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EXTRA-EGO: THE MISSING PSYCHIC DIMENSION IN EGO-CENTERED SOCIETIES
Liviu Poenaru
May 15, 2025
Abstract
Context
For over a century, Western psychological models—most notably Freud’s tripartite division of the psyche into Id, Ego, and Superego—have dominated both clinical practice and cultural understanding. However, in late modern societies marked by hyper-individualism, consumerism, and the erosion of communal transcendental frameworks, a new psychic pathology has emerged: existential dislocation and spiritual emptiness. The present work argues that this crisis is rooted in the systematic repression of a fourth psychic dimension, the Extra-Ego, understood as a transpersonal, expanded form of consciousness that connects the self to metaphysical, spiritual, and universal realms.
Problematics and Aims
Modern societies have pathologized or erased the transcendental experiences once embedded in spiritual traditions and communal rites. As a result, the potential for inner transformation, creative depth, and existential integration has been drastically reduced. The central hypothesis of this study is that the repression of the Extra-Ego—through colonialism, cybercapitalism, and hyperrationalism—has generated a range of psychological disorders and collective malaise. The aim is to demonstrate that the reactivation and therapeutic integration of the Extra-Ego can serve as a powerful tool for healing, individuation, and societal reorientation.
Method
This research adopts a transdisciplinary methodology, integrating psychoanalysis, transpersonal psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, theology, and critical theory. Theoretical constructs are supported by recent neuroimaging findings on the Default Mode Network (DMN), phenomenological analyses of mysticism, and cross-cultural anthropological evidence on rites of passage and shamanic practices. Historical critique is also mobilized to trace the erasure of the Extra-Ego in Western epistemologies and postcolonial subject formation.
Results
Neuroscientific studies reveal that states such as deep meditation, psychedelic experiences, and mystical ecstasy correlate with a temporary deactivation of the DMN, facilitating Ego-dissolution and access to expanded states of awareness. These states—characterized by non-duality, transcendence, and radical interconnection—align with what the author conceptualizes as Extra-Ego states. Anthropological evidence confirms that many traditional societies maintained psychospiritual practices that cultivated the Extra-Ego through symbolic rituals. In contrast, cybercapitalism and scopic colonialism have fragmented attention and intensified self-objectification, leading to a collapse of contemplative depth and collective cohesion.
Interpretation
The Extra-Ego is not a mystical surplus or spiritual luxury, but a fundamental psychic function whose suppression creates existential fragility. Its rehabilitation entails both epistemic and clinical transformation. Psychology must shift from a reparative model that retools the Ego for productivity and consumption toward an expansive model that honors transcendence, depth, and integration. This implies the development of psychotherapeutic protocols and psycho-educational frameworks that legitimize and guide Extra-Ego experiences. Ultimately, the emergence of an “Extra-Ego Generation”—capable of reintegrating transcendence within a scientific and cultural framework—may be essential for restoring psychological balance, collective meaning, and human dignity in a fractured world.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein
Beyond the freudian model
Sigmund Freud’s classical tripartite model—Id, Ego, and Superego—has been the foundation of psychoanalytic thought for over a century (Freud, 1923/1961). The Id represents unconscious and instinctual drives, seeking immediate gratification without regard for reality or morality. The Ego functions as a mediator between the Id, the Superego, and external reality, balancing instinctual desires with rational and socially acceptable behavior. The Superego embodies internalized moral values and societal norms, often imposing guilt and restrictions on the Ego’s decisions. However, emerging conceptual and clinical frameworks suggest the necessity of an additional dimension: the Extra-Ego. This fourth psychic instance transcends traditional empirical and rational approaches, extending into metaphysical, spiritual, and transcendent domains (Corbett, 2015).
We contend that the psychic and social suppression of the Extra-Ego is a key factor in the development of psychopathology in Ego-centered and narcissistic societies (Lasch, 1991; Han, 2015). Contemporary cultures, which prioritize hyper-individualism, material success, and rational self-interest, tend to repress this dimension of human experience, leading to psychological and existential suffering. More specifically, it is the very act of castrating or denying this vast part of the personality that generates pathology, particularly in consumerist, economic, and materialist societies built upon the morality of productivity and consumption (Fromm, 1947; Debord, 1967; Piron, 2020). These social structures seem to annihilate the Extra-Ego, rendering it invisible, denied, and dissociated from the rest of the personality (Ehrenberg, 1998).
By reintegrating the Extra-Ego into psychological discourse and therapeutic practice, we could offer a transformative perspective on mental health. To explore this hypothesis, this work first defines the Extra-Ego as a missing dimension of the psyche, before examining its role in the development of psychopathology. Understanding the Extra-Ego requires, in our view, a transdisciplinary synthesis, drawing from neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and theology, among other disciplines, to illuminate its complexity.
Neuroscientific research on brain plasticity and altered states of consciousness reveals that deep meditation and psychedelics temporarily inhibit the Default Mode Network (DMN), thereby dissolving self-referential constraints and allowing access to an expanded cognitive state (Carhart-Harris et al., 2012; Brewer et al., 2011). Psychological frameworks, particularly depth psychology and transpersonal psychology, conceptualize the Extra-Ego as a liminal space between the personal and the archetypal, echoing Jung’s theories on individuation and the collective unconscious (Jung, 1959/1979; Corbett, 2015). Anthropological studies show that traditional societies have long cultivated these experiences through rituals, shamanism, and vision quests, in response to the endemic alienation of modernity (Eliade, 1951/2004; Winkelman, 2010). Finally, spiritual traditions worldwide—from Sufism to Buddhist enlightenment—have always emphasized ego transcendence as the path to ultimate reality, suggesting that the Extra-Ego is not merely a neurocognitive anomaly but a fundamental dimension of human potential (Smith, 1987; Wilber, 2000).
