Ego death

Embracing the Now

The Path to Ego Death and True Awareness

In our relentless pursuit of self-improvement and understanding, we often overlook a fundamental truth: the power of simply being in the present moment. This idea, though simple, holds profound implications for our journey towards inner peace and self-realization.

**Letting Go of Judgment and Bias**

To truly embrace the present, we must first release ourselves from the shackles of judgment and bias. This means observing our experiences, thoughts, and feelings without labelling them as good or bad, right or wrong. It’s about being an impartial witness to our own life.

**The Surrender to ‘What Is’**

Surrendering to ‘what is’ requires a deep acceptance of the present moment, regardless of its nature. It’s not about resignation or defeat; rather, it’s an active engagement with the now. In doing so, we allow life to flow naturally, without the resistance that often leads to suffering.

**Death of the Ego**

The ego, often seen as our conscious self or identity, thrives on differentiation, judgment, and past-future thinking. By embracing the present and letting go of these traits, we facilitate the ‘death’ of the ego. Now this does mean losing our sense of self, transcending the limited, subjective view of the ego.

**A New Perspective**

As we learn to live in the present, our perspective on life shifts. We begin to see the interconnectedness of all things and the beauty in simplicity. The burdens of past regrets and future anxieties lighten, offering a sense of liberation.

**Final Thoughts**

The journey towards ego death and true awareness is not about gaining something new but about losing the misconceptions and biases that cloud our true nature. It’s a path of unlearning, of returning to the essence of who we are.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation, Spiritual Life Coaching & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

Embracing the Shadows

The Transformative Power of the Dark Night of the Soul

In the depths of human experience, where the light of understanding seems but a distant memory, we find ourselves in the midst of what Saint John of the Cross coined the “dark night of the soul.” This phrase has transcended its religious origins to signify a period of profound personal turmoil and existential crisis that, paradoxically, can lead to the most profound spiritual awakening.

The dark night of the soul is not simply a period of trouble or depression. It is a crucible in which the very foundations of identity, belief, and understanding are melted down. It is the unsettling void where the familiar dissolves, and we are left seemingly alone, wrestling with the most fundamental questions of our existence. Why am I here? What is my purpose? Is there any meaning to my suffering?

However, within this darkness lies a peculiar grace. The darkness, dense and impenetrable, confronts us with our deepest fears and insecurities. Stripped of all pretense, the ego is humbled, and the spirit becomes pliable. It is here, in the surrender to the unknown, that the light of awakening begins to seep through. As the Persian poet Rumi once said, “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” Our wounds and our darkness become the very openings through which a new understanding can emerge.

The transformation that follows is often not one that pulls us out of the dark, but rather one that illuminates the night itself. We find that this darkness was not the absence of light, but the very medium through which a deeper, subtler light could be perceived—a light of truth that the glaring sun of our previously held certainties and convictions could never reveal.

In the embrace of the dark night, the soul learns the language of paradox. The loss of everything that once seemed sure becomes the freedom to explore truth without constraint. In letting go of what we thought we knew, we become open to an entirely new way of being. This is not the light of day with its clear boundaries and definitions, but the soft glow of twilight that admits to mysteries we can never fully grasp or articulate.

This spiritual awakening is not a destination but a continual unfolding. As dawn follows the darkest hour, our awakening is an ever-evolving process where new challenges and understandings emerge. The dark night becomes a passage, a womb of rebirth. Like the phoenix arising from the ashes, our spirits are reborn from the very trials that seemed to threaten our undoing.

And so, the dark night of the soul is not to be feared or avoided but embraced as an essential passage to a deeper, more authentic spiritual life. The darkness is not the end of the journey but a vital, indeed crucial, part of it—a passage that refines, teaches, and ultimately enlightens, granting us wisdom that shines all the brighter for having known the depths of shadow.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

A Spiritual Journey with Paramahamsa Vishwananda

Ever since September 3rd, 2019, there has been one figure that repeatedly stands out in my memories, the guiding light that has transformed my life – Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda.

The journey began at Trinity St. Paul’s in Toronto. On that fateful day, I was fortunate enough to receive darshan from him. For those unfamiliar with this term, darshan is the divine sight – a soul-touching blessing one receives from a spiritually enlightened guru. It’s a deeply personal and transformative moment, where one locks eyes with the guru and dives into an ocean of spiritual energy.

Only a few months after this momentous encounter, in November, I experienced a profound nondual spiritual awakening. This spiritual crescendo further intensified in December when I submerged into a state known as Nirvikalpa Samadhi. This was not just any awakening; it was the death of the ego, a realization of my own Supreme Identity, connecting me to all of existence and beyond.

The reverberations of this awakening persisted. Shortly after, I was swept into a whirlwind of a full kundalini awakening. It was as if every chakra within me came alive, culminating with my crown chakra which unleashed a cascade of radiant lotus petals made out of pure light. To say this was monumental would be an understatement; it was an experience that etched itself deep into my soul.

However, the universe, as always, had its plans. The following year, as the world found itself grappling with a pandemic, physical interactions became a luxury. Undeterred, I, along with several fellow seekers, virtually sought the darshan of Paramahamsa Vishwananda.

