/lit/ - Literature

On consciousness and ego, with examples from myths, religions, theatre and film. If this sort of thing upsets you, don't read it.

It's not about what religion, if any, you adhere to. More power to you, no matter what path you take. Most of the boomers got it. A sizable part of my generation gets it, but some of us need something very important spelled out. Plato's cave allegory is not an abstract philosophical exercise. It describes our condition as consciousness incarnate in form. Hamlet knows he's an actor inside a play. He breaks the fourth wall, the cave's mouth, and speaks directly to the audience. His performance does not only catch the conscience of the king, it also, hopefully, catches the conscience of the audience. Audience as ego-king: until we dethrone our egos, and stop reigning over our environments, we will continue to rule over shadows. The Gnostics called this throne-usurper the Demiurge: the observer who believes, erroneously, that he is God. Uncle Claudius, the Demiurge, and the ego are the same thing, the clingy illusion that "I" am separate from "you."

If the individual ego is not sufficiently developed, or if it is very afraid of other egos, it seeks identity in a larger group ego. This group must dominate all other groups to maintain its integrity. This is the force driving wars, religious sectarianism, party politics, persecution, racism, nationalism, and sports team mania. It is schoolyard-clique bully-mentality parading in kingly robes.

The ego is the king Hamlet must dethrone (we don't have to kill it!).