What is the Ego?

[@sumitrabluefrog1258]

One of my favorite parts of A Course in Miracles is the basic identification of ego traits vs Holy Spirit/soul traits. Just learning these two distinctions makes it clear Who’s on first, and who’s attempting to steal it…

[@JeanetteOstlinginSpiration]

Love to listen to both of you!! So clear and easy explained 🎉

[@danpatton3891]

I enjoy CoE's views, opinions and especially the Teachings, of and from "The Course." Emily sets up the question and Robert gives an answer, then Emily challenges it. In my opinion, this method answers a lot of questions the audience may have and does it in a respectful manner. The videos are not saccharine, cheerleading or pretentious. From a Myers/Briggs perspective, I see a Feeling person and a Thinking person working out the issues, so everybody understands. Thank you

[@HavaEliyahou]

Thank you so much for this conversation, it is so helpfull ❤

[@peacelovejoy8786]

The Ego Mind - the greatest "Con - Artist" of All! Dismantling the ego takes work and lot's of it! Thank you guys for diving into this subject it's fascinating 🤩

[@sumitrabluefrog1258]

I love being aware of ego when it shows up; at that point I simply withdraw from it and surrender the “issue” to the Holy Spirit. Awareness and surrender can be very liberating … ✨🍃

[@AugustusBroadford]

Q&A at end very helpful - good format ❤️

[@nicolelove1spirit]

Thank you both! And I do love your analogies, so helpful to get the message across... blessings 💕🙏

[@soulherd]

I love that there are always new facets of the diamond filled in my mind from your podcasts 🙏 It always seems a strange idea to me *hating the ego* because surely any hatred or negativity IS the ego… and loving it is not love but infatuation… I feel that when we are in our right mind, we are in a state of unconditional love and then there is no ego… so do we really need to focus on how to feel about the ego separately/intellectually at all? I don’t know… and is it possible to be aware of the ego without identifying with it… perhaps when we are seeing it as a call for love then we are not identifying with it as ego, so it is no longer real/seen in that moment 😅 it is definitely so clarifying to think about it, raise it up as you do, and ask the Holy Spirit 💛

[@BlueButterfly-ow7on]

THANK YOU 🙏🏻 ❤❤❤❤

[@davidcheeseman992]

That was great look forward to part two... Love from the UK

[@Yes-bk9cl]

❤The Lady has such beautiful eyes❤Seldomly seen❤ Eternitys glance into Eternity❤

[@HavaEliyahou]

Please make part 2 🙏

[@sonyaparkin7841]

I have enjoyed Michael Singer’s books (and talks) about this - was valuable to me in understanding this distinction 👍👍

[@AaronSmith-sx4ez]

You mentioned "non-duality"...you should do a video on the difference between the Course and non-duality/advaita/nihlism.

[@CircleOfAtonement]

We are recording one on Thursday. :)

[@AaronSmith-sx4ez]

@@CircleOfAtonement Looking forward to it!

[@Newfoundmike]

Your Ego wants you Dead ,

[@martinwagner7361]

Do you mean with Nihilism that very low Level spiritual ESCAPISM of so many NeoAdvaita Egos that - since it's supposedly all just an illusion - one somehow wouldn't have to deal with it, with Life, Body, Mind ? Maaany ACIM people unfortunately avoid the real practice also and trade it for escapism .. . One simply MUST come to the understanding that just an intellectual "understanding" of Advaita/ACIM doesn't help anything much, these are UTMOST demanding spiritual paths and practices and true spiritual realization, progress, accomplishments, let alone mastery comes gradually over many years and decades of most committed hard work AND deepest constant daily Surrender to GOD.... Only a very small percentage of people starting out on these paths are really willing to do THAT, most quit or just do a tiny superficial bit of the real work/practice/Surrender needed.... that's simply the Reality of it. When even those family members and friends that know one best from birth ( or at least for most of one's Life) have no objections to call one a true Saint then some REAL spiritual Progress has occurred.....😋😂 But even then still no Level of Mastery has been reached....😋🖐️ I just wondered why you mentioned Nihilism in your question about Advaita Vedanta as the two have NOTHING in common for real.... since true spiritual realization is ALWAYS the exact opposite of Nihilism....just mind the word "true" here though....😋😘🙏❤️

[@mike3806]

​@@CircleOfAtonementVery much looking forward to this!

[@johnpaulson996]

The ego is the one who beats you up.

[@nadadragonfly5111]

💜💜💜

[@rosemariemosareetropf3323]

helpful

[@I-Universe-369]

As long as you don’t go around being mean about being great, be happy. Let’s not shroud greatness.

[@Newfoundmike]

I remember you talking about what a Miracle is , I was listening to Carol Howe and she said Bill would say that it was a shift in perception but your right it doesn't appear. 💖✌️

[@dr.donlevine3955]

I need to get out of bed, eat, go to work, and make decisions in my life or job, but when the ego identifies with anything I do or think, that is when the ego is a problem.

