Did ego death help you get over your fear of actual death?

[AN IDIOT'S END]

I like psychedelics in small doses. I've never done more than 100ug of LSD before, but I'm willing to work my way up. The idea of a psychedelic ego death is mortifying in itself, so maybe gradually taking higher doeses will help in learning to let go?

Anyone have experience with this? I'd love to hear it.

P.S. haven't been on these forums in awhile! then suddenly remembered people think I'm subhuman and am trying to neck myself again.

 

[betternever2havbeen]

@AN IDIOT'S END I wondered this too, I'm too much of a wuss to ever take enough to get that, don't really see the appeal, it took me ages to even recover from a relatively small dose (kinda gave me an existential crisis and I'm not sure I wanna try again). I think at this point my mind is just too negative to give me a nice trip I hope others can give their experiences.

 

[Smart No More]

I'm not massively egotistical but in my teens I think I was. I've mostly lost my ego. Certainly any unhealthy elements of it. However not from the use of psychedelics I don't think. I have used them and they certainly were challenging on that front but I think time and experience has had a bigger more relevant effect. I think psychedelics can sew the seed foe progress on that front but some work has to bw done and time is needed for it to really settle in to your actual genuine understanding and stance on things. I'm not sure I entirely believe all the accounts of ego death as a result of tripping. They're more like the Jim Carey brand of ego death lol. Maybe I'm overly jaded or judgmental but in my IMHO ego is much like SI in that it's an instinctual trait geared towards survival to some extent. Entirely killing it isn't beneficial but killing off the negatively motivating aspects of it are. Either way its an instinct just as hard to genuinely overcome as survival instinct in my opinion. Ego isn't a negative thing unless your ego is fragile, greedy or sick. Ego death IMHO is, in actuality more a case of getting ones ego in check. To be fully without ego would be akin to a kind of castration. Again, all my opinion. I don't know anything more than anyone else. Just my personal take I guess. One I currently stand by relatively confidently.

High doses will definitely challenge you more and honestly working up to it isn't likely to do much good because it seems that intense experience is needed based on the way people speak of it. Another issue with woeking upto it is that you need to take higher doses due to tolerance so 100ug for you might be the equivalent of 50ug to an LSD ignorant person. (by ignorant I mean someone who has no previous use. Its not an insult lol)

 

[Nolan96]

I'm not sure I entirely believe all the accounts of ego death as a result of tripping. They're more like the Jim Carey brand of ego death lol. Maybe I'm overly jaded or judgmental but in my IMHO ego is much like SI in that it's an instinctual trait geared towards survival to some extent.

I've never taken psychedelics, but some of the most patronizing and self-aggrandizing people I've ever met in my life were supposedly spiritually enlightened psychedelic-enthusiast hippies.

 

[Smart No More]

Personally I'd go with psilocybin for trips these days rather than LSD. Shorter trips. Also there's different mushrooms. Someone mentioned pink buffalo earlier. They apparently have a milder smooth trip.

Honest self reflection is just as valuable as tripping. Being truly, brutally honest with yourself and facing what comes up head on will have a profound impact on your self esteem. I say that based on experience. It unfortunately makes you a bit of a loner amongst a crowd though as many/most are self indulgent and narcissistic these days. Don't expect people to be as real as you even if they profess to be.

 

[katagiri83]

Psilocybin can be another alternative. Your own preparations & intentions are crucial and will have strong influences for the session.

 

[Smart No More]

I've never taken psychedelics, but some of the most patronizing and self-aggrandizing people I've ever met in my life were supposedly spiritually enlightened psychedelic-enthusiast hippies.

Yeah, I agree. Most people claiming enlightenment are (often knowingly) fooling themselves and others. It's easy to take on that persona as someone that isn't enlightened because it's filled with opportunity to lord it up over others and virtue signal. Genuinely enlightened people will have a more subdued self opinion. I mean, they will acknowledge their achievements and virtues but not for the reward of praise or respect or whatever. They're just speaking as a matter of fact and they will be just as open about their flaws IMHO.

 

[AN IDIOT'S END]

I'm not massively egotistical but in my teens I think I was. I've mostly lost my ego. Certainly any unhealthy elements of it. However not from the use of psychedelics I don't think. I have used them and they certainly were challenging on that front but I think time and experience has had a bigger more relevant effect. I think psychedelics can sew the seed foe progress on that front but some work has to bw done and time is needed for it to really settle in to your actual genuine understanding and stance on things. I'm not sure I entirely believe all the accounts of ego death as a result of tripping. They're more like the Jim Carey brand of ego death lol. Maybe I'm overly jaded or judgmental but in my IMHO ego is much like SI in that it's an instinctual trait geared towards survival to some extent. Entirely killing it isn't beneficial but killing off the negatively motivating aspects of it are. Either way its an instinct just as hard to genuinely overcome as survival instinct in my opinion. Ego isn't a negative thing unless your ego is fragile, greedy or sick. Ego death IMHO is, in actuality more a case of getting ones ego in check. To be fully without ego would be akin to a kind of castration. Again, all my opinion. I don't know anything more than anyone else. Just my personal take I guess. One I currently stand by relatively confidently.

High doses will definitely challenge you more and honestly working up to it isn't likely to do much good because it seems that intense experience is needed based on the way people speak of it. Another issue with woeking upto it is that you need to take higher doses due to tolerance so 100ug for you might be the equivalent of 50ug to an LSD ignorant person. (by ignorant I mean someone who has no previous use. Its not an insult lol)

i think you're misunderstanding what ego death is. it's not the death of someone's egotistical nature but the temporary death of their literal psychological ego, meaning they lose self perception and essentially feel as though they have died. a lot of people report that it helped them get over their fear of death.

 

[Smart No More]

i think you're misunderstanding what ego death is. it's not the death of someone's egotistical nature but the temporary death of their literal psychological ego, meaning they lose self perception and essentially feel as though they have died. a lot of people report that it helped them get over their fear of death.

So, after reading your comment I looked it up in case you were in fact correct and my understanding of ego death was confused however everything I read is in line with my understanding in that you lose your sense of self and with it your selfishly fueled traits. A disarming of sorts. Sure it can occur with near death experiences but it isn't about death. Your psychological ego is what fuels your egotistical nature. They are in fact one and the same. I'll drop a couple of random links from the first page of results from my search. They say the same thing. It seems that maybe you have misunderstood what ego is and are focusing more on the death element. The disolution of the key part of us that inform our ego and therefore our egotistical behavior are what occurs during ego death.

Page not found - Mushly 404

mushly.com

Ego Death: Everything You Should Know

We may earn a commission from links on this page, but we only feature products we back. What is Ego? From the perspective of many modern psychologists,

doubleblindmag.com

Ego Death: 7 stages to the obliteration of the self

There are some of us who live without artificial borders clouding our perception, and these are those who have experienced what is known as the ego death.

hackspirit.com

 

[sundown12]

almost had an ego death during my second trip, but it felt so intense, i ultimately let my ego take over.

 

[Venus13]

I had a mild version on shrooms. It was more just forgetting what defines me. We're made up of our memories. If you can't reach the memories and the basic biographical information loses meaning you fade out and "die". I forgot my storyline and the basic details, like being from this location and possessing this name, lost all meaning. If the body passed in that state it would surely be less tumultuous for me. Memories and my storyline fuels my hopes and dreams too and that's the basis of my psychological SI. I could never commit suicide on shrooms though, I'm so gentle and loving in that state. The experience is useful though.

Even so, the "primitive", bodily SI or whatever you want to call will be there but I do think an ego death experience assists in the psychological let go. I think psilocybin has been shown to help terminal patients.