I’ve been trying to figure out: how do we significantly quiet or alter the voices inside your head, the thought patterns we’ve developed and strengthened over time? And is part of that experience similar to the supposed “ego death”? The subjective experience of “ego”
"Anxiety is characterized by patterns of voices (or thoughts) that lead to fear and worry (big, bad ego?)"
It would be very interesting if the same amygdala response is triggered by both threats of physical harm and those of emotional pain. If so, I'd say it makes sense that we evolved our super complex brains into a tendency for feelings of anxiety out of self defense. Just protecting ourselves from other negative stimuli.
But the argument in quotes above makes this discussion more complicated (saying that the mental experience of anxiety is painful and ultimately negative or "bad"). I would argue that social dynamics are a part of our environment that genes can have "positive" and "negative" traits that affect chances of reproductive success. Perhaps in that sense it's a necessary (or rather, a usually helpful) evil. Mentally painful, but socially-reproductively helpful. but now we have time to think! what other species has had the luxury of having the time to complain about our feelings and how it feels to experience life? we have that unique blessing (and in this case curse).
from a non-evolutionary perspective, and instead from an energy conservation perspective: Do we hold onto those thought patterns because it requires more energy to build a new neural pathway "muscle" or because of an evolutionary basis not to? Or Perhaps another fear-of the unknown?
What i'm getting at: What we're calling ego here is behaviors that seem more biologically/evolutionarily catalyzed. If we define things that way, I'd say that we probably have sophisticated, self-aware, philosophical enough minds and language now, to step away from them.. even though It takes more energy, is more scary, and goes against our insticts. Ego death as letting go of our old dogma. To me this is the beauty of self reflection and the consolation of philosophy. and it is worth doing.
"Anxiety is characterized by patterns of voices (or thoughts) that lead to fear and worry (big, bad ego?)"
It would be very interesting if the same amygdala response is triggered by both threats of physical harm and those of emotional pain. If so, I'd say it makes sense that we evolved our super complex brains into a tendency for feelings of anxiety out of self defense. Just protecting ourselves from other negative stimuli.
But the argument in quotes above makes this discussion more complicated (saying that the mental experience of anxiety is painful and ultimately negative or "bad"). I would argue that social dynamics are a part of our environment that genes can have "positive" and "negative" traits that affect chances of reproductive success. Perhaps in that sense it's a necessary (or rather, a usually helpful) evil. Mentally painful, but socially-reproductively helpful. but now we have time to think! what other species has had the luxury of having the time to complain about our feelings and how it feels to experience life? we have that unique blessing (and in this case curse).
from a non-evolutionary perspective, and instead from an energy conservation perspective: Do we hold onto those thought patterns because it requires more energy to build a new neural pathway "muscle" or because of an evolutionary basis not to? Or Perhaps another fear-of the unknown?
What i'm getting at: What we're calling ego here is behaviors that seem more biologically/evolutionarily catalyzed. If we define things that way, I'd say that we probably have sophisticated, self-aware, philosophical enough minds and language now, to step away from them.. even though It takes more energy, is more scary, and goes against our insticts. Ego death as letting go of our old dogma. To me this is the beauty of self reflection and the consolation of philosophy. and it is worth doing.