Memory suppression: Difference between revisions

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"Ego death" often refers to such a radical change in one's concept of self that their old self has "died," in a sense. For example, on high doses of dissociative drugs, users have described losing all familiar subjective reference points, such as forgetting their name, when they were born or even their species.

However, it is not possible to experience complete ego loss because it is not possible to have experiences without any subjectivity (experiences have to happen to something - experiences don't float around waiting to be collected as though they are things in an of themselves). It is possible to have experiences through a radically altered, minimal concept of self but the idea of being able to experience without subjectivity is a contradiction and thus impossible.</onlyinclude>

However, it is not possible to experience complete ego loss because it is not possible to have experiences without any subjectivity (experiences have to happen to something - experiences don't float around waiting to be collected as though they are things in an of themselves). It is possible to have experiences through a radically altered, minimal concept of self but the idea of being able to experience without subjectivity is a contradiction and thus impossible.

Merkur clarifies:

"Accurately described, the mystical state involves a disappearance not of the ego, but rather of the self-representation, the idea of oneself. The ego, defined as the capacity to sense, perceive and to think, continues to function as the seath of experience, even when what is experienced is cosmic."<ref>Merkur, D (2014). The Formation of Hippie Spirituality: 1. Union with God. in Ellens, JH (ed). Seeking The Sacred With Psychoactive Substances (Volume I). Praeger, Santa Barbara: 2014.</ref> </onlyinclude>

===Psychoactive substances===

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 "Ego death" often refers to such a radical change in one's concept of self that their old self has "died," in a sense.  For example, on high doses of dissociative drugs, users have described losing all familiar subjective reference points, such as forgetting their name, when they were born or even their species.
-However, it is not possible to experience complete ego loss because it is not possible to have experiences without any subjectivity (experiences have to happen <i>to</i> something - experiences don't float around waiting to be collected as though they are things in an of themselves).  It is possible to have experiences through a radically altered, minimal concept of self but the idea of being able to experience without subjectivity is a contradiction and thus impossible.</onlyinclude>
+However, it is not possible to experience complete ego loss because it is not possible to have experiences without any subjectivity (experiences have to happen <i>to</i> something - experiences don't float around waiting to be collected as though they are things in an of themselves).  It is possible to have experiences through a radically altered, minimal concept of self but the idea of being able to experience without subjectivity is a contradiction and thus impossible.
+Merkur clarifies:
+"Accurately described, the mystical state involves a disappearance not of the <i>ego</i>, but rather of the <i>self-representation</i>, the idea of oneself.  The <i>ego</i>, defined as the capacity to sense, perceive and to think, continues to function as the seath of experience, even when what is experienced is cosmic."<ref>Merkur, D (2014). <u>The Formation of Hippie Spirituality: 1. Union with God</u>. in Ellens, JH (ed). <u>Seeking The Sacred With Psychoactive Substances</u> (Volume I).  Praeger, Santa Barbara: 2014.</ref> </onlyinclude>
 ===Psychoactive substances===