Funny word "Ego". It has acquired many meanings.
- The origin is Latin and had (approx.) the meaning of the Self, as contrasted with the outside world.
- Freud used the word to mean that part of the psyche which is conscious and controls thought and behavior.
- It is often used (And I think my client uses it this way) to denote an exaggerated sense of self-importance or pride. (Somewhat similar to the Tolle reference below.)
- Still another meaning is consciousness of our own identity.
- Transactional Analysis uses the term "Ego States" but doesn't really seem to define "Ego". (Ego States are the Parent, Adult and Child. They are distinguished from Freudian constructs in being behavioral rather than inferred.)
- The current pop guru, Eckhart Tolle, regularly trashes "the ego" but does a less than adequate job of defining his object of contempt.
On another subject. . .
A friend sent me the video of Jill Bolte Taylor talking about her stroke experience. In one of the major talks at the February TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference in Monterrey, California, Ms Taylor spoke of being forced to a total awareness of her present. She lost, not only her verbal skills but also, any sense of her past or future. The only consciousness she had was sensory contact with the present and not even the words to express this to others.
In many ways this is not so different from describing the experience of mindfulness meditation. Clearly Taylor's mind took on its own version, even though it was based on deficit rather than intention.
If you haven't seen this, there is a great video of her presentation at the 2008 TED talks.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
This is extremely interesting and worth your time.
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