Why Psychedelic Ego Death Isn’t Always Best
In psychedelic spaces, the term ego death gets tossed around a lot.
It’s often described as a kind of mystical dissolving—where your sense of self fades away and you’re left floating in something vast, infinite, and beyond words. For many, this experience is sought after. It’s seen as a spiritual awakening, a shortcut to enlightenment, or proof of having transcended the small self.
And sometimes, it really is profound. But like most things that touch the soul, it’s also complex—and it comes with risks we don’t often talk about enough.
As a depth psychotherapist and psychedelic integration therapist, I hold space for people after these kinds of experiences. Some return from ego death feeling awe-struck and alive. Others return feeling fragmented, disoriented, or unsure how to make sense of what just happened. Dissolving the ego can open doors, yes—but without proper grounding, it can also leave us unmoored.
Understanding Ego Death Through Jungian Psychology
Unlike Eastern traditions that seek to dissolve the ego entirely, Carl Jung saw the ego as a necessary structure—one that must be refined, not destroyed. Psychedelics, particularly substances like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT, can temporarily dissolve the ego, but without the necessary foundation and groundwork, this dissolution may not lead to true psychological growth.
Ego death can be seen as a forced confrontation with the unconscious. Jungian theory suggests that this encounter should be gradual and conscious, allowing the individual to integrate repressed fears, desires, and unresolved traumas—rather than being overwhelmed by them. When ego dissolution occurs too suddenly, the psyche may not be prepared to handle what surfaces, leading to severe destabilization.
We Need the Ego—Just Not in the Way We Think
We often hear about the ego as something bad—something to get rid of. But that’s not how I see it. And it’s not how Jung saw it either.
Your ego is the part of you that organizes your sense of identity. It helps you get dressed in the morning, hold boundaries, and navigate everyday life. It’s not the enemy. It’s not meant to be destroyed. What often does need to happen is softening the grip of an overprotective ego—especially when it’s built on fear, trauma, or old survival strategies that no longer serve you.
Psychedelics can dissolve the ego temporarily, giving us a glimpse of what lies beyond it. But if we haven’t done the foundational work—if we haven’t met the wounded parts of ourselves, or built a sense of inner safety—that dissolution can feel more like falling apart than waking up.
When Ego Death Happens Too Fast
Some of the most destabilizing experiences I’ve witnessed in integration work come from people who had beautiful intentions, but weren’t prepared for what surfaced. Here are a few things I often explore with clients post-journey:
1. Unfiltered Shadow Material
Psychedelics can tear open the veil between the conscious and unconscious. Suddenly, long-buried fears, shame, grief, or trauma can flood in all at once. This isn’t always a sign that something’s gone wrong—it’s just that the psyche needs time and support to make meaning of what it reveals. Without that, people can spiral into anxiety, paranoia, or emotional overwhelm.
2. False Enlightenment + Spiritual Bypassing
Having an ego death experience doesn’t mean we’re suddenly enlightened. It might be a glimpse of oneness, yes—but real growth is measured in how we live afterward. Sometimes, people return with a sense of spiritual superiority or detachment that actually distances them from others. Integration asks us to stay humble, to stay connected to our humanity, and to keep doing the inner work.
3. Losing the Ground Beneath Us
The ego has a protective function. When it gets stripped away too quickly, we can feel untethered—like we don’t know who we are or what’s real. This can lead to dissociation, depersonalization, or even manic states. That’s why I believe that psychedelic experiences should be approached with great care, reverence, and ongoing support.
Psychedelics Are Tools—Not Shortcuts
Psychedelics can open powerful doors. They can help us access buried truths, reconnect with the sacred, and feel more deeply alive. But they’re not magic pills. And they’re definitely not substitutes for the long, soulful journey of healing and self-discovery.
In my view, true transformation happens through integration—the slow, tender process of weaving insight into your daily life. Of tending to what was revealed. Of learning how to stay with the parts of yourself that are scared, skeptical, or still unsure.
Depth psychotherapy, dreamwork, inner child work, and active imagination are all tools that can help you make sense of what emerges. And more importantly—they help you build the inner structure needed to hold what you’ve seen.
A More Grounded Approach to Ego Death
You don’t need to chase ego death to be transformed.
In fact, some of the most beautiful changes I witness in therapy happen through softening—not dissolving. Through becoming more human, not less. Through reclaiming lost parts of the self, not transcending them.
If you’ve had a powerful psychedelic experience—or you’re preparing for one—I’d love to help you explore what it means in the context of your life. This work is sacred. It deserves time, reflection, and care.
You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone
Those seeking self-transcendence through psychedelics should do so with caution, proper preparation, and an understanding that true growth comes not from the destruction of the ego, but from its evolution.
If you’re in California and looking for psychedelic integration therapy, spiritual therapy, or exploring the deeper questions that can arise from altered states, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.
I offer in-person therapy in Oakland and virtual sessions throughout California. Together, we can create a safe space for whatever is surfacing—and help you bring it back down to earth, where real change takes root.
Reach out today if this kind of work speaks to you.