Bodily Ego
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Bodily Ego
The Bodily Ego is your body's ego. It is the part of you that is tied to your physical body. Neurologically, the bodily ego is the Default Mode Network in your brain.[1] [2].
Concept Map
Key Terms
Lightning Path Human Development Framework >
- LP HEALING Framework
- LP Connection Framework
- LP Creative Framework
- LP Psychological Framework
- Pathfinder Educational Model
The Two Egos
The Two Egos > Bodily Ego, Spiritual Ego
Structure of the Human Psyche
Structure of the Human Psyche > Awareness Reduction Mechanisms, Bodily Algorithm, Bodily Ego, Ego Mode, Spiritual Ego
Syncretic Terms
Bodily Ego > Acquired Self, Antahkarana, Apparent Ego, Awkward Self, Earthly Self, Elusive Self, Empirical Self, False Personality, Illusory Self, King of the Body, Little Self, Normal Self, Not Self, Outer Self, Personality, Self, Sensual Ego, Subtle Body, Talking Self
Related LP Terms
Bodily Ego > Alignment, Attachment Algorithm, Bodily Algorithm, Bodily Consciousness, Connection Algorithm, Defence Mechanisms, Disjuncture, Ego, Ego Mode, Egoic Consciousness, Identity, Physical Unit, Prism Metaphor, Spiritual Ego, Survival Algorithm, Toxic Socialization, You
Non-LP Related Terms
Notes
The bodily ego is temporal.
The bodily ego is dependent for existence on the hardware provided by physical creation.
The bodily ego is a mechanistic entity that functions via the operation of several Bodily Algorithms.
The bodily ego is an “artificial intelligence,” designed into the physical unit in order to help it survive, thrive, and evolve towards greater Perfection of Connection.
The bodily ego is programmed and, it should be noted, damaged by its experiences in the world.
A damaged bodily ego will, for various reasons (e.g., low self-esteem, confused archetypes, fears, anger, adaptive responses that prevent disconnection by causing misAlignment and Disjuncture), be unable to connect properly to Spiritual Ego.
The bodily ego is like the artificial intelligence (AI) that drives an autonomous vehicle. It is programmed by the environment and by developers, and it has a certain autonomy, but it is never as real as the driver, i.e. Spiritual Ego
The bodily ego has two levels, a conscious level of thoughts and actions (the mind/ego),[3] and an unconscious level of instincts and reactions[4].
- Consciousness
- The Environment
- The Physical Unit, specifically neuronal operations.
As Ego, the Bodily Ego consists of the four egoic elements. See Ego for details.
The bodily ego is the "navigational computer" of the physical unit. It is responsible for
- ensuring the survival of the physical unit (i.e. preventing accidents, defending against assault)
- fulfilling the Needs of the physical unit (food, shelter, healthy body, healthy mind)
- reconnecting with Consciousness (i.e. raising the Consciousness Quotient of the Physical Unit
- fully expressing the intent and will of the Resident Monadic Consciousness which inhabits the body
The bodily ego is often taken, especially by materialists, to be the locus of an individual's identity and the ultimate ontological source of being. "I think therefore I am," says Descartes. It is understandable how this conclusion may be drawn, especially by someone whose only experience is of Normal Consciousness, but it is erroneous. The little "i" of the bodily ego is a mere refraction of the big "I" (Spiritual Ego) that animates the physical unit.
The bodily ego has no independent existence. Without the animating embrace of Spirit, the brain may show basic autonomic functions and random cerebral activity, but there is no presence. Without the embrace of Spirit, there is no "I," and no "me." However, when Spirit embraces a living body, eyes open, identity is refracted, and Consciousness slowly emerges into the world that surrounds.
The bodily ego, which is rooted in the programmable structures and energy flows of the physical unit, automatically shapes itself in efforts to ensure survival, meet needs, and (if survival and needs are met) full reconnection. Therefore, the root of adolescent and adult pathology may often be found in the twisted shape the bodily ego takes when dealing with Toxic Socialization and toxic environments.
Pleasure is a general, but by no means exclusive, indicator of survival and needs satisfaction.
Healthy Ego
A healthy Physical Unit contains a healthy bodily ego. A healthy bodily ego consists of an ego with a strong sense of self, high self-esteem, realistic self-efficacy, and strong ground with reality (proper perspective), and healthy imagination. A healthy bodily ego is achieved when children are raised in a healthy, safe, loving, and supportive environments (a.k.a. Right Environment that meets all Seven Essential Needs.
A healthy bodily ego is an ego that is aligned with the Spiritual Ego thereby allowing the physical unit to contain a full measure of the animating Monad. A healthy ego allows full presence of Consciousness.
Supportive environments are those that support the realization of the full psychological, emotional, spiritual, and physical potential of the physical unit as container/vehicle of Consciousness. Unsupportive (toxic) environments are environments that undermine full potential.
A healthy society that offers a Healthy Socialization process will ensure that all children are raised in healthy, safe, and loving environments. However, under current psychological and sociological conditions we endure a Toxic Socialization process. This toxic socialization process does do not support healthy ego development.
Capitalism, because it depends on disconnected / alienated workers for exploitation, provides unsupportive, unhealthy, unsafe, and unloving environments. Capitalism is a toxic system that damages the physical unit, undermines full potential, and distorts the bodily ego in the interest of private profit and accumulation (RSGME).
The "normal" experience of a bodily ego damaged by toxic socializaton consists of low-grade neurosis accompanied by rigid belief systems, uncritical compliance with establishment norms and values, and lack of empathic Connection to Self (which includes family, community, Gaia, etc). Under those conditions where the Physical Unit is subject to continuous abuse, and/or where the physical unit experiences premature crown chakra openings, low-grade neurosis may expand into full-blown psychotic dysfunction.
Dysfunction and Pathology
The bodily ego is a sensitive manifestation of cellular consciousness and, when improperly nurtured or actively assaulted, is subject to easy damage. Damage may range from the easy to treat outcome of mild physical abuse to the severe, intractable, and sometimes fatal ego destruction that occurs when children experience chronic neglect and assault. Damage may fall into several categories. Arranged in ascending order of damage and dysfunction, these categories are:
- Mild Ego Damage
- Ego Pathology Ego Dysfunction |
- Neurosis
- Psychosis
- Schizophrenia
Related LP Content and Courses
Citation and Legal
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Footnotes
- ↑ Sosteric, Mike. Lightning Path Workbook One: Basic Concepts. Vol. 1. Lightning Path Workbook Series. St. Albert, Alberta: Lightning Path Press, 2016.
- ↑ For the neurology behind this, see Sosteric, Mike. “The Science of Ascension: A Neurologically Grounded Theory of Mystical/Spiritual Experience,” Draft. https://www.academia.edu/28919294.
- ↑ In the Crest-Jewel of Wisdom, the Knowledge Sheath
- ↑ In Freudian terms, the Id