The Extra-Ego: a missing dimension of the psyche
From our perspective, the Extra-Ego represents a vast dimension of the psyche, extending toward the infinite, the universal, and the beyond. It is not restricted by the boundaries of the individual Ego, but instead expands outward, linking the psyche to broader existential, spiritual, and cosmic realms. Unlike the Ego, which operates within the constraints of rationality and social norms, the Extra-Ego is an expansive psychic structure that surpasses conventional mental frameworks. It can be understood as an expanded consciousness, integrating intuitive, spiritual, and transpersonal dimensions, allowing individuals to access deeper layers of meaning, creativity, interconnection, and transcendence.
We argue that the repression or ignorance of the Extra-Ego deprives individuals of an essential dimension of their psychic balance, generating internal tensions that manifest as a continuous struggle to achieve integration among the various components of the psyche (Taylor, 1989). Hyper-rationality and materialism, by imposing a worldview strictly based on efficiency, productivity, and instrumental logic, have gradually erased this transcendental dimension from psychological discourse, reducing individuals to fragmented identities devoid of existential grounding (Metzinger, 2009; Han, 2015). The suppression of the Extra-Ego manifests in the rising prevalence of existential crises, anxiety disorders, dissociative states, burnout diseases, and a profound sense of absurdity and emptiness, which are increasingly shaping contemporary psychic experience and fostering alienation (Baumeister, 1991; Twenge, 2017).
Trapped within a framework where excessive rationalization and the pursuit of material success dictate the parameters of existence, individuals become disconnected from foundational experiences of meaning and transcendence, which are essential to psychological well-being. By reintegrating the Extra-Ego into clinical practice and granting it a legitimate place within models of the psyche, we could not only provide new pathways for healing contemporary suffering, but also redefine therapeutic perspectives, opening new horizons for personal fulfillment, creativity, and a reconnection to an expanded consciousness of self and the world (Louchakova-Schwartz, 2019).
The negation of the Extra-Ego through colonialism and cybercapitalism
The systematic rejection of the Extra-Ego may find its roots in historical processes of domination, particularly the expansion of colonialism and, more recently, the emergence of cybercapitalism and scopic colonialism. These mechanisms have gradually erased the transpersonal and spiritual dimensions of existence, imposing a materialistic, ego-centered worldview that prioritizes economic productivity over transcendence (Debord, 1967; Han, 2017).
Colonial expansion was not merely a geopolitical and economic conquest, but also a conquest of minds and subjectivities. Through the imposition of Western rationality, colonial powers systematically suppressed indigenous and non-Western spiritual frameworks, many of which were deeply rooted in concepts akin to the Extra-Ego (Eliade, 1951/2004; Fanon, 1961). Eliade explores the shaman as a multifaceted figure—magician, healer, mystic, and poet—whose role is central to the magico-religious life of societies that emphasize spiritual transformation. Shamanic practices, animism, and collective spiritual experiences have been dismissed as “primitive” or “superstitious” and supplanted by utilitarian, individualistic, and productivity-driven ideologies, which reinforced Ego-based dominance under the guise of politically “superior” authorities (Escobar, 1995). Escobar examines how post-World War II development policies evolved into mechanisms of control, structuring the so-called Third World by enforcing economic models from industrialized nations while exacerbating poverty and hunger. He further illustrates how experts construct knowledge and wield power, while advocating for a redefinition of postdevelopment through "pluriversal studies" to address contemporary global challenges.
These transformations destabilized traditional societies, where spiritual practices were fundamental to maintaining psychic balance. By dismantling these communal and transcendental structures, which linked material existence to infinite existence, colonial and industrial expansion enforced an atomized and materialistic model of subjectivity, a framework that continues to shape postcolonial societies today (Bhabha, 2004; Maldonado-Torres, 2007).
In the contemporary era, cybercapitalism and scopic colonialism have taken over the mechanisms of psychic domination, further exacerbating the repression of the Extra-Ego. The digital age has created an unprecedented form of visual, mental, and biological colonization, where algorithms, social media, and hypermediatization shape subjectivity in a way that fragments the Ego through the infinite multiplication of information and artificial needs, all at the expense of the Extra-Ego.
Scopic colonialism refers to the dominance and engineering of vision through visual and computational technologies, which serve as instruments of control over consumption and subjectivity. These mechanisms condition perception and reduce the multidimensionality of reality to hyper-visible, consumable images. However, these images are not neutral—they are infused with economic codes that infiltrate both the psyche and biology, shaping perception, beliefs, desires, and identity to construct an economic unconscious (Poenaru, 2023) that remains perpetually available for consumption and production. This unconscious is structured by digital capitalism, reinforcing digital labor, compulsive consumption, and self-objectification.
The rise of social media platforms has amplified this process, encouraging individuals to constantly curate and manage their self-image, anchoring subjectivity in external validation, performance, and standardization (Turkle, 2011). In this economy of visibility, the Extra-Ego—associated with immateriality, intuition, transcendence, and introspection—becomes invisible, devalued, repressed, and ultimately severed from one's subjective experience of self.
