The question could emerge in many of us, whether the spiritual Ego is a supporter or an obstructor of the spiritual development. Can it meddle in the process of spiritual development, and if yes, then how does it do it?

According to us, the spiritual Ego can interfere with innumerable tricks in the life of the spiritual seeker. These spiritual tricks are manifested in various spiritual mind games. Some of the most important ones are discussed below.

1. Develop your Personality!

The Ego-dominated mind says: "Look for truth! Develop your personality to make it the most sophisticated possible! Be spiritual!"

The Ego-dominated mind keeps coming up with new and new programs: "Do this! Do that! Then all your problems will be solved." You try to obey, but in the meanwhile you are wasting your entire life.

Personality development is one of the most dangerous traps on our spiritual Journey along the road. The more energy we invest into, for instance, the decoration of our spiritual mask, the more powerfully we will identify with it, and insist on it so desperately that we will be eventually unable to abandon it!

In this way, self-development only polishes the Ego shinier and more impressive. In reality, it is the Ego that instigates the individual’s start a spiritual Journey on the road. It is a defensive mechanism of the mind! It diverts our attention from the possibility of a real internal change by adding an attractive new mask to our collection!

Be aware that Truth is already there in you, here and now in the present moment! Search will only take truth farther away from you, as it either keeps seeking in the future, or presents old obsolete truths of the past to you.

2. Be Calm and Peaceful!

It is the Ego-dominated mind that longs for peace and tranquility. It wants to be peaceful and powerful so that its inner quiet can open a gate for the Formless.

The mind nurtures the unconscious hope that in the Formless it will be able to continue to exist somehow. That is why so many seekers seek spiritual experience during their Journey.

In reality, however, inner quiet and Ego, unity and Ego are incompatible with each other. Where one is present, the other cannot exist.

The Ego-dominated mind is capable of creating some inner quiet and tranquility, a dead emptiness and, with the effort of the willpower, it is possible to sustain it for a while. But it is not the quiet of the pulsatingly alive internal silence, peace and tranquility saturated with the joy of Existence. Only a mere image of that kind of peace, created and attempted to be implemented by the mind.

We are only able to recognize the quiet of the union, already present in human beings (as this is their real Self), if we are able to give up the expectations, desires, hopes etc. of our Ego-dominated mind.

3. Get Rid of the Ego!

On our spiritual Journey we may ask ourselves the question, “How can we get rid of the spiritual Ego?”

Who asks this question? The mind itself, the spiritual Ego. When the mind asks that question, we assume that it cannot be the mind, as the Ego-dominated mind surely does not want its own destruction!

We want to shed spiritual Ego, so we are deeply involved in various spiritual studies, in search of the method that is applicable in our own current situation and circumstances for weakening the spiritual Ego, which will eventually disappear. That is how the mind misleads us again.

For studying spiritual methods and choosing the appropriate one takes time, and time is in short supply. Our real Self does not ask questions, as it does not require answers. It is there, it is present now. We are only able to find it if we forget about questions and submit to the Self, radiating its light in the Present! Our real Self is light itself, shining bright!!

Eliminating Mind Games

Consciousness is an indispensable condition for us to recognize the Ego and reach Awakening on our Journey. Otherwise it is not possible to observe ourselves. The witnessing, observing Presence should always be there.

The mind will never understand anything that reaches beyond it. But it tries. In this way, though, it will explain everything from the separate aspect that it currently occupies in the time-space continuity.

 When one is able to reach beyond that separate focus point and identification with the mind, that the person will also recognize this conditioned state and will also be able to reach beyond that, too. In that case, the individual will not identify with the mind, but increasingly with the Consciousness (Witnessing Presence). The Presence will gain dominance over the mind to an increasing extent, and will be expressed through the mind.

Frank M. Wanderer (http://(www.frankmwanderer.com))

http://powerofconsciousness.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-tricks-of-spiritual-ego.html

Frank M. Wanderer Ph.D is s a professor of psychology, a consciousness researcher and writer.