In most spiritual school or approaches we find the "ego" to be defined as the enemy to be defeated through the spiritual practice. As this approach is very inaccurate, it is important that we'll understand a bit more about the function of the Ego, its' primal goal, and how this mechanism is responsible in an indirect way to the feeling of separation and disconnection from the immediate existential experience of the Pure-I identity.

The Ego is a sophisticated mental mechanism which allow the human to perceive oneself from a point which is external to the human itself. It is the very mechanism which enables us to wear a self-image of some sort, based on the content of the mind, and identify with it to the extent of becoming very convinced of its' reality. The ego is the very mechanism which allow us to "discuss" with ourselves in a semi-neurotic manner issues within the head space. The ongoing dual dialogue within the head space is possible due the mechanism which allows us to see ourselves from an external point. Such mechanism does not exist within any form of living other than humans.

Is this mechanism a negative one ?, should our task be to eliminate it ?. An easy and simplistic answer to such an important question would be to say that the answer is positive. Yet, looking deeper into the tasks of this ego will show us that having an ego is actually a very high form of evolution. An important tool which allowed us to start doubting the current way of our life, and maybe decide to dive into a serious spiritual path in order to transform it.
Without an ego, such decision would be impossible !. As the our ability to see our lives from an external point and to doubt its' quality and efficiency would not exist. A subject cannot relate to itself without an object outside of it.

Yet, we have to see that the primal purpose of having an ego has been transformed throughout the human history into a monstrous mechanism which ceased to serve its' purpose efficiently, and turned its' back toward its' owner, which is the experiencer, the pure-I. As humans developed strong ties and identification with the content of the mind, as life and collective social consciousness became more and more complicated. Our intelligence had completely lost the ability to sustain a clear and pure existential connection with the experience of the Pure-I, and allowed our complete surrender into the Ego-structure, giving birth to an experience of duality and identification with the mental Ego-I definition. Our existential experience, moment to moment, is not of the experiencer anymore, it is not of the pure-I, which we essentially are. It became a continuous identification with the constant action of the tool we call Ego. Moment to moment we create another cycle of mental identification with not only the content of the mind, but also energetically we are linked very strongly to the entire dual mechanism which defines us from an external point of to our direct subjective existence.

This matter is quite complicated, and can be slowly revealed and resolved only through a serious practice and learning of how the Pure-I relates through its' intelligence to mental mechanisms which were developed in order to interact and survive within the outer reality of objects. Yet, it is important to be clear about the fact that the ego in its' essence is just a tool. It is not bad nor good. It was suppose to be another level of evolution which allows the "I" to perceive itself from an external point, and through this ability to contemplate its' existence and allow a deeper approach into our daily life. Yet, once this tool became the master of every second of our life, we'll have through practice and learning to re-transform our relations with it, and regain the primal experience of Pure-I, which is free from movement or identification, when that is not necessary.