Nonduality and the Ego with Jake Orthwein

In this episode of Deconstructing Yourself, Michael Taft is interviewed by Jake Orthwein about the concept of self in various spiritual traditions and in psychology. They discuss the Buddhist concept of "anatta" (no-self) and how it relates to the construction of the ego, distinguishing it from the Western idea of the soul. They explore the relationship between "no-self" and emptiness, and how these concepts differ across early and later Buddhism. The conversation transitions to Advaita Vedanta's concept of the "True Self" and its similarities to the Buddhist concept of Buddha-nature, addressing how these relate to the experience of ego dissolution, particularly in the context of psychedelics and meditation. They also discuss the importance of a functional ego and the potential dangers of practices that disrupt ego coherence for individuals with certain mental health conditions, as well as the distinction between reification and fabrication.