Latest Mushroom Experience - Ego Death?

[Podie45]

I have been what one would call a Psychonaut for around 7 years now. It all started when I started getting interested in lucid dreaming & astral projection. It was crazy to me that these things were possible. This path killed my major depressive disorder & suicidal tendencies because it made me realize there is more to life than I thought. However, I had no idea there was such a thing as ''Enlightenment'' until about a year ago. Sure, I had experimented with psychedelics before but they had never induced a Mystical experience or ego death.

This might be some sort of ''newbie'' question: Recently, I had around 2 grams of magic mushrooms and at some point, I felt like everything was about to disappear. Not only my ego, but also everything I could see, hear, touch... I mean the material/physical world itself. I was about to vanish into 'nothingness'. Obviously, this scared me and a fight or flight response kicked in. It felt like I was about to die, it felt like a physical threat. I fought for hours and didn't let it happen.

Is that what people refer to as ego death?

How does one learn to let go in these kind of situations?

[Nahm]

28 minutes ago, Podie45 said:

How does one learn to let go in these kind of situations?

Unlearn the thought / belief “I”. 

28 minutes ago, Podie45 said:

I was about to vanish into 'nothingness'.

Then this belief won’t be in the way next time. Nothing doesn’t not vanish in nothing, nothing is nothing. 

[Shunyata]

I think @electroBeam can give an answer to you.

[Batman]

There are different degrees of ego dissolution. I would propose that ego death is the dissolution of both the self-mind and perceptive faculties. This could be "achieved" using Psilocybin and other molecules, yes. It is possible to resist the dissolution of the ego using the self-mind and the perceptive faculties, by trying to "hold onto" your known reality (hence "anchoring" you in ego consciousness).

This is why letting go is very powerful in "psychedelic" states. An initiated psychonaut learns with time to cultivate the letting go "skill". But it is also powerful, and probably even more important, in default states. Letting go of your mind activity (beliefs, concepts, memory etc.) will grant you with greater openness and possibility towards deeper consciousness (which is limited by your mind and perceptions).

Enjoy the ride.

[Leo Gura]

5 hours ago, Podie45 said:

Is that what people refer to as ego death?

Yes

Quote

How does one learn to let go in these kind of situations?

You have to want it. Want Truth. Stop making it personal.

[Forestluv]

8 hours ago, Podie45 said:

I felt like everything was about to disappear. Not only my ego, but also everything I could see, hear, touch... I mean the material/physical world itself. I was about to vanish into 'nothingness'. Obviously, this scared me and a fight or flight response kicked in. It felt like I was about to die, it felt like a physical threat. I fought for hours and didn't let it happen.

You can change your relationship with what it. The mind-body can perceive something as threatening, activate the sympathetic nervous system and go into fight or flight. Another mind-body may perceive it as safe, activate the parasympathetic system and go into deep peace and bliss. Another mind-body could relate as pure experience, fascination or infinity. You mention “obviously, this scared me”. Yet that is an assumption of conditioning. I’d let go of that belief. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Sometimes breakdowns occur prior to breakthroughs, if so that’s how it is and roll with it. Yet we also don’t want to overly stress the mind-body. Perhaps let the mind and body know this is safe. Condition the mind-body to relax into “strain”, such that it isn’t “strain” - and the body can relax as the parasympathetic system is operative. For me, good practices are yin yoga, breathwork and moderate doses of psychedelics. With each, discomfort can arise and relaxing into it helps release and re-condition the mind-body. When I first did shamanic breathing, my hands and face would clench up with tetany. My hands would be curled up like a lobster claw. It was painful and my body resisted. I tried to push through the discomfort and that just made it worse. Yet I’ve learned to be completely relaxed with the tetany. I actually enjoy it now.

Of course this is a more mild example than than a psychedelic sub-ego-death zone. Yet it may help to learn how to relax the mind-body in moderately stressful environments. Or maybe not. You get to experiment with what works for you.

[Muhammad Jawad]

On 06/01/2021 at 2:01 AM, Forestluv said:

My hands would be curled up like a lobster claw. It was painful and my body resisted.

Hi!

I am also facing this issue.

Did you found solution to this?

Should I stop breathing as soon as clenching and pain starts In hands? Or I should continue breathing?

Waiting for your response.

 

Thanks