Yet, the universe has its rhythm and the circle turned full once again. As the pandemic ebbed, last September, Paramahamsa Vishwananda graced Toronto with his presence. We were fortunate enough to bask in his divine presence, in person. My recent memories bring me to August 26th and then again on September 2nd when a smaller group of us made our way to Elmira, New York, to the serene premises of the Paranitya Narasimha Temple. It was here, in the sacred surroundings, that we received the darshan from Paramahamsa Vishwananda. The gleam in his eyes when he recognized me, the warmth of his smile, and our brief yet impactful conversation – these are memories I cherish. His gratitude towards us for travelling so far was heartwarming. But all I could do was thank him, for the transformation he triggered within me, for allowing me to see myself for who I truly am. It remains the most cherished gift I have ever received.

My spiritual voyage with Paramahamsa Vishwananda is one of love, awakening, and profound transformation. A journey that I hope continues, leading me to further depths and heights of spiritual realizations.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

The Facets of Ego and Transcendent Experiences: Part Two

As we proceed from Part One, a profound realization dawns. During moments of complete ego death, the individual facets cease to exist, yet paradoxically, they all exist, blending into a unified consciousness. The boundaries of ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘us’, and ‘them’ dissolve, making room for an all-encompassing ‘we’.

Our ego transforms and integrates into the collective consciousness, interconnecting with the egos of all beings, and indeed, the universe itself. Every trait, every star in our constellation, becomes part of this grand cosmic tapestry.

This realization isn’t merely intellectual, but experiential. Our individual identities meld into the collective, signifying an interconnectedness that transcends our singular perspective. In the dance of the facets of ego and the mystical experiences, we uncover our deepest potential to be interconnected, to share in the collective consciousness of all beings, and to participate consciously in the magnificent orchestration of the universe.

Through this journey, we don’t lose ourselves; instead, we find our place in the cosmos, gaining a newfound appreciation for the diversity and unity that life offers. We witness our traits, without labelling them as positive or negative, as part of a unified whole. Our ego ceases to be an entity isolated from the universe and becomes a fundamental part of the cosmic consciousness.

This exploration of the ego and its many facets is not just an intellectual exercise, but a call for introspection and self-awareness. It encourages us to embrace our full spectrum of experiences, from the depths of our struggles to the heights of our joys, all the while seeking that profound connection with the universe and our place within it.

Morgan O. Smith

Yinnergy Meditation & My Book, Bodhi in the Brain…Available Now!

https://linktr.ee/morganosmith

A Symphony of Sense and Surrender into the Nondual Existence

The ego, a fortress of our individuality, a custodian of our senses, crumbles during a profound psychological event termed ego death. This process, which is akin to crossing the Rubicon of our minds, signifies the temporary dissolution of our self-identity, the fading of our senses, and the surfacing of a cosmic oneness often linked to deep meditative states, transcendental experiences, or psychedelic journeys.

Neurologically, ego death presents an intriguing event. Our brain’s default mode network (DMN), which curates our self-narrative and sets us apart from others, shows a marked decrease in activity. We can compare it to a maestro leaving the stage, silencing the orchestra of our everyday consciousness that incessantly plays symphonies of thoughts, memories, and future projections.

In the ensuing stillness, our senses embark on an incredible transformation. The self-nonself dichotomy wavers, and feelings of oneness and interconnectedness seep in.

The conventional five senses, along with lesser-known ones such as proprioception (spatial orientation of our body parts), and thermoception (sense of temperature), recede, rendering the self imperceptible. Even the sense of agency – the consciousness of controlling one’s actions – seems to dissolve.

In place of the sensory absence comes the phenomena of nonduality – the essence of existence, unblemished by ego-driven distortions. Here, the biological reality of our senses converges with an intense metaphysical experience.

Kundalini rising – a sensation akin to a large serpent ascending the spine, activating each energy center or ‘chakra’ – might manifest in this transformative journey. Biologically, it could be perceived as a surge in nervous energy influencing neural circuits, engendering a radical alteration in perception.

The dissolution of our sense of time – chronoception – engulfs us in a timeless realm. Our sense of spatial orientation capitulates, inducing a feeling of non-locality, a state where one’s existence feels omnipresent.

This whole process might seem like an experiential validation of ‘absolute monism’ – a philosophical school of thought propounding the universe’s oneness, discrediting any duality between the individual and the world.

Yet, ego death is not an end; it’s a transformative beginning. The insights gleaned about the interconnectedness of all life forms and the illusory separateness sculpted by our ego can significantly reshape our lives.

From a wider perspective, ego death can be seen as a philosophical odyssey leading to an experiential understanding of consciousness, the essence of selfhood, and the nature of reality. The unravelling of our senses and ego sheds light on our inherent unity, nurturing a profound sense of compassion that percolates into every aspect of our existence.

Ego death’s exploration and its impact on our senses offer an avenue to challenge our conventional ways of perceiving, question our established sense of being, and dive deeper into the mysteries of our inner and outer universe. It’s not merely a psychological event but a spiritual expedition and a philosophical exploration that propels us toward a truer understanding of existence.

Morgan O. Smith