[@sonyaparkin7841]

💚

[@Aetherfield]

“Ancient Ego,” seems a term that an ego would use to re-establish it’s false nature in the illusionary world. Reincarnation is an illusion of ego as well, as we have not fully left this false world as is evidenced by returning to the false-world in a seemingly different ego-form. For whom could this “ancient ego” be, if we have truly left this realm to return to God’s Loving Oneness? Evidence of reincarnation, is therefor evidence that we have again chosen to be be recycled into yet another false ego form. I say, stop choosing to return to the world of illusion, and we may finally be truly free of ego. For when we truly die, the false ego die as well- and whom exactly, would return to speak again of their body or an “ancient ego?” It seems to me that only when we are truly ready to be free of a separate body, will we find “ancient love” and finally return to peace, as Jesus finally showed us. Therefore, desiring reincarnation is a choice for ego and the continued experience of separated existence from God. Choosing to be free of body-separateness, worldly experiences, and ego seems the only way to return to the full love of God.

[@checkingitoutthere]

We are to make no decisions for ourselves. To disengage from the ego IS to follow only the Holy Spirit's Voice. In this way, we automatically withdraw from the ego. Doesn't the Course also say something about the impossibility of understanding the ego and the importance of not focusing on it? Choose once again means to listen only to the Voice of God.

[@CircleOfAtonement]

Hmmm. I thought there was a place in the Course that says the ego is impossible to understand but I can't find it. 🤷‍♀You can search at acimce.app and maybe you'll have better luck. 💕Let us know if you find it! - Emily

[@checkingitoutthere]

@@CircleOfAtonement In the Clarification of Terms section: Introduction paragraph 4. Also Chapter 2 The Ego-The Miracle paragraph 1, sentence 9 "A symbol of impossibility; a choice for options that do not exist."

[@markwilliams-v6j]

Another perspective of the ego can be found on p. 60 & 61 of a book called The Handbook to Higher Consciousness, by Ken Keyes, Jr.

[@richardbolger7695]

Psychologist: one versed in psychology

[@Doux_samuel]

Hi! Thank you for this podcast. ☺️ Is there a release date planned for the hardcover edition of A Course in Miracles (Complete and Annotated Edition)? Will it be available in student bundle? Thank you!

[@CircleOfAtonement]

Right now the softcover is available in the student bundle. The hardcover will be available next year. ♥️

[@jacquelinerwin6650]

I use that line ALL the time to ego and world caca ... "be gone! You have no power here!"

[@rosemarylutter8852]

Hi. So helpful to hear your discussions, a lovely dance. Is the 'ego' the player in the game/outer unreal world; in contrast to the real me as child of God in the real inner world?

[@CircleOfAtonement]

The ego is in your mind. It’s all inner.

[@leahleeds4289]

Do you think the ego gets stronger and louder after we try to do something good for someone and then our good deeds are met with not expected results from another person? Do you think this may be why Jesus called it a Course In Miracles? Our ego says we are “good” and starts building a case against the other person and why they didn’t receive our “miracle?” If we all follow guidance from Jesus to help others would the ego just disappear? Maybe the ego exists because it’s trying to understand why our “good works” have not been received as we thought.

[@CircleOfAtonement]

Hi Leah! Yes. The Course talks about that actually. Specifically, that we get angry when our kindness isn’t rewarded with praise. That’s not why the book is called A Course in Miracles though. The title is because miracles are expressions of love and love is essentially God’s plan to save the world. - Emily

[@leahleeds4289]

I’m almost to chapter 4! Can’t wait to learn more!

[@CircleOfAtonement]

@@leahleeds4289 Love it. 💞

[@susanjoycesabo8450]

It can be very hard to know which voice is correct for our salvation, at times. There are real world dangers which may seem attractive but which are bad in the long run.

[@KathleenHogan]

Ego thought system seems like a software system installed when we left God, Just a bunch of beliefs, mostly that its OK to be separate from God. I certainly don't want that anymore, so not that hard to ignore the negative thoughts when they pop up.

[@loidepolli6132]

Since the ego can be so destructive, I wonder if it is the equivalent to what many religions call the devil...🤔🤔🤔

[@CircleOfAtonement]

Yes, with the understanding that many religions believe the devil is real whereas in the Course the ego is just a false belief, albeit a very powerful one. ♥️

[@pauleiragameplays98]

Hey Emily, with all respect, why are you so much against self-righteousness? If people didn't protest for their rights, sometimes even violently, then slavery, racism and other horrible things would still be legal. It's ok to feel indignation at injustice.

[@CircleOfAtonement]

Hi Paul. Thanks for your comment. I'm not against being an activist for human rights. I've been an activist all of my adult life. But one can be an activist without self-righteousness. The definition of self-righteousness is "having or characterized by a certainty, especially an unfounded one, that one is totally correct or morally superior" and I think those things - "certainty" and feeling "totally correct and morally superior" - is at the heart of so much that is wrong in our world. If the end goal is peace and harmony, we won't get there through a means that is inherently divisive. - Emily

[@pauleiragameplays98]

@@CircleOfAtonement Thank you. You may be right, but let's see what the future has to offer in regards to this. At least I'm pretty sure I won't be alive to see a world without war and genocide... if such a thing is even possible, considering human nature.

[@CircleOfAtonement]

@@pauleiragameplays98 Agreed. As long as human nature contains the ego, history will keep repeating itself. Fortunately, we have the tools to get out. The question is only whether we use them. ♥️

[@pauleiragameplays98]

@@CircleOfAtonement 🙏