Cybercapitalism establishes a framework in which attention, a crucial cognitive resource, is relentlessly captured, manipulated, and monetized, depleting individuals' attentional reserves and obstructing their access to deeper layers of consciousness (Crary, 2013). The constant exposure to infinite digital stimuli, the gamification of vision, and the algorithmic configuration of artificial and infinite desires create a psychic environment where the Extra-Ego is neither nurtured nor recognized. Instead, individuals become trapped in cycles of dopamine-driven gratification and the endless reproduction of artificial goals. This dynamic reinforces the dominance of the Ego while suppressing access to altered states of consciousness, deep reflection, and self-transcendence.
Neural plasticity, meditation, and the Extra-Ego
Scientific research on brain plasticity, meditation, and altered states of consciousness has revealed profound insights into how the human mind can access states that transcend ordinary cognition (Varela, Thompson, & Rosch, 1991; Panksepp, 1998). Recent discoveries in neuroscience indicate that such access correlates with specific neural activity, particularly within the Default Mode Network (DMN) (Raichle et al., 2001; Brewer et al., 2011). This network, primarily involved in self-referential thinking and autobiographical memory, undergoes significant modulation during deep meditation and psychedelic experiences, opening pathways to expanded states of consciousness.
Mind-wandering, characterized by spontaneous activation of the DMN, often leads to uncontrolled cognitive drift, frequently associated with anxious rumination, automatic thoughts, and projections into the past or future (Killingsworth & Gilbert, 2010). Killingsworth and Gilbert found that mind-wandering is a common cognitive state but is strongly associated with reduced happiness, as individuals tend to be less happy when their thoughts drift away from the present moment, regardless of the activity they are engaged in. Their study, using real-time experience sampling, demonstrated that people's minds wander nearly 47% of the time, and this tendency to focus on past or future concerns contributes to greater emotional distress rather than well-being.
However, the Extra-Ego is not a chaotic proliferation of wandering thoughts but rather a structured expansion of consciousness that transcends the habitual boundaries of the Ego while maintaining psychological coherence. When the DMN is temporarily deactivated, this does not lead to increased mental wandering, but rather opens a cognitive space where the individual can perceive a broader reality without being trapped in limiting cognitive patterns (Newberg, D'Aquili & Rause, 2002). Far from being a chaotic dissolution of the Ego, this is a controlled expansion of consciousness, allowing individuals to transcend the limits of an isolated and suffering self while gaining higher levels of understanding and psychological integration (MacLean, 1990; Metzinger, 2009).
The DMN is active when individuals are not focused on the external environment and engaged in internally directed cognition, including autobiographical memory retrieval, envisioning the future, and understanding others' perspectives. It functions through two interacting subsystems: the medial temporal lobe subsystem, which supplies memory-based associations, and the medial prefrontal subsystem, which enables their flexible use in self-relevant thoughts. These subsystems converge on integration nodes like the posterior cingulate cortex, supporting mental simulation, social navigation, and future planning by drawing on past experiences (Buckner, Andrews-Hanna, & Schacter, 2008). The DMN is particularly active during mind-wandering, introspection, and the construction of a “coherent” personal narrative. However, while this activity is vital for maintaining a stable identity (Northoff et al., 2006), it can also reinforce rigid cognitive schemas and dysfunctional identities, thereby limiting access to non-ordinary states of consciousness.
Functional MRI (fMRI) studies have demonstrated that meditation, psychedelics, and near-death experiences significantly alter DMN activity. Specifically, a decrease in DMN connectivity is observed during deep meditation and under the effects of substances like psilocybin or LSD, which correlates with reports of Ego dissolution and a heightened sense of interconnectedness (Carhart-Harris & Friston, 2019). This suggests that reducing the dominance of the Ego facilitates the emergence of the Extra-Ego, a state characterized by non-dual consciousness, increased creativity, and an altered perception of time and space (Lutz et al., 2004; Griffiths et al., 2008).
This state radically differs from ordinary consciousness, which operates according to a dualistic logic, where individuals perceive themselves as distinct and separate from the external world—a world that can often be experienced as a threatening space of otherness, a site of oppression, or a mirror of societal norms and expectations that impose guilt and control. Within this structure, self-experience is often shaped by defensive mechanisms, identity conflicts, and an incessant search for validation in response to external injunctions. In contrast, non-dual consciousness allows individuals to transcend these dynamics by dissolving oppositional constructs, fostering a fluid and integrative perception in which the subject no longer struggles against an alienating external world but instead experiences harmony within an interconnected and meaningful reality (Hood, Hill, & Spilka, 2009).
This perspective aligns with Buddhist philosophy (to which we will return later), which rejects the notion of a creator God or created souls, considering these concepts as artificial divisions between subject and object, which objectify living beings and establish an illusory hierarchy of dominance (Gethin, 1998). In this view, the absolute is infinite, without beginning or end, and time itself has no origin, making the idea of a creator God incompatible with this understanding of reality. To dissolve these artificial boundaries and divisions, Buddhism recognizes an infinite and eternal transcendence present in all things, expressed through the Buddha state, which is neither creator nor creation but rather the timeless and immanent essence of all phenomena (Wallace, 2007).
Brain plasticity, defined as the ability of neural circuits to reorganize in response to experience, may play a central role in accessing and sustaining Extra-Ego states (Pascual-Leone et al., 2005). This neural malleability enables individuals to integrate experiences that reshape self-perception and worldview, thereby facilitating expanded consciousness beyond the limitations imposed by the Ego while reinforcing, through experience repetition, the neural pathways that support this cognitive expansion.
Meditative practices such as mindfulness, loving-kindness meditation, and advanced yogic techniques have been shown to induce long-term structural and functional changes in the brain. These transformations enhance cognitive, emotional, and introspective abilities, which are essential for the integration of Extra-Ego experiences (Tang, Hölzel, & Posner, 2015).
