In this context, "ego" refers to the spiritual concept of ego. In the context of yoga, it is only "ahankara," but in general spiritual terminology, it is equivalent to "buddhi + ahankara." Therefore, ego is divided into these two elements. When the ahankara part, the illusion of "self," naturally disappears through studying and understanding scriptures, or is forcibly suppressed through practice or shock, only "buddhi" remains.

At that time, the mind becomes calm, thoughts become clear, and a state of peace of mind is achieved.

Regarding suppressing the ego, there are various opinions in the spiritual and religious world, with some people denying and others affirming the ego, which is confusing. However, there is no need to deny or affirm the ego; it is simply a matter of understanding its mechanism through studying scriptures, etc. If you do so, the "ahankara" part, the illusion of "self," will disappear, leaving only "buddhi," and a state of peace of mind will be achieved.

In addition, you can optionally engage in spiritual practices as a supplementary measure to accelerate mental stability and purification, or you may already be able to purify yourself. This varies from person to person. Even if you do not engage in spiritual practices, if you can become extremely focused and enter a state of "flow" in your work, sports, or hobbies, and achieve high results while your mind rests, that is the same as spiritual practice. There are probably many people who are actually doing spiritual practice without even realizing it. There are probably many people whose mental purification is progressing unintentionally.

Through practice, you will eventually reach the "true self" called the "higher self."

Initially, the ego (self) was not separated from the true self. Initially, they were one. Before birth, most people were in that state. However, as you are born and live on this earth, self-awareness (ego) increases, and you gradually forget your true self (higher self).

In reality, you are connected from the beginning, but it becomes difficult to feel that connection. If the separation becomes too severe, the connection between the ego (self) and the true self (higher self) may almost disappear.

However, through spiritual practice, or by becoming extremely focused and entering a state of "flow" in your hobbies, work, or even sports, you will gradually find peace of mind and be able to connect with your true self, the higher self.

Originally, the ego (self) and the higher self (true self) were one, and in essence, they are not separate at all. However, in actual sensation, they become a state of separation, making it difficult for them to communicate with each other.

This is similar to normal human relationships. There are people who are close but cannot understand each other's feelings. Conversely, there are people who can understand each other's feelings very well. In the same way, the ego (self) and the higher self (true self) are actually the same self who can communicate perfectly, but sometimes they become estranged.

The degree of connection varies from person to person, with some being very connected and others being distant. Generally, people are somewhat distant and in a state of separation. In such cases, entering a "zone" can unify the ego (self) and the higher self (true self) to achieve high results.

In reality, entering a "zone" temporarily is just the initial stage. If you enter the zone repeatedly, it will eventually become stable. When the zone becomes stable, you can enter the zone with just a little concentration.

Furthermore, you will be in a state that is almost like the zone from the beginning.
And when you concentrate, you will be in an even more "zone-like" state.

The depth of this "zone" varies from person to person. Famous athletes can enter a very deep zone and achieve correspondingly high results.

In the secular world, it is said that the "zone" exists to achieve results, but from a spiritual perspective, the result is secondary, and the purpose is to fuse the ego (self) and the higher self (true self).

And while this is expressed in spiritual terms, the "ego (self)" here corresponds to the "ahankara" in yoga, and it may seem incomprehensible when you hear that it merges with the higher self.

Regarding this part, the general spiritual term "ego" corresponds to the "chitta" (mind) in yoga or the "jiva" (illusory self) in Vedanta, and these merge with a higher self (Purusha in yoga, Atman in Vedanta).

Therefore, as a preliminary step, there are various practices to eliminate separation, and all of them have the common point of purifying the mind. And as a certain degree of purification is achieved, the separation from the higher self is gradually eliminated, and the merging begins.

From this perspective, there are several stages.

1. A state of no separation (between the ego and the higher self) (infancy to early childhood).
2. The stage where awareness begins to develop, and separation (between the ego and the higher self) begins (before puberty).
3. The stage where the ego develops, and a state of separation (between the ego and the higher self) exists (after puberty).
4. The stage where one learns that the ego is an illusion, and tries to eliminate the separation (youth).
5. The stage of eliminating the ego and the higher self (middle age and beyond).

Depending on the person and environment, some people may remain in a state of unity from the beginning, and there may be different patterns in terms of timing, but generally, it is likely to be something like this.

However, it is common for people to remain in a state of separation and live a difficult life until they die unless they learn and act intentionally.

Depending on the degree of separation, a certain amount of training is required for minor cases, and a more rigorous process is required for severe cases, in order to return to a state of unity. This is the path of spirituality.

▪️The unification of the ego (Jiva) and the higher self (Atman, Purusha).

