In a somewhat natural progression, after dwelling last week on selfishness, this time around I thought I’d touch upon that other abstract quality, the ego — very gently, so as not to bruise it in way. For we all know how banana-like and given to easy bruising the ego is. We also know that the ego and selfishness are not distant cousins, many times removed, but are in fact so close as to be conjoined. I was going to say ‘joined at the hip’ which is common parlance but ‘fused at the crown’ might be more apt in this instance.

The OED (not the Oxford English Dictionary but the Online Etymology Dictionary, just to clear that up) suggests that the word ‘ego’ as a term in metaphysics dates back to 1714 although both its popularity and notoriety can probably be laid squarely at the door of — ahem! — Sigmund Freud (although the OED omits that bit and leaves it to me to articulate it.) As we are aware, ego is a reference to the self, that part which feels, acts or thinks. And in a lot of cases over-feels, overacts and overthinks. In the field of spirituality, however, the term goes back a long way and has Latin and Greek roots. It referred to ‘psychological constructs in the mind that trap the consciousness.’

This last bit no doubt those of us who have embarked on a (short or lifelong) course of yoga and meditation will know to be true. For consciousness is meant to be free-flowing — the river of the mind, sans obstacles. In other words, minus an ego.

While on the subject of meditating, those of us who were trying to come to grips with it the first few times round would remember how eel-like the entire experience could be. One comes so close to feeling like a fisherman on the high seas who’s landed this giant eel after which there’s this ever-losing battle to keep a grip on it. (As an aside that I might venture to call ‘a fish tale’, the eel while being suspected of not being a fish actually is one, but only of a different order called Anguilliformes. Of course, we knew that and didn’t need the Internet to remind us!

What is interesting, however, is that the eel propels its body forward in a series of waves known as anguilliform swimming. And this is the major difference between the eel and other fish. The eel uses its whole body; other fish mostly use their tails.)

But back to meditation and attempts to ‘tame the ego’. As mentioned earlier, this can form a bit of a pitched battle. I have on numerous occasions, in attempting self-meditation, fallen fast asleep and woken up a few hours later (mildly refreshed, admittedly, but laden with guilt at yet another failed attempt.) Focus. That’s the word that, apparently, ultimately helps. I say apparently because there may be other words too and I don’t mean ‘Open Sesame’ or ‘Abracadabra’.

Early attempts to ‘focus’ with the eyes shut on one thought or word can reveal just how challenging a task it is, and also how scattered our thoughts are. Higgledy-piggledy and hither-and-thither. I remember one instructor advising to look upon this inner space as a very Spartan chamber, sparsely furnished but spick-and-span clean, dust free. In the end I guess as they say it’s different strokes for different folks.

An image that might work for one mightn’t for another. Which brings me to yet another challenging method that is being increasingly propounded for taming the ego. It’s an absolutely easier-said-than-done approach. All you’re asked to do is go through an entire day without using the word ‘I’. Neither in direct speech, nor obliquely in indirect. If you can do it for one day, you surely can do it another ... and another, by which time the term ‘ego trip’ has become obsolete. Fancy that, eh? A world where the ‘I’ is no longer relevant.

Kevin Martin is a journalist based in Sydney, Australia.