How To Succeed in Business Without a Penis.” These books all directed attention to the differences between men and women. Sometimes they paved the way for understanding and constructive change. Sometimes they told women how to behave more like men. Ultimately, these books succeeded in developing a more individualistic nature in women who were more naturally inclined to be cooperative. This dubious success led to internal conflict for women who wanted to care for their families but felt pressured to perform and compete in the workplace.

In 1984, Susan Price, M.S.W. wrote the book The Female Ego. Price chose to advise women on how to find fulfillment by adjusting to lovers, family and career situations, without suppressing the female ego. She contributed a wealth of useful information but the title of the book and the clinical nature of the text left it sitting largely unnoticed by the general public.

For women, Price says positive strokes would come through affection, intimacy, personal compliments, and the words I love you. They also appreciate touch, hugging and hand holding. Women like recognition for effort, even if the results don’t turn out as expected, for being playful and fun, for talent or intelligence, and best of all for competency.

The male ego is developed differently. It is affected by status as heir and name bearer in the family, with boys getting more family attention. Expectations in a boy’s life are greater. He learns aggression through sports, gets strokes for things he does, gets different chores than girls, and his ego naturally assumes a superior position.

Self-help books written to improve lives may have had the opposite effect. Only 48% of households in the U.S. are married couples in 2011. This is down from 78% in the 1950s. There is a message here if we could only be sure what it is. It could be that with women in the workforce, we’ve developed an economic dynamic that makes marriage unnecessary or even obsolete. This would seem plausible if humans were simply ego driven, but that’s not the case. The study of male vs. female ego is certainly interesting and even entertaining but it is also a very shallow view of who we humans really are.

As workplaces reeled from the influx of women all kinds of new laws were being written to encourage right behavior. Laws governing sexual harassment, pay equality, gender discrimination and family leave were implemented. Business once dominated by the male ego was now faced with its counter force, the female ego and the transition was anything but smooth.

Then, in 1989, a book was published that marked the beginning of a major shift in how business would be practiced for decades to come. In 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, a groundbreaking shift was made moving business from the old male dominated authoritarian model to a model based on personal integrity. The business community was ready for change and Covey’s book took their world by storm.

The habits he identified were the development of a personal vision, leadership, and management plan; be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first. He encouraged interdependence; think win/win, seek first to understand, then to be understood, and synergize (creative cooperation). And finally, Covey identified the need for a program of balanced self-renewal he called Inside-Out Again.

While not overtly spiritual, Covey’s ideas challenged the ego driven authoritarian model that had governed business from the beginning of time. He also showed that it made no difference whether one was male or female. What mattered was that one operated from a point of integrity.

Tracing the Ego of Mankind – Psychoanalysis

Sigmund Freud was a medical doctor, physiologist, and psychologist who lived from 1856-1939. He was born in Frieberg, Moravia to a Jewish family who moved to Vienna where he accomplished most of his work. Freud is considered the father of psychoanalysis for his invention of the science of the mind, though this is the subject of critical debate and controversy. By elaborating a theory of the mind as a complex energy system and then refining the concepts of the conscious and unconscious mind, Freud was able to develop a therapeutic frame of reference for understanding human psychological development and for treating abnormalities of thought.

Through observation Freud came to the conclusion that the human mind has three parts: the id, ego, and super-ego. He describes id as that part of the unconscious that provides instinctual behavior and is totally self-serving. All babies are born with only id behaviors.

He tells us the ego is partly conscious and partly unconscious and is the controlling part of the mind that guides actions in the real world. The ego attempts to satisfy the needs of the id. It is this part of the mind that makes us each appear as unique personalities to the outer world.

The super-ego is also described as partly conscious and partly unconscious. The super-ego is our conscience or guidance mechanism. It attempts to temper the ego’s desire to satisfy id through responsible interactions in the real world.

Freud understood that most of what humans act upon results from thoughts developed in the unconscious mind. The conscious mind is most often unaware of what is causing the person to think or behave as they do as a result of this. He studied not only other people, but also himself through both hypnosis and direct observation and was able to develop methods of discovery of the origins of certain thoughts within individuals and a method for correcting those thoughts leading to a healthier mental state.

However, though Freud was born Jewish he practiced a much more humanistic view point that failed to see any connection between his observations and the spiritual nature of man. If one were to make these connections from a metaphysical point of view it would be clear that the id which he describes is our karma. The ego he describes has been described continually throughout spiritual history but without the word ego attached to it. Ego is what engages us to interact and survive in the physical world around us. The super-ego Freud has described would be better described as one’s True Self, one’s Spirit, or one’s Soul, for it is when we are being True that the urges of the id to influence our ego are being controlled for our higher good.

Freud recognized that ego is awakened or activated as a process of growth when he observed that babies at birth act only from id and that ego becomes part of their nature sometime later. Again, had he drawn upon his Jewish faith he may have seen that this ego development was described in the story of the Garden of Eden. It is in this story that Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of Knowledge and are cast out of the Garden for their sin. Adam and Eve are metaphors for all people in the world who began life living from id. The process of evolution developed or awakened the nature of their ego, which is represented by the Tree of Knowledge. Their being cast out of the Garden for their sin speaks to the separation ego has created between their human form and their Spirit, or super-ego. Freud has given the modern Western world a gift that is not yet fully realized.

