The Role of the Ego in Yoga & the Western Depth Psychological View

Understanding the Ego: A Comparative View

Before diving deep into the essence of my journey, let’s juxtapose the perspectives of the Ego in Jungian Theory and Eastern Spiritualities through a structured comparison.

Aspect	Jungian Theory	Eastern Spiritualities
Definition	The ego is the center of consciousness, responsible for one’s sense of personal identity and continuity.	Often viewed as the source of attachment and suffering, representing the illusory sense of a separate self.
Role in Self-Identity	Acts as the mediator between the conscious and unconscious mind, shaping our sense of self.	The ego is seen as an obstacle to true self-realization, which is beyond the individual identity.
Path to Enlightenment	The path involves practices (meditation, yoga) aimed at diminishing the ego’s dominance and facilitating spiritual awakening.	Liberation (Moksha, Nirvana) involves transcending the ego to realize the unity of all existence.
View on Dissolution	While necessary for functioning, must not become inflated; needs to be acknowledged but not overemphasized.	Ego dissolution is often the goal, leading to the experience of oneness with the universal consciousness.
Integration with Spirituality	Ego development is crucial for individuation, which is the psychological integration leading to wholeness.	The path involves practices (meditation, yoga) aimed at diminishing the ego’s dominance, and facilitating spiritual awakening.

Why This Journey Matters to Me – and You

In my quest for knowledge, I often find myself at the crossroads of Eastern wisdom and Western psychology, exploring the intricate role of the Ego in Eastern Yogic Philosophy. Through the lens of Carl Jung’s Depth Psychological model, I contemplate the conscious and unconscious realms (that include subsets and aspects of the personal and impersonal), and how the Gunas (Tamas, Rajas & Sattva) illuminate the Ahamkara, or the Ego, as the center of consciousness. For me, this idea guides my understanding of the little “s,” self as the”I” amidst the vast sea of  the big “S,” Self as the “Not I.”

The Gunas and the Jungian Model

I’ll insert an example that I often use from my course materials to show how the Gunas relate to concepts in the Jungian Model:

“If you are walking on the ground, you are walking on Tamas (The stable ground). The energy of Rajas is moving on you across the stable ground. Sattva is aware of you moving (Rajas) with energy and aware of you moving on the ground (Tamas), and also aware of you being aware of these things. Rajas moves in-between and provides energy to both Sattva and Tamas which are in static. 

• Sattva is the Knower (Subject or Ego as the Center of Consciousness or the stream of Consciousness itself).
• Rajas is the Direction Energy is moving towards (Libido/Psychic Energy/Flow).
• Tamas is the Known (Objects in the external/conscious and internal/unconscious worlds).

The Ahamkara/Ego is for Jung, the center of consciousness because we can only be aware of what is related to us as a subject in the field of objects. In other words, I know this is “Me,” the Ahamkara/The “I” consciousness, because I know that is “Not Me.” This was one of the reasons why Jung couldn’t accept the concept of Samadhi (A universal consciousness) because consciousness needs something to be conscious of. That is to say, the three gunas are ever-present. Sattva (Consciousness) needs Tamas (Objects) in order to even call itself Sattva (As a function of being aware of some thing). And Rajas is the Psychic energy (often in the image) that goes back and forth and converts or digests the meaning between subject and object.”

The Ego’s Role and Its Misinterpretations

Yoga philosophy and Jungian thought intersect on the idea that the Self is the origin of intelligence, from which the Ego emerges. The Ego is the Subject or Experiencer, the person who has a center in their field of awareness. This is because we are a body too, which is a reference point that is localized in the profane aspects of time and space. In this regard, we may even call the Ego related to Sattva, which may appear to be heretical to the Eastern view, if we don’t make the proper distinctions. 

The concept of the Ego inflating happens in mistaking itself for the “Self.” When identifying with the Self it becomes inflated which is what we call “Egoistical,” or even Narcissism. This is where the traditional Eastern critique of the ego gets a bad rap. It is often seen as an inflation, and something that is over-used, excessive, and grandiose in regards to self-importance or self-referencing.. But this attitude leads to a lack of ego development, which brings one to be closer to the unconscious, not consciousness or enlightenment. So we must put a stopgap here and say, rather than asserting an outright dismissal of it, the true challenge lies not in the existence of an Ego-Subject, but in its unchecked dominance when it becomes inflated (often when coupled and identified with the Heroic Archetype), which can obscure the path to deeper self-awareness. 

Cultural Attitudes, East-West paths & Alchemical Images

The path of Ego dissolution that the East prefers is akin to what Depth Typologist John Beebe calls a “Religious Attitude,” a cultural attitude of surrender. This best relates to the image of the Alchemical Solutio because it is described as one surrendering to the big wave called the “Wahan,” a nod to being spiritual bliss in the Wave of Ananda or Ecstasy, which is embedded in the words when we chant “Wahe Guru.” For the West, the Ego is often a fortress to be fortified and what Depth Typologist John Beebe calls a “Social Attitude,” a cultural attitude of planning and social order. This best relates to the image of the Alchemical Coagulatio image, the building up and accretion of the contents into an Ego-Subject amongst other Ego-Subjects to compete against, advance, or work together in society. 

The Quest for True Knowledge

When I ponder, is the ultimate “I” found in the Self, or is the ego, the Ahamkara, the localized body-self, and navigator and ship in my journey? The Self is the intelligence of the Psyche as a whole and the teleology to individuate towards continual (not final) enlightenment, and the Ego reflects the Self and is born out of it. The God within is likened to the “The Self” or Imago Dei (Image of God). This is not God itself but the image or symbol that helps bridge the gap between the us and the unfathomable. 

But first, unlearning false identifications is withdrawing the libido from contents and projections, samskaras (the archetypes) that build up and obscure our awareness through our psychological complexes. My peer and colleague once gave me an effective disidentification technique by saying “I am not___insert your name,” which leads to the experience of the observing consciousness known as the Atman/Purusha. Patanjali advocates this type of active Introversion (looking inward) and that each person has an identical but individual Purusha which we may correlate for the moment to Jung’s search for the Self. The Spirit is between the Mind and the Body. Union with the Atman/Purusha is what Edinger calls establishing an Ego-Self Axis. How can the Archetypes be destroyed? They can’t. Therefore, liberation & enlightenment is psychological and happens in the mind, and not in the immortality of the flesh. 

Conclusion: The Journey Continues

For me, the path to unmasking true knowledge, not just of myself, or the Self but also all other selves and the nature of reality, involves shedding the false identifications and projections that clutter us on our journey. I learned that developing the mind and the body in isolation is not enough; the spirit of culture and social interactions, too, must be nurtured and incorporated. This holistic approach has the promise of liberation, not only from external achievements or inner turmoils but through a relativization with the archetype of the Self that can navigate between the two on our journey, whether we call it individuation or raising our Kundalini. 

To sum up, knowing the role of the Ego in Yoga can bring:

1. Harmony of Being: Understanding the Ego’s role in yoga is about more than poses for me; it’s about aligning my mind, body, and spirit for holistic wellness.

2. Path to Self-Discovery: My exploration into the concept of Ego encourages me – and us – to embark on a journey of self-awareness, leading to profound personal insights.

1. Empowerment Through Healing: Recognizing the Ego’s impact empowers me to initiate change from within, offering a blueprint for transformational healing.