Neuroscientific advances have also revealed significant effects of altered states of consciousness on brain structure and function. Neuroimaging studies show that long-term meditators exhibit increased gray matter density in key brain regions, such as the anterior cingulate cortex and the hippocampus, responsible for emotional regulation and memory consolidation (Fox et al., 2014). Furthermore, meditation strengthens neural connectivity, enhancing interactions between the DMN and task-positive networks like the salience network, thereby facilitating fluid integration between internal awareness and external perception. This dynamic adjustment may contribute to a balance between self-reflection and cognitive adaptability.
A psychological bridge between the personal and the universal
Psychology has long sought to understand the nature of consciousness, the unconscious, identity, and the mechanisms that govern human experience. Depth psychology, transpersonal psychology, and existential psychology emphasize the importance of transcendental experiences in psychic health and personal development (Grof, 2000; Corbett, 2015). These approaches recognize that psychological well-being is not limited to managing pathologies or reinforcing ego structures intended to withstand absurd and alienating economic systems, but also relies on the ability to access states of consciousness that transcend the limitations of the Ego (Wilber, 2000).
At the center of this inquiry, we might place the concept of the Extra-Ego—a state that serves as a bridge between personal identity and the universal dimensions of human experience (Jung, 1959/1979; Laughlin, McManus, & d’Aquili, 1992). Jungian archetypes and the collective unconscious provide a relevant framework for understanding this phenomenon, illustrating how the Extra-Ego operates at the intersection of individual and collective consciousness.
Depth psychology, largely influenced by Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, and their successors, posits that the unconscious plays a fundamental role in shaping human experience (Freud, 1923/1961). While Freud primarily focused on repressed desires and internal conflicts linked to sexuality and dominant figures in family and society, Jung expanded this understanding by introducing the concept of the collective unconscious. This concept suggests that beyond individual experiences, there exists a shared reservoir of archetypal images and symbolic structures that influence human thought and behavior across cultures and historical periods (Jung, 1959/1981).
For Jung, the process of individuation—the integration of unconscious material into consciousness—depends on crossing these liminal spaces, which often involve encounters with archetypes such as the Self, the Shadow, and the Anima/Animus (Harris, 2015). The Extra-Ego, therefore, represents a dynamic interplay between the personal and transpersonal dimensions of the psyche, fostering integration (Corbett, 2015; Laughlin, McManus, & d’Aquili, 1992).
Transpersonal psychology extends beyond traditional psychological models by exploring states of consciousness that transcend the ordinary self (Wilber, 2000; Hood, Hill, & Spilka, 2009). Influenced by thinkers such as Abraham Maslow, Ken Wilber, and Stanislav Grof (2000), this field examines mystical experiences, peak states, and altered states of awareness as fundamental to human development (Louchakova-Schwartz, 2019).
From this perspective, the Extra-Ego could be seen as a gateway to expanded states of consciousness, where individuals experience a sense of unity with a greater whole (James, 1902; Hood, 2001). This access may occur through meditation, psychedelic experiences, deep contemplation, or even existential crises. Studies on near-death experiences (NDEs), psychedelic-assisted therapy, and advanced meditation practices suggest, as explored earlier, that these experiences can lead to profound personal transformations, increased empathy, and a redefinition of self-perception (Khanna & Greyson, 2014; Panksepp, 1998). Unlike pathological dissociation, these transcendent states generate a reinforced sense of coherence, meaning, and psychological resilience.
Rooted in the works of philosophers such as Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Viktor Frankl, existential psychology emphasizes the quest for meaning in a world marked by uncertainty and finitude (Baumeister, 1992). It challenges the dominance of reductionist and mechanistic psychological models, asserting that subjective experience, freedom, and responsibility are fundamental to psychological health (Frankl, 1946/2006).
From an existential perspective, the Extra-Ego would represent a mode of being that transcends existential fears related to uncertainty, death, and absurdity (Yalom, 1980; Heidegger, 1927/2010). It allows individuals to confront their existential anxieties without resorting to rigid identity constructions or consumerist distractions (Han, 2015). Moments of Extra-Ego awareness and expansion can manifest in profound philosophical realizations, intense artistic expressions, or a sense of awe when encountering nature or fundamental existential truths—even the beyond (Smith, 1987).
Frankl’s concept of tragic optimism—the ability to find meaning despite suffering—illustrates how transcendent experiences can counterbalance existential despair (Frankl, 1946/2006). The Extra-Ego serves as a reminder that human existence is not confined to the immediate concerns of the Ego, but is embedded in a broader existential continuum that goes beyond individual subjectivity.
The experience of the Extra-Ego, in this framework, is distinguished by several fundamental characteristics that transform self-perception and the experience of the world. It involves Ego transcendence, characterized by the temporary loosening of identity boundaries, enabling an expansion of consciousness beyond the limits of the individual self (Grof, 2000; Laughlin, McManus, & d’Aquili, 1992). This openness is accompanied by the integration of archetypes, where individuals encounter universal symbols that facilitate a deeper understanding of their psyche and their relationship to existence.
The Extra-Ego fosters enhanced psychological flexibility, offering the ability to accept paradoxes, embrace uncertainty, and adopt multiple perspectives, enriching cognitive and emotional experience (Hood, Hill, & Spilka, 2009). This state is also accompanied by heightened creativity and insight, granting access to new ways of thinking and inspiring major breakthroughs, particularly in artistic and philosophical fields. The Extra-Ego is profoundly linked to spiritual and existential meaning, reinforcing the connection to themes of purpose, interconnection, and transcendence, thereby allowing a reassessment of the individual's place within a greater whole (Smith, 1987).