We have made great strides in using Freud’s findings to help improve how many people relate to the world. However, psychoanalysis is going to jump a great divide when the spiritual reality of life is introduced to this process. This change is already occurring and can be seen in the work of Dr. Paul Leon Masters, founder of the International Metaphysical Ministry and its two universities. Dr. Masters has developed a doctoral study program for Theocentric Psychology. This program has been developed through his 50 plus years studying and working in the field of metaphysics, and is based on the concept that life is primarily spiritual and that it is within this realm that our problems in the world can be explained and solved.

The breakthrough in this shift to Theocentric Psychology is that problems are examined at a much deeper subconscious level than the ego, which only manifests the symptoms. Solving errors in thought at the karmic level provides eternal benefits that transcend the current physical life.

Tracing the Ego of Mankind – Kabbalah

Kabbalah was developed about 4,000 years ago and has remained pretty much hidden from the world until recently. Kabbalists believe an upper, all-inclusive force, called “the Creator,” controls everything in reality. All of the forces of our world, like gravity and electricity, are connected to this upper force. There are many more forces that work in our world but are hidden to us. By studying their books of wisdom, such as The Zohar one can develop a sense of what the forces are and their purpose. It is likened to studying guides to the comprehensive laws of nature. Kabbalists see their philosophy as science, though many others believe it to be Jewish Mysticism.

A fundamental belief in Kabbalah is that the Creator bestows, and the created receives. It is the task of the created to learn to receive with the intent to bestow. The idea here is to learn selfless bestowal, which sounds very similar to the Buddhist idea of self-less giving associated with positive karma.

Another fundamental belief in Kabbalah is the five stages of evolution which include bodily desire (food, sex, shelter, family), money (ownership, exchange, trade), honor (fame, pride, power), knowledge (control nature, technology), and Point in the Heart (spiritual perception). It is believed that man has collectively reached the first four stages of evolution and that those stages all pertain to man‟s ego. Kabbalah identifies ego as man‟s intent to receive from the Creator and believes that it is how man was meant to evolve in this world. This belief seems to depart from most forms of spirituality in that it accepts the egoistic ways of man as part of evolution and places no significance to it beyond that.

Kabbalah teaches that each stage of evolution must be lived to some point of fullness and satisfaction before a desire for the next stage can manifest. Some believe that we are at a point of evolution where it is the fulfillment (some would say pain) of living from the ego that will drive us into the next and final stage, Point in the Heart, at which level man will achieve spiritual perception.

It is interesting to consider what it means to the world if collectively man has reached the first four stages of evolution with only Point in the Heart, or spiritual perception, remaining. From the caveman to traders to monarchs to industrialists, our past has followed a clear evolutionary path consistent with Kabbalah. We now look to our current world and see the tremendous leap man has taken in knowledge and technology in just the past century. It seems entirely possible that spirituality would be the next step in the evolutionary path. It also bears uncanny resemblance to the Book of Revelations found in the Bible.

Tracing the Ego of Mankind – Eastern Traditions

The Perennial Philosophy was committed to writing over twenty-five centuries ago and was expressed in many different forms. It has been spoken in almost all the languages of Asia and Europe and has made use of the terminology and traditions of all of the higher religions.

At the core of the Perennial Philosophy are four fundamental doctrines: 1) The physical world and the spiritual world are the manifestation of a Higher Power, within which everything has it‟s being, and without which, would be nonexistent. 2) Humans are capable of more than just knowing about the Higher Power. They can also realize its existence by direct intuition thereby uniting the knower with the known. 3) Man has a dual nature; his ego or external self, and his eternal Self which is the inner man or spark of Divinity within the soul. 4) Man‟s life on earth has only one purpose and one end; that is to recognize his eternal Self and to become one with the Higher Power.

From the Perennial Philosophy, one can see that ego has been a concern of humanity for all of recorded history. Over time man has dealt with his ego in a variety of ways. In the Hindu Bhagavad-Gita, we read about the great warrior, Arjuna who asks his friend, Krishna (an enlightened being) how an illumined soul may be recognized. Krishna says to him: “He knows peace who has forgotten desire; He lives without craving, free from ego, free from pride.”

Krishna explains even more about the nature of ego when he identifies the three gunas or bonds that tie man to his mortal existence. It seems sattwa/rajas/tamas are the egos search for happiness and longing for knowledge/ the egos thirst for pleasure and possessions/and the egos delusion and ignorance about reality. Krishna tells Arjuna that man will be made free and become immortal when he has overcome the gunas and no longer yearns for them.

The Hindu tradition was a critical force in the development of Buddhism. Yet, there is a difference in how they perceive the ego and its role in physical life. Whereas Hindus seek to suppress ego, Buddhists seek to walk the Middle Path. This idea of a middle path is explained in an ancient sutra that tells a story called “The Parable of the Bird”.

