Spiritual Ego

Spiritual Awakening Requires Releasing Ego, Surrendering Will, and Embracing Faith—Each Interwoven, Each Transformative

Spiritual awakening is not a single moment of enlightenment—it’s a layered, lifelong process. At its core are three interdependent pillars: releasing ego, surrendering will, and embracing faith. This article explores these concepts in depth, especially the often misunderstood act of surrendering will, and how ego death plays a pivotal role in ascension and spiritual freedom.

The Three Pillars of Awakening

Spiritual awakening is often described as a journey inward, a shedding of illusions and a return to truth. The three foundational components—release of ego, surrender of will, and embrace of faith—are not steps to be completed but ongoing practices that deepen over time.

- Releasing Ego means dismantling the false self-identity that separates us from others and from Source.

- Surrendering Will involves yielding personal control to divine guidance, trusting the soul’s contract and the universe’s flow.

- Embracing Faith is the act of trusting in what cannot be seen, felt, or proven—yet is deeply known.

Each of these components supports the others. Without surrender, ego remains dominant. Without faith, surrender feels like defeat. Without ego release, faith becomes dogma. Together, they form the architecture of awakening.

Surrendering Will: The Heart of Spiritual Flow

Surrendering will is perhaps the most challenging concept for those raised in cultures that prize autonomy, ambition, and control. But in spiritual terms, surrender is not weakness—it is alignment.

To surrender means to release resistance to what is. It is the conscious decision to stop fighting the current of life and instead float with it, trusting that the river knows the way.

As Julie writes, “Look at life as if you are in a canoe floating down the river; you can go with the current or you can fight it… but ultimately the river will get its way.”

This metaphor captures the essence of surrender: not quitting, but accepting. It’s the realization that our soul’s journey is already mapped out through a soul contract—a divine agreement made before incarnation that outlines the lessons, relationships, and challenges we will face.

Free Will vs. Soul Contract

The idea that free will is mostly an illusion may be triggering, but it’s a concept echoed in many spiritual traditions. While we have choices, those choices are nested within a larger framework of soul evolution.

- Mundane choices (what to eat, wear, or say) reflect free will.

- Major life events (loss, love, illness, transformation) often align with pre-agreed soul lessons.

Spiritual teacher Matt Kahn explains, “Free will exists, but it’s not absolute. It’s a tool for learning, not a guarantee of control.”

In this view, surrendering will means trusting the soul’s contract, even when it defies logic or comfort. It means saying yes to the unknown, the painful, and the miraculous.

Surrender in Christian Mysticism

In Christian theology, surrender is often described as “dying to self” or “carrying your cross.” It is exemplified in Christ’s final prayers in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

This is not passive submission—it is active trust. It is the conscious choice to align one’s will with divine will, even when the path leads through suffering.

As theologian Richard Rohr writes, “The surrender of will is not the loss of identity, but the discovery of true identity in God.”

Whether you call it Source, Universe, or Divine, the principle remains: surrender is the gateway to spiritual maturity.

Understanding Ego: Psychological vs. Spiritual

To surrender will, we must first understand ego—because ego is what resists surrender.

There are two primary types of ego:

1. Psychological Ego

This is the identity projected onto us by others: “You are a mother,” “You are a teacher,” “You are Hispanic.” It’s shaped by society, roles, and expectations.

Spiritual Ego

This is the identity we project onto ourselves: “I am a writer,” “I am white,” “I am female.” It’s the internal narrative that defines us as separate, special, or superior.

Spiritual ego is especially insidious because it masquerades as truth. It comforts us with structure and identity, but it also limits us. It keeps us from merging with the universal “I am.”

As Aletheia Luna writes, “Spiritual ego is the final veil before awakening. It’s the last mask we must remove to see our true face”.

Ego Death: The Portal to Ascension

Ego death is the dissolution of the false self. It’s the moment when the stories, labels, and identities fall away, and we are left with pure being.

According to Nerdy Creator, “Ego death shifts your awareness from a limited, individual perspective to a sense of being connected to everything”.

This can be terrifying. It feels like losing yourself. But it’s also liberating. It’s the birth of the true self—the part of you that is eternal, limitless, and one with all.

Empaths Wellbeing describes ego death as “a sacred dance of unraveling and remembrance”. It’s not annihilation—it’s transformation.

Exercise: Mapping Your Spiritual Ego

Take a sheet of paper. Write “I Am” at the top. List ten adjectives you use to describe yourself.

Now ask: Which of these are roles? Which are identities? Which are illusions?

This is your spiritual ego. These are the constructs that must be released to fully surrender and awaken.

The Goal: “I Am”

The ultimate goal is not to be a mother, a writer, a citizen, or a woman. It is to be I Am.

This phrase—used in spiritual texts across traditions—represents pure being. It is the state of unity, presence, and divinity.

As Eckhart Tolle teaches, “The words ‘I am’ are the gateway to presence. They are not followed by anything. Just I am.”

Letting Go: The Path to Freedom

Letting go of ego means stripping away the self-constructed identity. It means releasing beliefs, attachments, and desires that define us.

This is not easy. Ego is seductive. It offers comfort, structure, and motivation. But it also creates suffering, separation, and fear.

The three highest goals of human existence are:

- Freedom from pain and suffering

- Union with universal consciousness

- Limitlessness

Releasing ego allows all three.

Conclusion: The Dance of Awakening

Spiritual awakening is not a checklist—it’s a dance. A spiral. A surrender.

To awaken, we must:

- Release the ego that defines us as separate.

- Surrender the will that seeks control.

- Embrace the faith that trusts the unseen.

This is not a one-time event. It’s a lifelong practice. But each step brings us closer to truth, unity, and peace.

As Julie writes, “You are not you as you think of you anymore.” And that’s the beginning of everything.

References

- Nerdy Creator. (2025). Understanding Ego Death: A Key to Spiritual Awakening. Read here

- Empaths Wellbeing. (2025). Stage 4 of Awakening: Ego Death & Identity Deconstruction. Read here

- Luna, A. (2024). Ego Death: 7 Terrifying and Illuminating Stages. LonerWolf. Read here