Anthropological perspective: traditional practices, modern alienation, and the loss of transcendence
Throughout history, traditional societies have developed practices aimed at transcending ordinary consciousness and accessing deeper dimensions of the self and reality. These practices—shamanic rituals, vision quests, trance states, and collective ceremonies—allowed individuals to establish a connection with what can be understood as the Extra-Ego, a state of consciousness that transcends the Ego and integrates the personal with the universal. Ethnographic research shows that these experiences were neither marginal nor pathological; on the contrary, they were a central element of community life, the healing process, and spiritual fulfillment (Eliade, 1964). By analyzing the role of the Extra-Ego in traditional societies and the consequences of its suppression in modern contexts, we can better understand the fundamental need for transcendental experiences in human life.
Shamanism is one of the oldest known systems for accessing altered states of consciousness and the Extra-Ego. Found in diverse cultures—from Siberia to the Amazon, from Mongolia to Indigenous North America—shamanism is based on ritualized journeys beyond the limits of ordinary perception (Clottes & Lewis-Williams, 1998). The shaman, acting as both healer and mediator between worlds, enters trance states induced by rhythmic drumming, fasting (which stands in opposition to consumerist intoxication), the use of psychoactive plants, or prolonged isolation (Langdon, 2013). These states allow access to a space where personal identity dissolves, and the individual encounters archetypal forces, spirits, or ancestral wisdom.
Shamanic experiences are closely linked to what contemporary psychology describes as Ego dissolution(Carhart-Harris et al., 2014). In these states, individuals report a feeling of interconnectedness with nature, history, and a greater cosmic order, rather than a fragmented self trapped in a personal narrative(Winkelman, 2010; Metzner, 1998). The Extra-Ego here would function as a mechanism for healing, not only for the individual but also for the community, as the shaman serves as a vector for collective transformation (Langdon, 2013).
Beyond shamanism, many Indigenous traditions have structured rituals designed to guide individuals toward encounters with the Extra-Ego (Hernandez, 2011). Vision quests among Native American tribes, initiation rites in Africa and Oceania, and spiritual rites of passage in various traditions have historically played a role in existential and personal transformation (Turner, 1969/1996). A vision quest typically involves a period of isolation in nature, fasting, and deep contemplation, aimed at breaking through the boundaries of everyday consciousness. Participants report altered states of perception, allowing them to gain revelations about their identity, life purpose, and relationship with the world (Huxley, 1954). In Jungian terms, this can be understood as an encounter with the collective unconscious, where archetypal imagery and deep symbolic structures emerge, reshaping one’s self-perception (Jung, 1959/1981).
These structured approaches contrast sharply with modern Western society, where young people are often deprived of meaningful rites of passage. Without such initiatory experiences, many individuals struggle with identity formation, leading to prolonged existential uncertainty and a lack of direction. The absence of culturally embedded practices that engage the Extra-Ego has created a void, often filled with superficial consumerism, digital distractions, or compulsive work habits—none of which provide the same depth of transformation (Kasser & Ryan, 1996). Does this explain the explosion of psychiatric disorders among younger generations (Haidt, 2023; Twenge, 2017)?
Ethnographic research suggests that, as societies have modernized, they have progressively severed the communal and ritualistic dimensions of human life, resulting in heightened experiences of alienation (Putnam, 2000). With the decline of indigenous and collective traditions, modern individuals lack the social frameworks that once facilitated access to the Extra-Ego.
A constellation of factors has progressively eroded the vital link between individuals and their Extra-Ego, culminating in a marked decline of transcendental experience. Foremost among these is the ascendancy of hyper-rationalism, which, coupled with the systematic repression of transcendence in modern epistemes, has decisively fractured the symbolic and affective bonds that once sustained access to the sacred, the numinous, and the ethically Other. The rise of Enlightenment rationalism and modern scientism, while bringing numerous advancements, has relegated non-ordinary states of consciousness to the realm of irrational, hallucinatory, or pathological phenomena (McGilchrist, 2012). What was once considered sacred and transformative is now often medicalized, classified as a mental disorder, or marginalized within alternative spirituality movements.
Consumer capitalism and the illusion of well-being have replaced experiences of interconnection and transcendence, which were once fundamental to giving meaning to existence, with an incessant pursuit of external success, material accumulation, and digital engagement. This model creates a striking paradox: while modern societies have never witnessed such technological progress, they are also experiencing an alarming rise in anxiety disorders, depression, and existential despair, revealing, according to our hypothesis, a psychological and spiritual need that remains unfulfilled or even completely denied (Haidt, 2023; Turkle, 2011).
The disintegration of communities and individual isolation have exacerbated this disconnection, depriving individuals of the collective frameworks that once facilitated the integration of Extra-Ego experiences. Shared rituals and collective practices once provided an anchoring structure that allowed these experiences to be connected to a common vision of the world, thereby enhancing their transformative impact (Bellah et al., 2007). Today, these communal structures have been replaced by fragmented and individualistic lifestyles, where genuine belonging and social connection are becoming increasingly difficult to establish, while digital networks tend to replace authentic human relationships.
The substitution of human relationships with digital connections has several major psychological, social, and existential consequences. First, it fosters an illusion of connection, where interactions are largely mediated by algorithms, reducing the richness of human exchanges to monetizable data and superficial interactions, often lacking genuine engagement (Turkle, 2015). This progressive dematerialization of human bonds undermines the depth and authenticity of interpersonal relationships, intensifying a paradoxical form of solitude. Despite the constant exposure to virtual presence, individuals increasingly find themselves unable to cultivate truly nourishing or meaningful connections. Their social energy is, to a significant extent, absorbed and depleted by the demands of virtual interactions, which simulate relational proximity while eroding the conditions necessary for genuine emotional intimacy.
