Before you lose your ego, you have to have an ego.
Folks who come to spiritual practices, the healing arts, and psychedelics generally come from a place of profound suffering.
And I get it. I have been there. I too am a complex trauma thriver.
The fact is that our egos keep us tethered to space and time. It is how you know the difference between your Self and say, a table.
And with Trauma, our ego is fragmented into many parts that are hidden from our conscious awareness.
Spiritual practices and psychedelics (if done intentionally and with the right elements in place)–begin to make the unconscious…conscious.
The protective parts that are hidden start to come to the surface for healing. And their main roles are to keep you in patterns of protection (vs. connection/healing.) Even long after they are useful.
Integration can be extremely difficult for those without a balanced ego or a solid sense of Self (and no support.) Because the ego has no solid Self to land within—causing the ego to double down on no-longer-useful patterns of protection (trauma responses), fear, and separation.
The ego then has to be rebuilt. This is actually a gift–IF you have support. You get to build a solid sense of Self and balance your ego.
And it may be the hardest work you have ever done. Especially if you are unaware of the deep process that integration entails. Most folks come to plant medicines thinking it’s a quick fix.
Oh no–this will be the hardest you have ever worked.
No wisdom comes without work. There are no soul shortcuts, Boo.
Some of the best evidence-based Trauma-Informed ego work practices to use after egolessness to integrate the unspeakable and transcendental nature of everything and nothing are:
- Somatics/Somatic Experiencing
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Core Work (yes, pilates–because: embodiment)
- Art and Music Therapy
- Dance Therapy
- Integrative Medicine
Preferably, you would prepare for spiritual practices and psychedelics BEFORE utilizing them with the modalities above. But that’s not what I am seeing.
We must develop a solid sense of Self & ego–to transcend the Self & ego.
The point is to be more rooted in being, love, and Life.
“Before Enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment chop wood, carry water.”
Zen Saying
In Healing,
Shannon- “The Integrative Counselor”