The story tells of a particular royal palace in which there was a daily ritual of selecting plump birds from a large flock to be served at the king‟s table. One of the birds, who had been captured and kept in the flock, observed this selection process and secretly in his heart considered his fate; if he gorged himself and became obese, he reasoned that he would surely be slaughtered and devoured. However, if he did not eat, he knew that he would perish. In either event, he knew he would not escape death. He determined that it would be best to eat just the right amount so that he could live a long life. From that point on, he adequately reduced his food intake shrinking himself to the size of the holes in the net meshing of his bird cage. He then flew out into open air and became free.

This story suggests that the Middle Path is a philosophy of balance through moderation. It‟s actually more than that. The Middle Path seeks to attain a nature of emptiness. It recognizes that pain and hardship will always exist in the world and that joy, pleasure, and happiness will as well. The state of emptiness is a non-emotional, non-egocentric reaction to these events.

In the Samyuktagama, it says “One who thinks of impermanence will understand the truth of ego-lessness. The Enlightened One lives in the state of ego-lessness, renounces self-conceit and hence progresses towards liberation and Nirvana.”

The Middle Path is therefore more than a philosophy of moderation. It seeks to help one understand that physical life is impermanent and spiritual life is eternal. What happens in the physical life is of less concern (this too shall pass) than what happens in the spiritual life.

Tracing the Ego of Mankind – Reviewing the Literature

Ancient Hindu texts are a rich source of insight into the nature of man‟s ego.

“…The ego gropes in darkness, while the Self lives in light…”  ~ The Katha Upanishad

“The ego is like a stick dividing water in two. It creates the impression that you are one and I am another. When the ego vanishes you will realize that Brahman is your own inner consciousness.”  ~ Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Ancient Eastern religious texts are available primarily as translations and excerpts. They are filled with references to ego and advice for living with or managing ego. Ego appears to have been a very key concept in understanding their relationship to God.

The Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions are considered to be Western traditions and are relatively young at about 2,000 years old. The basis of Jewish sacred texts is the Torah, which became the first five books of the Bible used by Christianity. The principal message of the Torah is the absolute unity of God, His creation of the world and His concern for it.

The Koran is the sacred text of Islam. However, most of the Western world is more familiar with the wisdom provided by the poet, Rumi; also a Sunni Muslim Islamic Jurist, a theologian and Sufi mystic. His current popularity is the result of his tolerance of all religions, and the emphasis he placed on love and charity in his teachings.

“If the foot of the trees were not tied to earth, they would be pursuing me. For I have blossomed so much, I am the envy of the gardens.”  ~ Rumi

“The idol of your self is the mother of all idols. To regard the self as easy to subdue is a mistake.”  ~ Rumi

Sylvia Brown provides a concise description of many indigenous and Native American spiritual beliefs in her book End of Days. The recurring theme in these traditions is a deep regard for the earth and for the plant and animal kingdoms. This regard for animate and inanimate creation outside of the human being demonstrates an awareness of the Oneness of creation and sensitivity to the damaging power of ego.

Clearly, man has had ample opportunity to examine the state of his ego long before Sigmund Freud gave us a proper name and definition for it. It appears that Freud ushered in a new era of thought regarding ego. The ways in which he dissected, analyzed, and proposed curing its ailments, removed any and all spiritual consideration. This mentality became the basis for psychology, sociology and much of the self-help literature that appeared through the latter half of the twentieth century.

The Western world has embraced science and disregarded ego almost since the inception of Christianity. The sacred texts of the Western world provided ample guidance on the matter of ego, yet it appears largely ignored. In fact, strong ego is even admired in certain occupations; including lawyers, politicians, sports figures, and business leaders.

Now as we have entered the twenty-first century we are seeing a new kind of literature entering the market. Interestingly, this literature is the result of science proving what spirituality has been telling us since ancient times.

The Divine Matrix by Gregg Braden, describes a web of energy that connects absolutely everything in the universe. Miraculously, this web is affected by emotion pointing directly back to the power of each individual to influence the world by their thoughts.

Blinded by Science by Matthew Silverstone, investigates the ground-breaking principle that everything vibrates and therefore has an effect on everything else. Water is particularly susceptible to vibration, holding on to it for long periods of time. This has implications for sleep disorders, homeopathy, healing, body rhythms, lunar cycles and much more.

The rise in quantum physics, which is where these amazing new discoveries are being made, coincides with a spiritual movement called Oneness. Authors like Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Don Miguel Ruiz and others, are capturing large audiences, hungry for a gentler life filled with meaning and purpose. 

The literature seems to mimic the circle of life. We begin knowing that ego separates us from the world; we succumb to the darkness of our ego and wreak havoc on the world; and finally we experience an awakening which brings us back to understanding that beyond our ego, we are all one.

The challenge before us is to fashion a peaceful world where some live in ego while others are awakening to the desire to transcend it. The Awakening is in its infancy, and it seems the ramifications of the coming change haven‟t dawned on the world as yet. Books like Suze Orman’s Action Plan: New Rules for New Times may be just the beginning of what we are going to see in coming years. Orman‟s book is an acknowledgement that we are entering a new economic era that promises to be difficult and long term. Practical books like this one help everyone navigate through the changes that are occurring, without regard to one‟s level of spiritual enlightenment.