By Thomas McMillan
EDITOR’S NOTE: The author has made it clear to us that he is not categorically endorsing the truth claims of any religion. (We have no problem with thoughtful disclaimers here at Action Academe—see our own version at the bottom of each page! 🙂) Mr. McMillan nonetheless wishes to bring to light the potential value of what at least appear to be remarkable parallels across history, geography, and vastly varying human conventions and traditions.
Higher-order consciousness, or mystic elevation, is a prevalent idea in the world’s religions. In Buddhism and Hinduism especially, there is a strong emphasis on an enlightenment of this type. In Buddhism, there is a core priority on following the path of the Buddha and ascending towards higher-order thinking outside of what is possible through normal, everyday life. In Hinduism, there are multiple “paths” (called mārgas or yogas) towards a similar enlightenment that lead toward the unification of the “soul,” or Ātman, with God. These ideas have existed for over two thousands years. After reading a variety of religious texts and religious scholars’ analyses, I would submit that there is a psychological phenomenon that shares great resemblance to these ideas. People experiencing the phenomenon of ego death, loss, or dissolution (which I will now refer to as ego death) report symptoms and ideas that should be familiar to readers aware of the contemplative practices of the aforementioned Asian religions.
Those who have experienced this phenomenon recount out-of-body experiences that purportedly allow them to think outside of their own body or even communicate with God or gods (amongst other, seemingly supernatural, beings). Although these two separate groups achieve this experience differently and for different purposes, it is my current inference that the apparent "family resemblance" should not be dismissed out of hand.
Ego death, as defined by researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine, is the “complete loss of subjective self-identity” (Johnson M, Richards and W, Griffiths R 613). To detail this further, people experiencing ego death feel as though their self or their personality is separated, removed, or even killed off from their consciousness. This allows for mystic elevation or unification with powers or natural laws that are beyond what can be normally experienced. Those who experience ego death are commonly able to think in abstract ways and describe ecstasy and an understanding of divinity that they previously were unable to experience. Methods of finding this experience vary among persons, though the two most reported ways appear to be through psychedelic drug use or severe dissociation resulting from trauma or the reliving of trauma.
Users of psychedelic drugs have long reported the experience of ego death, with many users even describing this phenomenon as the largest benefit of using the drugs at all. According to Xavier Francuski, a researcher of The Medical Anthropology Research Center, ego death when achieved through the use of psychedelic drugs can be described as feeling “free, floating...eternal, self-sustainable and bound by nothing...connected to, all existence...life itself...pristine energy, part of the infinite and finite at the same time.” In this description, users experience their ego and self-identity dissolve—and their internal consciousness elevate—into a limitless path of thinking. The experience of being bound by nothing removes the conception of a distinct and separate self from existence, aligning with the loss of subjective self that is ego death.
The other seemingly most common method of experiencing ego death is through severe dissociation, often resulting from experiencing or reliving a traumatic experience. Charlie W. McDonald, a doctoral candidate at Binghamton University, has described ego death from trauma and other sources as a scale from “negative experiences such as depersonalization, detachment from reality and dissociation, and even psychosis” to “unity...a mystical sense of oneness with a larger whole” (Micale). If depersonalization is the loss of the subjective self, then it follows that it is also at least one form of ego death, in that ego death is also the loss of subjective self.
The state of pure ecstasy and wisdom of the mysticism in Hinduism and Buddhism is identical in its description to the descriptive accounts of those who experience ego death. Huston Smith, a religious scholar, describes one method of achieving Hindu enlightenment through Jñāna yoga (the spiritual practice of union with the Godhead via the intellect and introspection). As part of a Jñāna yogi’s enlightenment process, they need to “drive a wedge” between the ātman (or soul), and the ego (Smith 31). This process separates the “perceived” self from the “true” self. The yogi needs to become one with an eternal sense of being outside of their seemingly natural self. When this is achieved, they have unified with God.
Buddhists also render a similar depiction of enlightenment or nirvana. They describe the journey one needs to take to achieve enlightenment as the Eightfold Path. As part of this process, one must “overcome the egotistic drive for separate existence” (Smith 104). In order for a Buddhist to reach this ultimate mind-state, they need to recognize that there is greater consciousness to be gained underneath the surface self. It therefore seems reasonable to conclude that the religious historical figures and active seekers of enlightenment within Hinduism and Buddhism are experiencing a phenomenon similar to the description of ego death by psychological professionals, their dissociated patients, and psychedelic users. In letting go of the surface “self,” Hindus and Buddhists experience a state of pure ecstasy and wisdom. As described in the narratives of those that experience ego death outside of these religions, they too achieve a state of connection to existence itself through the separation of self-conception and true identity.
Interestingly enough, there is preliminary evidence to suggest that early Hinduism and Buddhism may have been influenced by psychoactive drugs. In Hinduism, the drug “soma,” as referenced in the Rigveda, may have been used and could have been a suggestive portion of the foundation of the larger faith (The Editors of Britannica). Buddhism also shares some of these preliminary pieces of evidence. In early Buddhism, Amanita muscaria mushrooms may have been used in secrecy to discover enlightenment (Hajicek-Dobberstein). I do not intend to assert that the use of these drugs was in any way the sole foundation or primary agent that catalyzed these religions. However, if psychedelic drugs played even a minor role in the early foundations of these religions, it may help explain why the experiences of the religious groups and users of psychedelics have such striking parallels, albeit within different contexts and goals.
The concept of ego death bears a resounding similarity—if not nearly identical resemblance—to the enlightenment and nirvana experiences described in Hinduism and Buddhism. Despite barriers of culture, language, or geography, ideas expressing the uniqueness of the human condition have been a focus of philosophy and religion since the inception of our species. In this case, a consciousness beyond what one can normally perceive can become a focus for further inquiry. It is clear that a sense of cosmic ecstasy or unification with a higher power or powers is a recurring phenomenon and experience that has proven to be shared across cultures and faiths. The enlightenment or unification with God that Buddhism and Hinduism describe appear to be in the same overall territory as ego death.
People all across the world have described their experiences, and while I cannot personally endorse the claims of any faith, I think we are closer together than we are apart. When analyzed closely, it’s clear that the human experience is shared, albeit in different ways, across the globe. I think that if we look at our own experiences and foster dialogue with people from different cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs, we can find a sense of truth and enlightenment that goes far beyond what any of us might otherwise achieve on our own. If we can find these experiences as individuals and individual cultures, separated from others, what indeed may we find when we experience the world and ourselves together?
Works Cited
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "soma". Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Dec. 2022,
<https://www.britannica.com/topic/soma-Hinduism>. Accessed 8 May 2024.
Francuski, Xavier. “Why We Strive for Ego Death With Psychedelics.” Kahpi, 5 Nov. 2018,
Hajicek-Dobberstein, S. “Soma siddhas and alchemical enlightenment: psychedelic
mushrooms in Buddhist tradition.” Journal of ethnopharmacology vol. 48,2 (1995): 99-
118. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(95)01292-l.
Johnson M, Richards W, Griffiths R. Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2008;22(6):603-620. doi:10.1177/0269881108093587.
Micale, Jennifer. Binghamton University News, 12 Dec. 2023,
Smith, Houston. The World’s Religions. New York, HarperCollins Publishers, 1986.
Thomas McMillan is a sophomore at CT State Tunxis.
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