eGo the eNeMy

[Copuldaemon]

I suppose this is just a good place as any to write this. I've foundd that ego well, speaking for myself, I find that my ego is the enemy to that which I seek out to do in life.
I praise any writing of Dr. Anton LaVey for he understood the human condition than any doctor and he was right in his assessment of an impoverished ego but I disagree on the terms of putting mines first out fear of it being impoverished.
The path that I'm on, the pact that I've made, the sacrifices that I suffer are all for the mysteries that lie beyond the veil of light and in the world.
Many a man or woman have to die just to reach the threshold and many call those who make it, cursed to be holders of such knowledge while being walkers in this flesh.
Without trying to sound cryptic, all I'm saying is that (and again using I as a reference) the ego is very deceptive and subtle in its techniques. I find it to be a likened to a very rich, and spoiled young girl who's a brat when not getting her way.
The ego is also like a female in the sense of it needs constant praise, attention or affection. It is so depraved for such that it becomes delluted in the sense of weaving any kind of identity for itself be it fake or exagerated all for the glory of itself. I guess it likes praise and glory for praise and glory's sake.
It can hinder because it is subtle and deceptive like a manipulative female who has drugged tea whom she serves to her guests.
I guess I have written this here as a reminder even if only to me on how my ego must be restrained for its foolish nature would be my downfall (again) after umphteen times.

[m1thr0s]

LaVey's downfall is that he fails to complete the equation he has started. In his reasoning, the ego is not to be destroyed but embraced and exalted...but how? His failure to answer the how has been the nemesis of his life's work and the biggest thing plaguing the CoS in general. We could say that he left this hanging deliberately perhaps but an omission is an omission and until people understand how to exalt the ego in a strong and balanced way, it will continue to remain a hollow rhetoric that mostly lends itself to sordid narcicism and fruitless self-aggrandizement.

And still...despite this shortcoming, I believe his underscoring assertion is a correct one. Ego *wants*, and this *want* is something we can work with. The trick is figuring out how to give it even more than it *wants*...all the way to everything that it actually *needs* to prevail. This is a process of *trading up* from a futile self-identification to a potent and profitable one. But we have to guage that profitablility against all contingencies or it just becomes another trap. That's why there needs to be an identifiable *target* and a strategy for securing that objectives. And this is precisely where his philosophy has failed.

It will be up to future generations to resolve that question and plug that gap or Satanic philosophy will simply not advance beyond a common gangster mentality and will eventually run afoul of its own ability to survive. I don't actually think this will happen though. I think the time is right for this philosophy to go forward, but it's got a few holes to patch yet.

m1thr0s

[VenusSatanas]

I am in agreement that the ego should be used like a tool and that it can be a benefit, not a burden to those who understand what it is.

I think that LaVey was right for leaving the "how" up to us. If he had given exact instruction on how to do this then he would be no different than any other religious leader seeking followers, and commendation for his method...

The "how" is a process that evolves over a lifetime. It is unique for each person. IN the end its all about the old axiom; "Know Thyself"

[Copuldaemon]

I liked what you'd wrote there m1thro.

You know everybody has their prophet to worship. Some it's Crowley, others it's AOS, mine is LaVey.

The thing about his works is that there's subtle information that I'd always get on my own. He wrote to the point and not too much in detail. Perhaps this was his method, it works for me but it's highly possible that he left that last bit out.

[Copuldaemon]

Hey venus! well said too.

[m1thr0s]

yeah, I'm not sure it was a "bad" thing either...it just is what it is. Satanism is about self-reliance for cripe's sake...I think we can manage to sort this bit out...I know I'm on it in my own way and others are on it in theirs. Realizing that there are parts of this philosophy that need completing on a personal level is a big part of understanding what makes it work though...hey...it's your universe...take it!

m1thr0s

[Hairetikos]

To me, the ego is a nexus or matrix, the point where you interact with the world around you. In this sense, it's a necessary mechanism for surviving in the world. I guess I have veered away from the LHP quite a bit, but I'm still willing to share my views if y'all are willing to have them. I've begun to think more along the lines of the ego, or personality in general, being a veil. Sort of like all the social conditioning that's piled onto it overshadowing who you truly are within. I recognize the so-called psychic censor and also the various techniques used to bypass said censor.

As far as exalting the ego goes, I haven't seen any techniques better than those that the dubious Temple of the Vampire offers. While I am skeptical of a lot of their claims, what I've seen of their techniques towards ego exaltation is better and more varied than what little I've seen elsewhere. One technique, which they call Behind the Eyes (BTE for short) is to constantly be aware of where you are, which in this exercise is directly behind your eyes. Kind of reminiscent of Gurdjieff's self-remembrance techniques, but with a small twist. Another, and similar exercise, is their De-identification Process, where you constantly remind yourself that you are not that which you experience. This really goes hand in hand with BTE. Yet another and more challenging technique is what they call Walking the World (WTW), where you remain aware of being Behind the Eyes, but every movement you make is imagined to be centered solely around yourself. Let me explain, if you're walking down the street, instead of thinking that you are moving down the street, you imagine that you are stationary and that your feet are moving the earth beneath you. This exercise is designed to eventually give you the idea that you're the center of the cosmos and your will alone moves the world around you, not you moving within it. This gets really tricky when doing something other than just walking around, like walking up or down steps (imagine yourself pushing down or pulling up the stairs beneath you), turning around in a swivel chair, etc.

L. V. X.,
Hairetikos

[Copuldaemon]

Let me explain, if you're walking down the street, instead of thinking that you are moving down the street, you imagine that you are stationary and that your feet are moving the earth beneath you. This exercise is designed to eventually give you the idea that you're the center of the cosmos and your will alone moves the world around you, not you moving within it. This gets really tricky when doing something other than just walking around, like walking up or down steps (imagine yourself pushing down or pulling up the stairs beneath you), turning around in a swivel chair, etc.

Oh shit bro, that's crazy. I might fall down with my equilibrium off balance. I like your view thanks for bringing it to the table of discussion.

[Ci Celli Ddu]

The ego is a tool, if you have learned to control it, but unchecked it can do things that can have disasterous results. Exalting the ego sounds to me like strengthening the will, which can be done through conquering fear. The ego can be a very ambiguous area of reference all in all, as its definition is tied to ones perceptions and chosen terminology and network. Then of course there are the different types of ego and so on...

[Copuldaemon]

I guess there's nothing more I can say on this subject for a few have explained it better than what I could write.

ccd: you are very much right or at least, i DO agree here. but there's more to it for believe me, i conquer my fear every day when there was once a time i couldn't even breathe. i can admit mines distorted and twisted but atleast i am aware of this.

i hate when i am trying to shut off the world, the world comes calling but when no one's calling, i'm gassy slug.

[Nalyd Khezr Bey]

Rationality and reason are the tools of the ego. Dispense with them and allow the world to be magickal. When you no longer have any points to defend then you might begin to experience the taming of the ego. Also Hairetikos, very well stated. :)

[Ci Celli Ddu]

Rationality and reason are the tools of the ego. Dispense with them and allow the world to be magickal. When you no longer have any points to defend then you might begin to experience the taming of the ego. Also Hairetikos, very well stated. :)

Another ego trap? ;)