From a psychological standpoint—which informs our perspective—hyperconnectivity can be understood as a key factor in the erosion of both attentional endurance and contemplative depth. Attunement to the Extra-Ego, however, presupposes precisely these faculties, which rely on inner spaciousness, temporal openness, and a sustained receptivity that digital immediacy renders increasingly inaccessible. A relentless flow of notifications, compulsive exchanges, and the continuous pursuit of social validation fosters a form of cognitive dependency that obstructs access to profound introspective states. Rather than facilitating inner exploration, such conditions reinforce the dominance of the narrative ego—an identity constructed and maintained through incessant self-curation on social platforms. In turn, individuals become increasingly aligned with superficial representations of the self, at the expense of encountering its transpersonal, symbolic, and transcendent dimensions.
On an existential level, the fragmentation of real-world relationships deprives individuals of the shared rituals and collective frameworks that once served to integrate altered states of consciousness within a culturally meaningful structure. Without communal or symbolic validation of the Extra-Ego, such experiences tend to unfold in isolation, lacking the interpretive scaffolding necessary to transform them into vectors of meaning or transcendence (Frankl, 1946/2006). Rather than being recognized as initiatory or evolutionary thresholds, they are often perceived as anomalies—disruptions rather than openings—thereby contributing to a deep sense of existential disorientation.
Despite the widespread disappearance of traditional frameworks, there is a growing resurgence of interest in practices that facilitate the Extra-Ego (Grof, 2000; Wilber, 2000). This renewal is reflected in the increasing popularity of meditation, breathwork techniques, psychedelics, and immersive nature retreats. Research on psychedelic-assisted therapy recalls the ancestral use of medicinal plants in shamanic traditions, demonstrating that substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca can induce deep states of Ego dissolution and expanded consciousness (Carhart-Harris & Friston, 2019; Griffiths et al., 2008).
Practices derived from ancient traditions, such as mindfulness meditation, have been integrated into clinical psychology and neuroscience, confirming their transformative power (Tang, Hölzel, & Posner, 2015; Fox et al., 2014). However, the challenge remains in integrating these experiences into daily life and personal identity, in the same way that traditional societies incorporated the Extra-Ego into spiritual and communal frameworks. In traditional societies, transcendental experiences were not perceived as anomalies, but were embedded within a transhistorical knowledge that regarded them as vital to both individual flourishing and collective cohesion. Far from being marginal or accidental, such experiences constituted an essential dimension of human existence, anchored in cosmological, spiritual, and initiatory frameworks that transcended specific historical contingencies and rationalist epistemologies. Through shamanism, vision quests, and communal rituals, they structured pathways to the Extra-Ego, offering individuals meaning, healing, and deep integration (Winkelman, 2010).
The mystical quest for transcendence and the dissolved Ego
It is now clear that, across the arc of human history, mystical traditions have consistently aimed to transcend the confines of the Ego in pursuit of union with a greater, ineffable reality. This aspiration, rooted in diverse spiritual lineages, reflects a universal and enduring dimension of human consciousness—one that resists reduction to materialist or rationalist paradigms and gestures instead toward a transpersonal order of meaning beyond the grasp of the discursive mind. Whether in Sufism, Buddhist enlightenment, Christian mysticism, or Hindu Vedantic philosophy, spiritual seekers have consistently described experiences of self-dissolution and the attainment of unity with a higher, more expansive consciousness (James, 1902). These traditions closely align with the concept of the Extra-Ego, a state of being that surpasses the ordinary constraints of individual identity and allows for a deeper connection with the universal (Wilber, 2000; Louchakova-Schwartz, 2019).
Humans have always sought connection with something greater than themselves, and even in the modern technological age, over seventy percent of Americans claim to believe in God. In Why God Won’t Go Away, Newberg, d’Aquili & Rause (2002) explore this persistent religious impulse through the emerging field of neurotheology, which examines the link between spirituality and brain function. Combining scientific research with insights into consciousness and mysticism, they reveal how the brain's perception of reality is deeply tied to spiritual experiences, bridging faith and empirical understanding. While psychology and neuroscience study Ego transcendence through cognitive and neurological lenses, theology and spirituality interpret this experience as a profound existential transformation.
It can be affirmed that the pursuit of the Extra-Ego has constituted a central axis of spiritual evolution, serving as a privileged path toward deeper wisdom, inner equanimity, and the realization of a self beyond egoic limitations. Far from constituting a peripheral concern, this quest has consistently stood at the heart of mystical, contemplative, and initiatory traditions, revealing a latent human capacity for transcendence, integration, and alignment with a dimension beyond the egoic self. As we underscore in this analysis, modern paradigms—shaped by reductive materialism and normative psychologization—have largely marginalized, misinterpreted, or even pathologized such experiences, severing them from their ontological and spiritual significance.
Mysticism, in its various forms, often describes a direct, personal experience of the divine or ultimate reality. Unlike conventional religious practices, which emphasize doctrines and rituals, mysticism focuses on an inward journey—a path of surrender, contemplation, and ecstatic union with the divine (Hood, 2001; Underhill, 1911).
In all mystical traditions, there is the notion that the Ego—the sense of a separate, individual self—is an illusion or an obstacle to spiritual realization (Metzinger, 2009). By transcending the Ego, the seeker accesses a higher state of consciousness, often described as divine union, enlightenment, or self-annihilation in God (Smith, 1987).
In Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, the concept of fana (self-annihilation) is central to the spiritual path (Schimmel, 1975). Sufi practices include dhikr (repetitive chanting), ecstatic dances, poetry, and deep meditation, all aimed at dissolving the Ego and experiencing unity with God (tawhid) (Ernst, 1997). The Persian poet Rumi, one of the most famous Sufi mystics, extensively wrote about losing oneself in divine love, insisting that the Ego must be surrendered to reach true enlightenment (Chittick, 1984). Sufi practices illustrate the Extra-Ego as a state where personal identity dissolves into an overwhelming divine presence. In this state, the self is no longer perceived as a separate entity but as a reflection of the infinite (Nasr, 2008).
Buddhist philosophy presents one of the most structured approaches to Ego transcendence (Gethin, 1998). At the heart of Buddhist thought is the doctrine of anatta (non-self), which teaches that the Ego is an illusion, a transient construct shaped by desires and attachments (Wallace, 2006). Through meditation and mindfulness, practitioners observe the impermanence of thoughts, emotions, and identity, gradually dismantling the illusion of a fixed self (Davidson & Lutz, 2008). Enlightenment (nirvana) occurs when one fully realizes this truth and lets go of Ego-driven attachments.
In Mahayana Buddhism, particularly in the Zen and Tibetan traditions, advanced meditative states—such as satori (sudden awakening) and samadhi (deep meditative absorption)—mirror the Extra-Ego experience, in which awareness expands beyond individual subjectivity into a boundless, interconnected reality (Austin, 1999).
Christian mysticism also describes experiences of self-transcendence to achieve union with the divine (McGinn, 1991). Figures such as Meister Eckhart, Saint Teresa of Ávila, and Saint John of the Cross wrote about a spiritual path in which the Ego is gradually stripped away, allowing the soul to merge with God (Nelstrop et al., 2009).
Saint John of the Cross famously described this process in The Dark Night of the Soul, an intense period of existential purification that ultimately leads to divine union (John of the Cross, 1584/2003). This path involves surrendering personal identity, desires, and attachments, so that the divine presence can fully enter the soul (Underhill, 1911). Eckhart, a German mystic and theologian, emphasized that to truly know God, one must “become nothing,” meaning the Ego must be relinquished. His writings suggest that the Extra-Ego aligns with divine wisdom, where the human self dissolves into pure being (Nasr, 2008).
Hindu mystical traditions, particularly those within Advaita Vedanta, describe Ego transcendence as the realization that the individual self (atman) and absolute reality (Brahman) are one and the same (Deutsch, 1980). The Upanishads, ancient Hindu scriptures, repeatedly assert that the Ego creates an illusion of separateness, while true wisdom reveals the interconnected nature of existence (Śaṅkara, 8th century CE/2002).
Through practices such as deep meditation (dhyana), breath control (pranayama), and self-inquiry (jnana yoga), seekers dissolve their Egoic identity and attain moksha (liberation), a state in which the Extra-Ego is fully realized as a timeless, unbounded awareness (Vivekananda, 1896/1982).
Mystical traditions do not view Ego transcendence as an escape from reality (which would indicate a psychiatric disorder), but rather as the culmination of spiritual maturity. Across cultures, the Extra-Ego is described as a profound shift in perception, one that frees individuals from suffering, fear, and attachment, allowing them to engage with life in a more expansive, profound, compassionate, and meaningful way.
Toward an inevitable Extra-Ego generation?
Modernity, under the twin banners of rationalism and individualism, has systematically dismantled the sacred architectures that once oriented human subjectivity toward the transcendent. The dissolution of collective rituals, mythic frameworks, and metaphysical cosmologies has left the individual increasingly estranged from any meaningful sense of ontological rootedness. In place of shared symbolic matrices that once cultivated a porous self—attuned to forces beyond mere egoic survival—modern discourse has installed an epistemology of control, quantification, and self-optimization. The Extra-Ego, which once functioned as a transpersonal axis of integration, has been eclipsed by the cult of autonomy and self-assertion. In this epistemic shift, experiences of transcendence, communion, or ecstatic dissolution have been pathologized or trivialized, confined to the peripheries of psychology or reduced to neurochemical anomalies in scientific narratives.
Worse still, the latent potentialities of the Extra-Ego have not only been repressed but perverted—transmuted into an inflated obsession with the Ego and its virtual manifestations. In contemporary digital cultures, the self—now often reduced to the spectacle of selfies—is no longer a locus of depth, mystery, or interior transformation, but a curated interface engineered for visibility, performance, and commodification. It becomes an aestheticized surface optimized for algorithmic appeal, a profile assembled to attract attention, affirm identity, and sustain social currency in an economy of image and reaction.
The inner movement toward decentering the self, once facilitated by contemplative disciplines, has been reversed: now, even transcendence is commodified and made to serve the Ego’s hunger for distinction and control. In this context, psychology has largely become the science of repairing the self—not to liberate it from alienating structures, but to recalibrate it so it can resume its function within the circuits of productivity and consumption. Rather than questioning the foundations of suffering, it often works to render the subject more compatible with systemic demands. As a result, the very energies that once opened human consciousness to the ineffable have been co-opted to reinforce narcissistic loops, algorithmic feedback, and hyper-individuated identities. This inversion marks not only a psychological impasse but a civilizational crisis, wherein the possibility of genuine disalienation is increasingly foreclosed by the very structures that claim to emancipate us.