Basically, one initially connects with the higher self from the "back," and eventually, not only is there a connection, but the essence of the higher self (aura, the part of one's own divine consciousness that has the properties of creation, destruction, and maintenance) approaches (from the back), and eventually, it merges with the Jiva (the consciousness of the temporary self in Vedanta, the ego).

Before reaching that point, a certain degree of self-purification is necessary, and only then can the higher self approach.

The state where the higher self and the ego are separated is also said to be the consciousness of most people, but it is not always completely separated, and the state varies from person to person. There are cases where there is no separation, but the aura is small and one is blind.

Therefore, even if the higher self and the ego are separated, it is common for a part of the higher self to be mixed with the ego. And, the part that could not be fixed in the ego part is separated and floating nearby.

- How much of the higher self is fixed in the ego?
- How much of the higher self is separated from the ego?
- The amount of aura.

Connecting with the separated higher self is one form of channeling.

Communicating telepathically with other consciousnesses (people, spirits) is also considered channeling, but it is also said that connecting the ego and the higher self is channeling, which may be one of the points of confusion. It is a spiritual term that is used with diverse meanings.

In reality, the ego's separated consciousness, as a jiva, channels with the separated higher self. Some people call this reading, and others may use different terms. However, the reality is that it happens this way.

This channeling is based on the premise that the ego and the higher self are separated.

- When the higher self is (outside) (＝ the state where the ego and the higher self are separated)
- When the higher self is not (outside) (＝ the state where the ego and the higher self are unified)

Therefore, if the ego and the higher self are unified, there is no channeling, but simply one's own (unified) consciousness. While it is said that the conscious mind and the higher consciousness are unified, there are limitations within the range that can be recognized by the conscious mind, depending on the degree of purification. Nevertheless, to a certain extent, the consciousness of the higher self can appear as the conscious mind.

▪️Support (accompaniment) by a fragment of the same group soul.

Even if it seems unified, there may be times when there is a presence that feels like a fragment of oneself on the outside. In such cases, it may be a part of oneself that separated before birth to act as a support role, or rather, a separate individual that separated from the original. Since it is a fragment of the same group soul, it is similar to the higher self and can be almost indistinguishable, but even so, it is natural to consider it as something separate, and not the higher self.

▪️Part of the consciousness (aura, higher self) leaves (walks out), and additional consciousness enters (walks in).

On the other hand, after birth, there may be times when the aura leaves the body, or when the aura is added to the body, as needed. In this case, the aura refers to a real entity that carries energy, and since it is also consciousness, if the aura decreases, the consciousness becomes correspondingly hazy, and conversely, if the aura increases, the consciousness becomes correspondingly clear.

It seems similar to the concept of unification, but it is different. In the case of unification, the premise is that separation occurs because the higher self cannot approach the ego due to intense separation. Therefore, the process aims to achieve unification.
However, in this case, the higher self completely exits or enters.

There are various reasons for this.

When a part of the higher self exits (walkout):
- It may be because the mission for that physical body has ended, and the individual can simply fulfill their lifespan.
- It may be to temporarily feed back a part of the individual's acquired knowledge to the group soul.

When a part of the higher self enters (walk-in):
- It may be to introduce consciousness (a fragment of the group soul) for the purpose of carrying out a new mission.

In the spiritual industry, these phenomena are sometimes referred to as "walk-in" or "walk-out." However, in that context, they often refer to stories where aliens borrow a body on Earth. Similar things, however, occur relatively rarely between an individual and their group soul.

In reality, it seems that most people remain unchanged throughout their lives. However, depending on the individual's role, such things may occur if necessary.

When the aura exits, if it is done consciously, it separates from the back of the neck, the Sahasrara chakra, and other relatively posterior areas, and detaches from the body.
When the aura enters, it enters from the crown chakra (Sahasrara) and flows along the spine, through the chest and abdomen, and merges with the existing aura.

▪️Separation of the Higher Self due to Conflict

This is a similar story that can be confusing, but normally, the ego and the higher self should be unified. However, due to conflicts, traumas, or strong shocks, they can become separated. This is similar in appearance to the walkout mentioned above, but in this case, the separation occurs not intentionally, but because it is unavoidable.

- When the mind breaks due to a mental shock.
- When the conflict within the ego is intense, the higher self may reject it and leave the body.

In this case, the separated part remains near the physical body (and the ego) for a while, but if the separation is too severe, it may give up and return to the group soul.
It seems that a common pattern for modern people on Earth is for the separated part to remain near the physical body (and the ego) while maintaining a certain distance and continuing to guide.

Whether or not the aura is additionally added depends on the mission, so it is not necessarily always the case.

On the other hand, the unification of the ego and the higher self is, if it is currently in a state of separation, something that is absolutely necessary for spiritual growth.