I imagine the ego like a crust that forms on people’s skin, covering our faces, our eyes, our senses. It stops us from seeing clearly, hearing clearly, and perceiving the world as it truly is. This crust begins to form in childhood and thickens over time, shaped by experiences, beliefs, and social conditioning. The more we identify with this crust—as our personality, our roles, our achievements—the more we forget our true divine connected essence.
Yet, awakening is possible. When we start questioning this hardened layer of self, when we dare to look beyond the surface, the crust begins to crack. As we release old identifications and false beliefs, we slowly dissolve it. And then, for the first time in a long while, we begin to see again—not with the ego’s narrow vision, but with clarity, presence, and truth.
Throughout history, sages, psychologists, and philosophers have explored the nature of the ego, offering diverse yet converging insights. Some describe it as an illusion, others as the root of suffering, and some as a phase of growth. In this article, we explore 16 voices across cultures and time to better understand the ego—what it is, how it shapes us, and how we might move beyond it.
1. Chuck Spezzano: The Ego as a Fear-Driven Construct
Chuck Spezzano, an American psychologist, author, and spiritual teacher, views the ego as a mechanism of fear and separation. It thrives on guilt, conflict, and the need to feel special. Through his Psychology of Vision, he suggests that healing comes through love and forgiveness—letting go of the ego’s defenses to reconnect with our true essence.
2. David Hawkins: The Ego as a Low-Vibration Illusion
Dr. David Hawkins, a psychiatrist, spiritual teacher, and consciousness researcher, maps the ego in terms of vibrational frequency. In Letting Go, he explains that the ego exists below 200 on his scale—driven by fear, pride, and desire. Transcendence, he argues, requires surrendering attachments and dissolving the illusion of separateness.
3. Gary Weber: The Ego as Thought Chatter
Dr. Gary Weber, a neuroscientist-turned-nondualist, sees the ego as relentless mental narration—the “I-thought” that sustains suffering. Drawing from Advaita Vedanta and brain science, he argues that with self-inquiry and meditation, this thought-stream can be deconstructed, revealing the effortless presence beneath.
4. The Buddha: The Ego as Non-Self
The Buddha, founder of Buddhism in the 5th-4th century BCE, never named the ego directly but taught anattā—the doctrine of non-self. He explained that what we call “I” is a collection of impermanent processes. Clinging to this illusion leads to suffering, while liberation arises through mindfulness and detachment.
5. Eckhart Tolle: The Ego as the False Self
Eckhart Tolle, a contemporary spiritual teacher and best-selling author of The Power of Now, describes the ego as identification with thoughts and emotions. It resists the present moment, keeping us trapped in past and future. Tolle suggests observing the ego with awareness rather than fighting it, allowing it to dissolve naturally.
6. Barry Long: The Ego as a Mask Over Truth
Barry Long, an Australian spiritual teacher and writer, saw the ego as a mask of fear and desire. In The Origins of Man and the Universe, he describes it as an artificial self that obscures our divine nature. The key to transcending ego, he argues, is radical honesty and surrender.
7. Ramana Maharshi: The Ego as the “I-Thought”
Ramana Maharshi, an Indian sage and Advaita Vedanta master, defined the ego as the primary “I-thought”—the root identification with a separate self. His method of self-inquiry, repeatedly asking “Who am I?”, reveals that the ego is merely a phantom that dissolves when examined.
8. Lao Tzu: The Ego as Struggle Against the Tao
Lao Tzu, the legendary Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism, never mentions the ego directly but speaks of its traits—ambition, control, and resistance to flow. The solution? Surrender. Align with the effortless way of the Tao, and the false self fades.
9. Rumi: The Ego as the Veil Between Man and God
The Sufi poet and mystic Rumi calls the ego the “nafs”—the lower self that keeps us from divine love. “Die before you die,” he urges, meaning dissolve the ego before physical death. Love and surrender are his antidotes to the ego’s illusions.
10. Nisargadatta Maharaj: The Ego as a Misidentification
In I Am That, Nisargadatta Maharaj, an Indian Advaita Vedanta teacher, states, “You are not what you think you are.” The ego, he says, is just a mistaken identity—confusing oneself with thoughts andthe body. Realizing one’s formless nature dissolves it.
11. Jesus Christ: The Ego as the Self to Be Denied
In a mystical interpretation, Jesus Christ’s words, “Deny yourself” (Matthew 16:25), suggest surrendering the false ego to align with divine truth. He teaches that seeking self-importance leads to suffering, while humility leads to eternal life. Additionally, in Luke 17:21, Jesus declares, “The kingdom of God is within you,” symbolizing that the divine is not an external entity but an inner truth that emerges once the ego is eased. This suggests that as we transcend egoic illusions, the light of the true self—our divine nature—comes into full awareness.
12. Adi Shankara: The Ego as Ignorance
Adi Shankara, the 8th-century Indian philosopher and father of Advaita Vedanta, called the ego a mental error—mistaking the rope for a snake. Only knowledge (jnana) can dispel this illusion and reveal the true Self.
13. Black Elk: The Ego as Separation from the Great Spirit
Black Elk, a Native American Lakota holy man and visionary, saw the ego as a disruption of the sacred hoop—the interconnectedness of all life. In Black Elk Speaks, he describes how forgetting our oneness with the Great Spirit leads to suffering. He teaches that true peace comes from returning to harmony with nature, spirit, and the collective whole.
14. Nezahualcoyotl: The Ego as Fleeting Identity
Nezahualcoyotl, a 15th-century Aztec philosopher, poet, and ruler of Texcoco, reflected deeply on the impermanence of life and the self. In his Nahuatl poetry, he questioned, “Do I truly live?”—suggesting that clinging to personal identity and egoic power is futile. He taught that true wisdom arises from embracing the transient nature of existence and surrendering to the divine flow.
15. Henry Odera Oruka: The Ego as Selfishness
Henry Odera Oruka, a Kenyan philosopher, developed the concept of Sage Philosophy, drawing from African oral traditions. He described the ego as an illusion of isolation—an attachment to personal ambition that disrupts communal harmony. In his view, true personhood is not found in individualism but in interconnectedness, where the ego weakens as one embraces collective well-being.
16. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: The Ego as Evolutionary Stage
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit priest, scientist, and mystic, saw the ego as a necessary phase in human spiritual evolution. In The Phenomenon of Man, he describes how consciousness progresses from egoic separation toward a unified awareness—what he calls the Omega Point. For Teilhard, the ego is not to be destroyed but transcended, as humanity moves toward a higher collective awakening.
Conclusion of What is the Ego
The ego, as explored through these 16 perspectives, is not a single entity but a complex and multi-layered phenomenon. To some, it is an illusion that must be seen through; to others, it is a phase of growth that must be transcended. Whether viewed as a barrier to enlightenment, a source of suffering, or a necessary stage of human evolution, one truth emerges: freedom lies in loosening the grip of the ego.
When we begin to question the rigid structures of our identity—our roles, our fears, our attachments—we create space for something deeper to arise. The journey beyond the ego is not one of annihilation but of expansion, a process of rediscovering our innate connection to the universe, the divine, and each other. In surrendering the illusion of separateness, we awaken to the truth that has always been within us.
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