Ego Vs Subconscious Mind

[Subconscious94]

Can the community help me understand the difference between "subconscious" and "ego"?  I've been using them interchangeably but through further study and inquiry i perceive there may be times that the subconscious is seen as being beneficial (eg. when paradigms/frameworks are aligned with desires) and it appears almost universally the Ego is perceived as being detrimental to my control and progress.   But I'm clearly confused about the distinction.

Just for further clarification, if someone were to self-sabotage would that be because of their ego or subconscious mind?

[egoeimai]

I think subconscious is  a part of the ego.  The same thing actually. Not seperate.

[Pierre]

Sure, the Ego has deep subconscious roots. Otherwise you would just hear the teachings and BANG you'd be the most enlightened mofo on earth.

[Shin]

The ego is the collections of every beliefs and identifications you have about the world and yourself.

The subconscious mind is the ego filtering and reacting to reality through all these beliefs and indentifications.

There is no subconscious mind when you awaken, at least not if you've practised mindfulness/presence a lot, you always know why you act in a certain way, or at least you have a major lead to find out why.

[eputkonen]

23 hours ago, Subconscious94 said:

Can the community help me understand the difference between "subconscious" and "ego"?  I've been using them interchangeably but through further study and inquiry i perceive there may be times that the subconscious is seen as being beneficial (eg. when paradigms/frameworks are aligned with desires) and it appears almost universally the Ego is perceived as being detrimental to my control and progress.   But I'm clearly confused about the distinction.

Just for further clarification, if someone were to self-sabotage would that be because of their ego or subconscious mind?

The ego has conscious and subconscious components.  The ego is everything we think we are, but there are also conditioned and largely unconscious aspects of the ego.  Like how many people feel they are incomplete or something is wrong with them...and yet have no idea what it could be.  It is subconscious.

Self-sabotage is because of the ego and usually a subconscious part...as people don't knowing do themselves harm.

 

 

[FirstglimpseOMG]

From what I'be been gathering, the subconscious mind is how your body does the things you are unconscious of. Beating your heart, growing your hair and nails, operating your organs, regenerating your cells, on and on. I think our ego patterns and indoctrinated webs of belief are a part of the subconscious system as they inform our body, without us mostly being very aware of this. I think ego has become part of the subconscious, unnecessarily. But I'm often confused.. 

Also, try to remember what is illusion, in the larger context mind/body is not what you are.

[Pav]

There are many aspects to the human psyche some of which are conscious and the majority unconscious. Psychological good health may be achieved through the maturation and integration of these different parts of yourself. 

The ego is perhaps the loudest and very often takes the form of monkey chatter in the regular everyday state of consciousness. The goal of the ego is to maintain self preservation, it's concerned with security, comfort, and social status. When you worry about your finances or alter the way you behave in social setting to make people like you, that is the ego. Your sense of separation with the world, feelings of incompleteness, and any images or beliefs you hold of yourself are also constructs of the ego. 

As @eputkonen has pointed out, the ego also has its unconscious components, limiting beliefs are an example of this (which can be made conscious through introspection). The ego strongly alters your perception of reality in ways most are not aware of (ie. when one sees people as tools, rubrisised in terms of their usefulness, rather than seen as the unique and whole individuals that they are), it is possible to dissolve the egoic filters and achieve a more objective perception of reality, Maslow called this Being-perception.

Due to the illusory nature of egoic constructs often simply placing your awareness on them is enough to disillude them.

The unconscious mind is the source of creativity. The conscious mind is limited to logical, linear thought, while the unconscious mind has the remarkable ability to process thousands of things all together. This is why creative insight is often described as coming from beyond oneself.

The anima/animus are aspects of the unconscious that I see many people have trouble integrating. The anima being the female aspect of a man's psyche and animus is the male aspect of a woman's psyche. Psychological health cannot occur when the anima/animus are not matured and integrated. Disintegration of the anima or animus can manifest into external problems such as a toxic view of the opposite sex (ie seeing women only as sex objects, or seeing men only for their utility), inability to form relationships with the opposite sex, lack of acceptance over one's own sex, inability to form relationships with the same sex, repeated forming of toxic relationship, ect.

Another aspect of the unconscious is what I call the higher self. This is the part of you which strives to do good in the world, to be a decent human being, to value truth, beauty, consciousness, and goodness above your own ego-centered desires. It is the source of the drive toward self-actualisation and self-transcendence. The higher self is experienced much more intuitively than the ego, in regular consciousness it can be experienced as a subtle intuitive 'pull', which can very easily be drowned out by the egoic monkey mind, thus why meditation is so important in self-actualisation, to calm your mind and become more aware of your intuitive drives.

Self sabotage is the result of incongruence in your psyche, it can come from the ego, as is the case with limiting beliefs, though it may also stem from other areas of the psyche. Someone who has achieve the outward success that our culture values may be plagued with depression and feelings of meaninglessness. This is the result of an incongruence in this persons actions and their authentic desires. While this person may have succeeded in achieving their egoic aims (most of which were indoctrinated by their society, a collective ego), they know intuitively that they are not reaching their full potential, not living their own path, and not living authentically.

[Gopackgo]

Subconscious is the concept we are taught to explain the phenomena of thought and emotion appearing from nothing. Through the lens of that model, everything you experience originates in the subconscious and is piped into the conscious mind. An analogy I like is that the conscious mind is the monitor, but the subconscious mind is the computer. The ego is the thought that thinks it is in control of what happens. It also arises from nothing, but can be seen through. It also arises out of nothing. It is the thought that says that I am this and I control this. It isn't bad, and it is part of consciousness as a whole, as it does provide some social function, but it is not everything as it appears to be. Another term for it is the self.

[Subconscious94]

Yes interesting points everyone, thank you for your thoughts.

@Mathew Pav So is it possible to live primarily from your higher self or unconscious mind as you've put it?

If the subconscious mind gives us our creativity, i also know that it contains our beliefs (positive and negative/Truth and non-truth) so then if thats the case wouldnt the subconscious mind be the reason for why people self-sabotage and build lives of depression? 

If the ego was so negative, then i cant understand how someone like Sir Richard Branson or Elon Musk is able to create such success as they are not enlightened people. 

[SOUL]

The ego is the face of the subconscious.

[Martin123]

On 5/22/2017 at 5:39 PM, Shin said:

There is no subconscious mind when you awaken, at least not if you've practised

If we assume the concept of a subconscious, then this statement is a little bold. I would even dare to say inevitably false. You cannot live being conscious of everything, including your base functions such ad digestion etc. Your likes and dislikes will remain. Parts of your conditioning will for sure remain.

[Shin]

38 minutes ago, Martin123 said:

If we assume the concept of a subconscious, then this statement is a little bold. I would even dare to say inevitably false. You cannot live being conscious of everything, including your base functions such ad digestion etc. Your likes and dislikes will remain. Parts of your conditioning will for sure remain.

I"m only talking about limiting beliefs and traumas, not talking about being a demi-god

@Martin123 I didn't said it's the end of limiting beliefs, I only said you know where they come from.

And I'm not enlightened (well yes but no, you know ...)

Thank you kind friend, my next goal is 500 points, may the ratio god be with me

Edited May 25, 2017 by Shin

[Martin123]

@Shin Enlightenment isn´t the end of all limiting belifs either tho yo  but nevermind it is not important you shining little beacon of light. May you reach an unspeakable reputation:posts ratio.