What is the ego? Evolutionary mechanism. Allows for individual personality and identity (rather than losing self in group). Ingrained part of every personality. What is ego-based consciousness? Mental dimension that is characteristic of the physical realm. On our life journey, our vibration naturally increases overtime, which means we are always pushing up against the boundaries of the ego. The goal is to expand our awareness beyond ego-based consciousness while still understanding how to navigate it. Why ego-based consciousness is important. We are incarnated, which means we need mechanisms to navigate the incarnate (physical) realm. On the mental dimension, this is reflected as the ego, the “I”, the self-identity. In many situations, our ego helps us navigate important life experiences, regardless if deeper spiritual work is ongoing. When does the ego become problematic? When it impedes our natural expansion by hindering self-growth and evolution. This happens when unhealthy perceptions or beliefs perpetuate until they become limiting (we cannot move past them). This is why enlightenment practices (reaching for higher vibrational frequencies) requires ego-work (releasing of lower vibrational frequencies). In this episode, we discuss the nature of the ego, why it's important to integrate, the harms of trying to 'kill' or 'get rid of' your ego, and why the ego is necessary to live a fulfilling and satisfying life. The "Rules for Being Human" that I discuss in this recording were written by Cherie Carter-Scott. They can be found at this link.