# What Is Ego Death? ## Metadata - Author: [[Toketemu Ohwovoriole]] - Full Title: What Is Ego Death? - Category: #source/articles - URL: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-ego-death-psychedelic-use-7089738 ## Highlights - It is termed so because it has been reported as feeling like a form of dying in which one lets go of their sense of self and identity ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1ytnpq2zjy250smnbatmpbp)) - Words that have been used to describe the experience include eye-opening, cathartic, blissful, and scary ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1ytrtncz0rcwzadsq9aqw2s)) - The ego is your [self-identity](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-concept-2795865). It is determined by how you view yourself. More than you may realize, your ego determines how you perceive and go through the world. It determines how you interact with others and the degree of your self-esteem. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1yts2b2fggc6txx4xdjc57d)) - Now that you understand what your ego is, you can view ego death as the realization that it holds significantly less importance than most people place on it. Visualize your ego as a deck of cards built into a tower and ego death as the collapse of this tower ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1ytsrfc3t5gj3t7fjv42dfn)) - The term ego death appears first to be used in connection with modern-day psychedelic use by Timothy Leary in the 1960s in his book The Psychedelic Experience ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1ytvp7tjnxq86afc3m3smm9)) - Note: Book recommendation - in the 1970s, Stanislav Graf, an acclaimed psychologist, suggested that the main aim of psychedelic therapy should be ego death ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1yv014qhfkrvrzn0dfvkrw2)) - Note: I would love to see this come back - A simple way to think of connectedness is a feeling of connection with oneself, others, and the world at large ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1yv2r677enrgcyy4xva1k3f)) - Current scientific theories suggest that both experiences can positively influence your [mental health and well-being](https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-mental-health-2330755) ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1yv31asn55e661a83fgzv28)) - In a 2020 study into the link between glutamate use and ego death, researchers observed that higher levels of glutamate in the medial prefrontal cortical resulted in a negative experience of ego death, while lower levels in hippocampal glutamate were associated with a positive experience of ego death ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1yv3y06czeftan6rpjvw3q7)) - Note: Very interesting… This is the stuff that seems so weird without awareness - you think drugs are bad for you, but in many ways, they can shortcut stimulating necessary parts of your brain, such as achieving ego death: you can build this glutamate naturally or “artificially”. Still, the science is incredible! - Signs You're Experiencing Ego Death When you experience ego death4: • Your sense of being will no longer feel distinct from the world • You may feel as though you are connected to the universe • You might feel you are connected to all human beings ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1yv7c9rgvbrm5nbhaytm6wp)) - At the core of it, ego death is the demise of your sense of self as you know it. Ego death results in a significant reduction of self-referential awareness, sparking a disruption in how you view yourself in the world and sometimes encouraging a feeling of unity with others and the world in general ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1yvaess2a3zj0yagzgpwm30)) - Improved Well-Being In a 2022 study into psychedelic use and the role ego death and connectedness play on your mental well-being, researchers found that there are potentially beneficial therapeutic effects, including improved psychological well-being. This is especially true across several mental health conditions, including [depression](https://www.verywellmind.com/depression-4157261), [anxiety](https://www.verywellmind.com/anxiety-disorder-2510539), and [substance use disorder](https://www.verywellmind.com/dsm-5-criteria-for-substance-use-disorders-21926). Researchers also suggested that isolation and being overly self-focused, which are at the opposite ends of the scale of ego death and connectedness, may be linked with mental suffering ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1yvbtqqkgyf8g35bnb2xwv1)) - Research shows a link between your ego and sense of self with your default mode network (DMN). The DMN is thought to be responsible for many things, including ego, emotion, morality, and empathy. How you view yourself and how much value you place on your sense of self and your self-identity all culminate in forming your ego ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h1yvd0j3813r2zwn1a5zk5n7)) - Note: I definitely feel much more aware across these spectrums.