The contemporary challenge is not merely to reintroduce these practices, but to reinstate them within a cultural framework that recognizes the necessity of balancing rationality and transcendence. Whether through modernized rituals, community-based psychedelic therapies, or a renewed approach to altered states of consciousness, the rehabilitation of the Extra-Ego appears to be a fudamental key to addressing the existential crises of the contemporary world.
From this perspective, the notion of an "Extra-Ego Generation" refers to the necessary emergence of a collective consciousness that transcends the limits of the hyper-rationalist and materialist paradigmsthat dominate contemporary culture. This generation does not merely challenge reductionist models that confine individuals within a fragmented and mechanistic vision of themselves; it aspires to a reintegration of the split dimensions of human experience, valuing transcendence, intuition, and inner exploration as fundamental elements of psychic and existential balance.
This movement is rooted in a rejection of psychological reductionism, which fails to account for the complexity of profound subjective experiences. It is also marked by a revival of transcendental exploration, legitimizing states of consciousness that were once marginalized—such as mystical experiences, deep introspection, and altered perceptions—as essential vectors of psychic transformation. Within this dynamic, science and spirituality are no longer opposed but rather integrated into a transdisciplinary approach, where consciousness is no longer reduced to a mere neural function but considered in its phenomenological and existential complexity. Finally, this Extra-Ego Generation calls for a psychotherapeutic revolution, demanding a restructuring of clinical practices to include the Extra-Ego as a fundamental dimension of the psyche, essential for psychological balance and self-realization.
The rejection of the Extra-Ego is not merely an intellectual abstraction, but a political, social, and psychological reality, deeply embedded in historical processes of domination and control over subjectivity. By combining a critical analysis of the effects of colonialism and cybercapitalism, it becomes possible to identify the mechanisms that have contributed to the suppression of these psychic dimensions and work toward their rehabilitation. Far from being a regression to archaic modes of thought, this approach represents a necessary reappropriation of psychic spaces that allow individuals to reconnect with the infinite, the universal, and the beyond.
The challenge of our time is to develop methodologies and conceptual frameworks that enable the reintegration of the Extra-Ego into our relationship with ourselves and the world. This is not merely about questioning the dominant paradigms that continue to repress it, but about offering a counter-narrative that opens the way to new possibilities for psychological and existential exploration. By crossing this frontier, we do not simply challenge conventional models; we redefine the limits of human potential, restoring dimensions of being that have long been ignored, but which may be essential to the future of our psychic and social evolution.
Limits and perspectives
Although this study provides an in-depth analysis of mystical experiences and their connection to the Extra-Ego, it presents certain scientific limitations that must be acknowledged. First, our understanding of Ego transcendence states still largely relies on subjective descriptions, drawn from spiritual traditions and individual testimonies. The difficulty in quantifying and objectifying these experiences within a scientific framework poses a major challenge for their integration into contemporary psychological and neuroscientific models.
However, it is important to recognize that, despite their subjective nature, these testimonies have accumulated throughout history, forming a vast and substantial sample. The transhistorical and transcultural recurrence of these experiences allows researchers to identify patterns, common structures, and phenomenological convergences, thereby paving the way for conclusions that, while subject to contradictions and the dialectical nature of the sciences, deserve deeper scientific recognition.
It is therefore essential to conduct new interdisciplinary investigations, integrating psychology, anthropology, philosophy, and neuroscience, to better understand the underlying mechanisms of the Extra-Ego and to explore its implications for mental health and personal development. More specifically, it would be relevant to examine how these experiences can be integrated in a healthy way into hyper-individualistic societies, without being systematically reduced to pathological or esoteric phenomena.
One of the major challenges in this perspective is the development of psychotherapeutic and psycho-educational frameworks that would allow for a structured and constructive integration of Extra-Ego experiences. Today, psychotherapy often focuses on symptom management and emotional regulation, neglecting the transformative and expansive dimensions of the psyche. Within a psychotherapeutic framework, it would be necessary to develop specific protocols aimed at identifying and guiding experiences of Ego dissolution, to prevent them from generating anxiety or confusion, while ensuring they are integrated within a structured process. These protocols should also allow individuals to explore their Extra-Ego states freely, without the risk of being pathologized through the lens of dissociative disorders. Additionally, therapy could benefit from clinical practices that encourage Ego expansion, incorporating meditation techniques, mental imagery, and guided introspective exploration to enhance psychological resilience and cognitive plasticity.
Psycho-educational approaches would play a key role in framing the Extra-Ego as a healthy and necessary aspect of identity development. This would involve integrating the exploration of an expanded Ego into psychology and philosophy curricula, providing individuals with conceptual tools to understand and integrate their transformative experiences. Furthermore, training programs for therapists and educators would be essential to equip them with the knowledge to support individuals experiencing Extra-Ego states while avoiding their stigmatization as pathological or marginal phenomena. The creation of safe spaces for experimentation, whether through meditation, integrative therapy, or deep introspective practices, would enable individuals to explore these states within a structured and secure framework.
A more rigorous scientific approach will also require combining quantitative and qualitative studies, each offering its own validity, which can only be ensured through an interdisciplinary synthesis of arguments, subject to dialectical scrutiny and critical perspective. The quantification of phenomena related to the Extra-Ego could be strengthened through statistical and experimental analyses, while qualitative approaches would incorporate phenomenological and subjective dimensions, which are essential to understanding the lived experiences of individuals encountering these states.
Finally, a major research challenge for the future will be to explore how to facilitate access to healthier and more integrated identities, moving beyond the rigidity of Ego models imposed by contemporary materialism. By reintroducing transpersonal connection and transcendental experiences, society could evolve toward more fluid and resilient identity structures, rooted in a broader and more interconnected vision of the self and the world.
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