Effect of Personal Experience on Bias.

I have not had any profound personal experiences in my life, ones that really blew me away, but if I had, I’m wondering if they might have affected my ego, and if so, how?

I’d be interested on your thoughts on this.




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The title refers to bias. The text asks about ego.

Regarding ego, I'd say it depends very much on the nature of the experience. And upon the individual. It also depends upon the point during life when it occurred. It could diminish and/or inflate the ego. Sometimes both at the same time. I think my ego was stronger when I was younger. I'm not sure to what extent any long-term changes are just an ordinary part of life.

As for bias. It could lead to more open-mindedness. But that isn't to say more or less bias. Depends on the individual and his or her own existing predilections.

It's an interesting question - profound negative experiences with death and/or religious upbringing seems to play a role in the motivations of the skeptical movement.

Similarly I've seen people say profound experiences (positive & negative) are what make them believers in some aspect of parapsychology, and these in turn often seem more specific than experiences that are feelings of the sort that often guide those who converted to a religion.

Thanks for the replies.
This question came to me after reading posts by people that say they have personal unusual things happen, most of them I have no reason to doubt.

However, I do wonder what having such experiences does to one’s ego? I suspect that it may be an unconscious boost or even a conscious one for it. I admit I’m a cynical bastard, but then I have loads of evidence to provide a case. LoL

After all, once many folk start talking with ‘God on their side’ we see a certain dogmatic certainty appear. Not always, of course. I wonder if they agreed to it before coming to earth? What purpose it would serve, would it be a challenge to be overcome or a tool to help others? Both?


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I tend towards ego being a very human characteristic. The counterpoint is humility, which is associated with some spiritual traditions. The problem here is words, very slippery things, when one mentions 'spiritual', I'm sure it means different things to different people. Even more so with the term 'God'.

Thus, if there is a personal experience, it depends on the nature of the experience. One example, which has no particular connotations, is to simply gaze up at the night sky in silence, on a clear night, away from noise and artificial lighting. That can be an intense and profound experience, but it isn't usually considered as paranormal. That is an example of something which might diminish the ego. Some other things, perhaps of very different types, which have happened to me, have left me feeling similarly humble.

At other times I've been arrogant and egotistical, but I don't attribute that to anything other than me being myself.

But people are complex, and sometimes different things get associated or intermingled. This intermingling doesn't of itself imply that ego was caused by such-and-such an experience.

I tend towards ego being a very human characteristic. The counterpoint is humility, which is associated with some spiritual traditions. The problem here is words, very slippery things, when one mentions 'spiritual', I'm sure it means different things to different people. Even more so with the term 'God'.



But people are complex, and sometimes different things get associated or intermingled. This intermingling doesn't of itself imply that ego was caused by such-and-such an experience.

Thanks Typoz.

The question of whether ego is “a very human characteristic” is one that I’ve recently been drawn to. In the latest Skeptiko podcast (I’d recommend) the person being interviewed was a medium. She made a comment I’ve heard other people such as Juergen Ziewe say, that ‘life on the other side appears to be not that much different from here’. It’s confusing.

People are indeed complex, which is why I tend to think that an ego might take such an experience and use it to boost itself. Our ego might tell us that we’re special or advanced, and it might distort our views or concentrate them in a wrong direction.

Until I have such a powerful personal experience I will just have to guess how it might affect my own ego.





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Stan, I feel slightly awkward here, since there are not (yet) twenty or thirty other responses, mine might seem to carry undue weight. On the one hand, I've had a number of experiences which make my reply relevant, I don't consider mine to be the best or only possible response. It is in the end just one person's opinion.

I looked at some of the comments on the latest Skeptiko interview, they do seem to be positive, though I've not listened to it myself.

The comment 'life on the other side appears to be not that much different from here' to some extent reflects my ideas on reincarnation. Though our circumstances and station in life may differ from one life to the next, beneath it all, we remain much the same.

Stan, I feel slightly awkward here,

I don’t really see why you should. 

I have not had any profound personal experiences in my life, ones that really blew me away, but if I had, I’m wondering if they might have affected my ego, and if so, how?

I’d be interested on your thoughts on this.

I have had some profound personal experiences that blew me away - of the type that we discuss here. They certainly have influenced my perspective. However, as far as ego goes, I suspect it depends upon the person, rather than the experience. I've noticed that the extent to which these experiences contribute to the ego (i.e. contribute to the perception of the individual as having special gifts, or to a spiritual sense which elevates the place of human consciousness in the universe) differs between myself and those who have built a metaphysic around them, irrespective of the profundity or intensity of the experience.

I will say that after a profound experience, it is difficult to shake the feeling that you have a knowledge and awareness that is lacking in those who have not had the experience. And many do not seem to resist that feeling and its contribution to the ego. I do not know whether or not it should be resisted.

Linda

Some other things, perhaps of very different types, which have happened to me, have left me feeling similarly humble.

Have you detailed these experiences. I'm curious if you'd be willing to share, regardless of whether the experiences are paranormal or not.