Henosis: Mystical Unity & Self-Realization Through Ego-Death

Henosis (Ancient Greek: ἕνωσις) is the classical Greek word for mystical "union", or "union". In Neoplatonism, henosis is union with what is fundamental in reality: the One (Τὸ Ἕν), the Source or the Monad. Plotinus' stages of "mystical union with the One" as given by Mazur (2021):

• Stage 1, Catharsis: Self-purification (afairesis) from any contamination with multiplicity (of any thought, knowledge or mental activity); The 'removal' of Being itself.

• Stage 2, Mystical Self-Return: “The intellect…must ‘withdraw backwards’ and surrender to what lies beyond”

• Stage 3, Autophany/Self-realization: radiant vision of one's self. - Stage 3.2, Self-unification/union: “becoming one out of many” • Stage 4, Annihilation/destruction: Ego death is a “complete loss of subjective self-identity.”

• Stage 5, Union with the One - Stage 5.2, Desubjectification Psychoanalysis Self-realization is a term used in Western psychology, philosophy, and spirituality; and in Indian religions. In the Western view, it is the "self-fulfillment of the potentialities of one's character or personality" (see also self-actualization). In the Indian view, self-realization is the liberating knowledge of the true self, either as the permanent, immortal Purusha or as witness-consciousness, which is atman (essence), or as the absence (sunyata) of such a permanent self. Jainism Jain philosophy is one of the oldest world philosophies that completely separates the body (matter) from the soul (consciousness). Individual conscience and individual consciousness are central to Jain philosophy. Self-realization is one of the most important requirements for attaining ultimate enlightenment and liberation (moksha). Self-realization means peeling off the fabricated layers of one’s personality to understand the true self and thus the true nature of reality. In Jainism, karma is depicted as invisible particles of subtle matter that attach themselves to a living organism or Jiva. These particles come together and form a film of negativity and darkness around the soul which obscures the true consciousness, causing the Jiva to lose touch with its original essence as a soul. These karmic particles tend to attract similar particles which cause the inflow of favourable and unfavourable karmic matter into the soul (Āsrava). This leads to the organism falling into the bondage of lust, worldly pleasures, ego, hatred, jealousy, anger, etc. Thus, self-realization paves the way to simply reverse this process and help the seeker decipher the absolute truth on his own. Jainism firmly rejects the belief in a creator, and that one being is solely responsible for his thoughts, actions and their consequences. Hinduism In Hinduism, self-realization (atma-jnana or atmabodha) is knowledge of the witnessing consciousness, the true self that is separate from delusion and identification with mental and material phenomena. Self-realization is considered the gateway to moksha, liberation/freedom from rebirth. This state is attained when the Kundalini force penetrates through the Sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head. Realization of the Self, Parashiva, which is considered the destiny of every soul, is attainable through renunciation, persistent meditation, and prevention of the germination of future karma (the expression "baking the seeds of karma" is often used). Buddhism Since Buddhism denies the existence of a separate self, as expounded in the teachings of anatman and sunyata, self-realization is a contradiction in terms for Buddhism. Although the Tathāgatagarbha teachings seem to teach the existence of a separate self, they point to the inherent possibility of attaining awakening, not to the existence of a separate self. The dharmadhatu teachings make this even clearer: reality is an undivided whole; awakening is the realization of this whole. Sikhism Sikhism preaches the philosophy of self-realization. This is possible through "aatam-cheennea" or "Aap Pashaanae", the self-purification of the false ego:

'Atam-cheene' is self-analysis, which is achieved by looking within oneself in the light of the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. It is the process of evaluating and analysing oneself on the touchstone of 'naam simran', which when practiced, penetrates into the self and washes it from within. The dirt of too much materialism disappears, the self gets purified and the mind comes into 'charhdi kala/higher state of mind'. This means that the self has to be assessed, investigated and purified, which leads to self-realisation and purification of. Once purified, the mind helps in ushering in oneness with the Superpower, as the Guru says: "Atam-cheen bhae nirankari" (SGGS:P. 415), which means that through self-realisation one becomes attuned to the Formless Lord. Indirectly it means that self-realisation leads to God-realisation.

Guru Nanak says:

Those who realize themselves are immersed in the Lord Himself.

Whoever realizes himself comes to know the essence. Annilition Ego death and the related term 'ego loss' have been defined in the context of mysticism by the religious scholar Daniel Merkur as "an imageless experience in which there is no sense of personal identity. It is the experience that remains possible in a state of extremely deep trance when the ego functions of reality testing, sense perception, memory, reason, fantasy, and self-representation are suppressed [...] Islamic Sufis call it fana ('annihilation'), and medieval Jewish Kabbalists call it 'the kiss of death'".

Carter Phipps equates enlightenment with ego death, which he defines as "the renunciation, rejection, and eventual death of the need to hold on to a separate, self-centered existence."

In Jungian psychology, Ventegodt and Merrick define ego death as "a fundamental transformation of the psyche." Such a shift in personality is called an "ego death" in Buddhism, or psychic death by Jung. In comparative mythology, ego death is the second stage of Joseph Campbell's description of the Hero's Journey, which includes a phase of separation, transition, and incorporation. The second stage is a phase of self-surrender and ego death, after which the hero returns to enrich the world with their discoveries.

In psychedelic culture, Leary, Metzner, and Alpert (1964) define ego death, or ego loss as they call it, as part of the (symbolic) experience of death in which the old ego must die before one can be spiritually reborn. They define ego loss as "...complete transcendence—beyond words, beyond spacetime, beyond self. There are no visions, no sense of self, no thoughts. There are only pure consciousness and ecstatic freedom"